Genesis G80 vs Tesla Model Y

What's the difference?

Overall, then, the flagship G80 tries to be docile Clark Kent and the amazing Superman in one. As such, it stretches itself trying to be both a luxury GT and high-functioning sports sedan.

But while it doesn’t quite achieve either perfectly the Genesis gets near enough for most – especially at its exceptional price point.

If you like the five-seat Model Y, then you'll like the six-seat L version even more. I think this the best example of Tesla's electric SUV to date, and the cabin layout just makes a lot of sense, and would suit plenty of families who don't need to squeeze someone into a compromised middle seat.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Australia never saw the original 'BH'-series Genesis, which was created primarily with US buyers in mind to be a 5 Series alternative at a 3 Series price, complete with rear-wheel drive and advanced chassis dynamics.

Hyundai spun the series off as a stand-alone brand in the mid-2010s within the second-gen 'DH' Genesis’ run (that did include Australia) from 2015, which is when the G80 badge arrived, while the 'RG3' redesign you see here launched in 2020.

What you’re seeing here, then, is a facelift of a half-decade-old design, and doesn’t it give off Bentley vibes? From that blocky nose with its latticed grille to the sleek profile, the five-metre long by two-metre wide G80 passes for a Continental GT wannabe. Particularly in SL guise. And a convincing one at that.

When it comes to the interior, look around. A 27-inch OLED touchscreen takes in the crisp digital instrumentation and slick multimedia displays.

We like the configurable widgets that come complete with pictures for instant recognition, and the fact that Genesis decided to put an equally-user-friendly climate-control screen below, so eyes never need to leave the road once you quickly learn where all the switchgear is.

Spoiler alert - it looks a lot like a five-seat Model Y, doesn’t it, albeit a slightly bigger one. And you’d have to be a bigger Tesla head than me to immediately spot the differences at a glance.

The wheelbase is longer, the rear doors are bigger as are the rear 3/4 panels and the roof line is higher, helping with headroom in the third row.

Still, safe to say if you like the look of the five-seat Model Y, you’ll like this one. And if you hate it, well, good luck.

The alloys are 19-inch and shaded by the aerodynamic caps and there are light bars front and rear which debuted on the updated five-seat Model Y when it arrived mid-last year.

The bigger changes are inside, of course. I promise we’ll get to the second and third rows in the Practicality section, but let’s talk about the look and feel first.

There’s a love/hate relationship with Tesla’s stripped-back aesthetics, and I’m probably somewhere in the middle. I like the airiness of the space in the cabin, and I think it feels nicely put together, and I really dig the contrasting fabric used on the doors and dash which add a little visual interest to the cabin.

But I hate using the central screen to select a gear and I hate not being able to see how fast I’m going without turning my head. A head-up display would work wonders in the Model Y L cabin.

Size may not be everything, some say, but it sure says a lot when a medium-sized luxury sedan is long enough to swing it with some large Germans. And in this case, the impressive dimensions are enhanced by a three-metre-plus wheelbase.

Behind the soft-close doors, you’re met with a cabin defined by the luxury of space and isolation from the outside world – just what you’d expect from a full-sized flagship sedan. There’s room to stretch in all five seats.

Plus, in the SL, the seats and chunky steering wheel silently whirr out of the way for easier entry and egress, before sliding back to their previous-memory positions.

The front seats are among the best we’ve experienced in a long time, holding and caressing in all the right places. Switching drive modes increases bolstering and/or support, whilst longer thighs will appreciate the extendable ottoman feature. Hot/cold control and a prodding massage function further enhances the users’ pleasure.

As in all Hyundai products the digital instrumentation and media touchscreen are paragons of simplicity and clarity.

Actual knobs for audio, tuning, fan and temperature controls flank these, along with buttons for 'Home', 'Menu', 'Driving Modes', 'Cameras' and parking sensors.

So thoughtful, so easy. Even vision isn’t too bad, aided of course by the surround-views available. This is quite an unintimidating vehicle to judge when parking despite its length.

