Hyundai Genesis vs Audi A8
What's the difference?

Hyundai Genesis

$13,800 - $26,999

2015 price

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Audi A8

—

2023 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 6

Mercedes-AMG E63

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2015 Hyundai Genesis

2023 Audi A8

By Peter Anderson

By James Cleary

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.8L

Diesel Turbo V6, 3.0L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Diesel/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

11.2L/100km (combined)

5.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Refinement
Comfort
Spec list

Refinement
Quality
Value

Dislikes

No V8 option
No diesel option

Big turning circle
No folding rear seat
No front door bottle slots

2015 Hyundai Genesis Summary

Anybody who doubts that Hyundai is gunning for the number one in the world has rocks in their head. Big heavy ones. Korean companies do not settle for anything less than number one. The second-generation Genesis (our first taste here in the Antipodes as the gen-one had its steering wheel on the wrong side) is proof.

What's different about Hyundai's unstoppable rise is the way they're going about it. They've always done their own thing in Korea, reinventing themselves time and again when they strayed off the beaten path.

The Genesis is a gamble for a Korean company in foreign markets whose default setting for luxury is marked, Britain or Germany. If Hyundai gets the Genesis wrong there will be howls of derision, or at best patronising pats on the back - "Nice try, you'll get there one day". But if they get it right...

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2023 Audi A8 Summary

Audi’s flagship is the A8, a long, luxurious sedan where being driven is often as important as doing the driving.

To put this ultra-premium machine in context, it competes with other German heavyweights like BMW’s 7 Series and, of course, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class as well as Porsche’s Panamera. Not to mention the Lexus LS or Maserati’s Quattroporte.

What’s life like at the top of the Audi pyramid? Stay with us to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2015 Hyundai Genesis 2023 Audi A8

Verdict

The Genesis is not quite a match for cars twice its price but it makes you think what's possible. It doesn't have the dynamic brilliance of a BMW or the self-assured faultless execution of a Mercedes. Lexus ought to be worried, though - why would you have an LS when you could have this? The only answer is 'badge'.

The Genesis is an epoch-making car for the Korean manufacturer. As the company has got better, there are fewer excuses for overlooking it. While the Genesis is pitched into a shrinking market, it's not really meant for the average i30 buyer to buy, but to see.

It's bristling with tech and is not only a halo car but a shot across the bows of both Lexus and the Germans. Attached to that shot is a note: "We're coming for you." In other words, Hyundai got it right.

Verdict

The Audi A8 swims in a luxury car shark tank where those paying the big dollars expect top-shelf everything. It delivers a serene driving experience whether you’re in the front or the back, in a superbly engineered and executed luxury sedan package. Not perfect, but very, very impressive.

Hyundai Genesis vs Audi A8 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Hyundai Genesis vs Audi A8
What's the difference?