Issues? The gear selector is the circular variety Jaguar debuted with the original XF during the late 2000s and is a bit clumsy to use; sited in prime console real estate, the cupholder lid is set-up for left-hand drive, meaning it provides a (minor) obstacle for the driver when open; the test car’s carbon-fibre-look trim won’t be to everybody’s taste and there’s no walk-to/away automatic central locking.

Meanwhile, the rear seat is in the spirit of a true limo.

Wide doors allow for easy entry/egress, revealing impressive levels of space for shoulders, hips, knees and feet (though headroom might be a mite tight for taller dos due to the sunroof). The left-side rear occupant can re-position the seat in front automatically to boost legroom even more.

Airliner premium-economy class-style backrest reclination is included. And you can sink yourself or your loose digits into the tactile and aromatic bliss of the perforated Nappa leather, thick pile carpet, suede trimmed pillars and ceiling and quality textures, further upping the luxury ante.

The large folding armrest facilitates access to heating/ventilation, audio, a sunblind, cupholders, phone chargers, USB-C ports and hidden storage.

The fortunate rear-seat passengers also face air vents and a separate climate control panel from the front-seat riders. So decadent. This was clearly designed for chauffer opulence and it shows. Very difficult to fault.

But further back, it isn’t so bountiful. Literally.

The pleasingly plush boot measures in at a smallish 424 litres, and that’s almost 100L down on a 520i’s. And while it comes with a ski or 'Bunnings port', simple folding backrests would have been more practical, particularly for car reviewers who occasionally need to transport their bicycle.

Oh well, that’s what SUVs are for.

The space-saver spare, in lieu of the hated tyre repair kit, is welcome, though. Thank you.

Captain’s chairs are simply a more luxurious version of second-row seating. With that there is no argument and the heated and cooled chairs that occupy the second row of the Model Y L are pretty good examples of them.

Space, both knee and headroom, is ample, and you can adjust each seat individually if you want to grant a bit more space to any third row occupants. Armrests deploy at the push of a button — as do the two hidden cupholders — and it really is easy to settle in and get comfy.

The third row is a bit more hit and miss. I’m 175cm and found I had enough legroom and headroom, but the big plastic mouldings that emerge from each side of the Model Y (which house a cupholder) are a miss. They end up pushing you into the seat next to you, and I can foresee a lot of arm rubbing with anything like two adults back there.

Also confusing is how to actually get out of it. You can fold the seat in front of you flat, but then you have to climb over it. I found it easier to just walk out between the seats.

There are another two USB-C ports in the rear row and you get air vents but no temperature controls. 

The Model Y L stretches 4969mm in length, 1668mm in height and 2129mm in width, which is roughly 18cm longer and 4.5cm taller than the five-seat model. The extra space doesn’t sound like that much, but start dropping rows and you find a heap of storage space.

Both the second and third row stow electronically from the boot, but with them in place you’ll find 420 litres of storage in the double-layer boot. Drop the third row, and that number grows to 1076 litres. With the third row folded there is a massive 2423 litres of space. The frunk serves up another 116 litres.

There’s also room (and the ISOFIX attachment points) for four child seats.

The Model Y L sits smack bang between the $68,900 Long Range AWD and the $89,400 Performance, setting you back $74,900, before your on-road costs. It’s also the only three-row option in the Tesla family.

Aside from people movers, we’re not swimming with options in the three-row electric space, either. The Kia EV9 will get it done from $97,000, the Hyundai IONIQ 9 starts from around $120K and the Volvo EX90 is more expensive again (from $124,990).

Anyway, in Tesla land, the Model Y L rides on 19-inch alloy wheels, has a glass roof, automatic wipers and Tesla’s smartphone access key, as well as the little credit-card swipe.

Inside, there’s a 16.0-inch central screen that handles everything. And I mean everything. It's your gear selector, your speedometer, and everything else, too. There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but you can access things like Spotify and podcasts through the in-built apps and the on-board navigation system is a good one, too.

All of that pairs with a 19-speaker sound system, and there are dual wireless charge pads. All three rows of seats are heated, while the first and second row get ventilation, too.

A second 8.0-inch touchscreen in the middle row then handles things like the seat heating or cooling, music and games to amuse the kids. And the Model Y L also debuts V2L, or Vehicle to Load, for Tesla in Australia, using a connector in the external charger.

As the alphanumerics suggest, the G80 3.5T AWD is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, producing a hefty 279kW of power at 5800rpm and 530Nm of torque between 1300-4500rpm.

Tipping the scales at 2095kg (kerb), the SL’s power-to-weight ratio is 133kW/tonne.

Drive is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Eco' modes are fitted.

The Model Y L gets Tesla’s dual-motor AWD powertrain, with two electric motors producing a total 378kW and 590Nm. That’s enough, Tesla says, to knock off the sprint to 100km/h in five seconds flat.

Here is where the G80 has all four wheels rooted more in the past than in the future.

With no electrification of any variety (hybrid, in other words), high fuel consumption is always going to be the real price paid by going for a Euro-5 spec twin-turbo V6 weighing some 2100kg.

The official combined average figure is 11 litres per 100km, for a corresponding carbon-dioxide emissions rating of 250 grams/km. On the highway that drops to 7.9L/100km and soars to 16.3L/100km in the city cycle.

With a 73L fuel tank, that combined average number means a driver can expect around 660km of range between refills of 95 RON premium petrol, though Genesis says this G80 will also run on E10 ethanol blend.

Now, our trip computer said that we averaged less than the official figure, at just 9.7L/100km, but our pump-to-pump testing ended up being 11.4L/100km. Which isn’t that bad.

Tesla is always a little vague when it comes to the size of its batteries, but reports point to the Model Y L carrying a 84Wh (useable) NMC battery.

Whatever the specifics, the range is strong, with Tesla promising a 681km driving range on the WLTP combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

It’s also set up for 250kW DC fast charging, which should see you take on 288km in 15 minutes, according to Tesla.

The Genesis G80 3.5T AWD SL drives in a similar way to the big brutish American-inspired Caprice and HSV Grange V8s, in that it delivers effortless, lazy performance with a sophisticated twist.

No slouch off the line even in Eco mode, the twin-turbo V6 leaps into action if you’re heavy on the throttle in Comfort mode, hunkering down as the speed piles on quickly.

With 'Launch Control', the claimed 0-100km/h sprint time is 4.9 seconds, though in regular mode it is rated at 5.1s on the way to a top speed of 250km/h.

And while the enhanced exhaust orchestrates a nice warble from behind, it remains a strong, smooth and silent performer.

The AWD system is RWD-biased and is continuously variable according to prevailing conditions, performance and grip.

The SL also features an electronic limited-slip differential for better traction and grip, as well as rear-wheel steering that either counter-steers the rear wheels in relation to the front ones for a tighter turning circle (11.8m) or parallel steers them for “enhanced steering responsiveness and stability at high speed.”

Selecting 'Sport' or 'Sport+' is met with distinctly more-urgent responses, with the transmission holding on to ratios as the revs approach the red line, which can be annoying around town.

It’s quite surprising – and probably a good thing – that the beautifully balanced and connected steering can be light and easy when you’re relaxed, and yet hefty to the point of feeling heavy when you’re really on it. Likewise, the brakes in 'Comfort' are pleasantly progressive. In 'Brake Sport' they’re fiercely responsive.

Note that, in Sport+ with the safeties off, the SL's tail can become very playful indeed, even in bone-dry conditions.

Suspension is via multi-links at both ends of the car, whilst the SL grade includes what Genesis calls “Road Preview Electronic Control Suspension (ECS)”, that scans the road ahead and then adjusts the adaptive dampers for better ride comfort.

That all said, the Genesis’ sheer size and weight keep it from feeling like an out-and-out sports sedan. The speed and AWD grip is there - tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (245/40 fr - 275/35 rr) - and the handling results in some pretty astounding agility for one so large, but the steering connection, balance and alacrity are more about confidence and competence than light-footed athleticism.

This is no cut-price BMW M5. But HSV Grange owners might recognise something in its muscular good manners.

And what of the SL’s four-wheel steering? It provides a degree of tuck-in at speed which can catch out the unaware driver, though of course, it is also a boon for round-town manoeuvrability. The tight turning circle that ensues is incredible for one so long.

Ultimately, though, it is a large and heavy sedan that never quite stops feeling that way. It won’t shrink around you despite being an easy and rewarding car to drive.

Out in the wet, the AWD contributes to the G80’s squatted-down attitude, feeling impervious to prevailing external conditions.

But it’s also not quite the sumptuous luxury liner that, say, a Mercedes S450 is.

Very civilised on smooth roads, with a decent level of absorption from the multi-link suspension, the G80 struggles a little with smaller-frequency bumps at times, but then does a great job smothering the larger ones. It is certainly within the luxury sedan expectations for refinement, isolation and ride comfort, but just not the best.

If you stick with freeways and highways, this thing will bring years of civilised pleasure and punchy performance. It is a rapid yet relaxed grand touring family cruiser.

Honestly, it feels like the Tesla Model Y has grown up. I didn’t love earlier iterations of this car and I found the Performance to be fast but lacking any emotional fizz.

This one, though, feels solid and composed, and the power on tap (of which there is ample) is more about effortless progress than it is attempting to offer sports car excitement.

The steering is now nicely weighted and feels direct enough without being too sharp, and the cabin is well insulated, with often the slightly off-putting sort of rubbing noise the steering wheel makes when you turn it the only intrusive sound.

One drawback is a ride that definitely errs on the side of firm. This Model Y L gets electronic damping designed to iron out some of the more jagged stuff, but it still feels brittle in places, and you can definitely feel some sharpness in the cabin. Now, to be fair, it’s not too firm for me, but it might be for you.

Another is a bizarre turning circle which constantly reminds you you’re driving a big bus, especially when you try to complete a tight three-point turn.

But despite its stretched dimensions, I found the Model Y L easy to drive and park in the city, and once you're up to speed with Tesla's operating system (there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), then the screen is pretty easy to use, too.

The Model Y L gets the same maximum five-star ACNAP safety rating as the rest of the Model Y range, with nine airbags (up from seven in the five-seat model), and things like AEB (Auto Emergency Braking), lane-keeping assist, 'Forward Collision Warning' and blind-spot monitoring all along for the ride.

Interestingly, the curtain airbags from the five-seat version haven't been replaced, with coverage still only extending to the second row. New airbags have instead been added for third-row occupants.

One more analogue quirk of the Tesla Model Y L is the thick B-pillar, which does a good job of almost completely obscuring driver-side blind-spot checks (for those of us who still like to do those manually).

The Genesis G80 comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, five years of what it calls 'premium' roadside assistance (increased to 10 years if serviced at a Genesis dealer) and five years/75,000km of free servicing. Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km.

While these are about on-par with most brands, it is behind better mainstream warranty and aftersales services, which are seven, and in a few cases, 10 years in length.

Tesla warranty is a these-days-underwhelming five years and unlimited kilometres, while the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or (a wildly specific) 192,000km.

There’s also five years' of roadside assistance, including puncture repair (a good thing, given the lack of a spare wheel). I also couldn’t find a puncture repair kit and later research suggests Tesla sells them, rather than provides them as standard.

Tesla servicing is condition-based, so there’s no fixed schedule, with a summary on the car’s touchscreen providing a record of when vehicle maintenance was last carried out and prompts for when they should be performed next.

In the absence of a combustion powertrain the emphasis is on things like wheel rotation, balancing and alignment, brake fluid testing, air-con servicing, camera precision, radiator cleaning and high-voltage battery maintenance.

Expecty a ‘Vehicle Health Check’ to come in under $300 with ‘General Diagnosis’ at around $270 per hour.