Hyundai Ioniq 6 vs Genesis G80

What's the difference?

In the Ioniq 6 N Hyundai has built an incredibly quick and high-capable performance car. But that doesn’t mean it’s flawless and an obvious recommendation over its rivals.

Its looks remain divisive, and while obviously each individual will need to judge the design of the Ioniq 6 N themselves, objectively speaking there is a lot to like about this latest addition to Hyundai’s N stable. 

Yes, it’s very fast, but with all the N modes switched off it’s also a very quiet and relaxed sedan with a premium look and feel. So it will play the dual role of track terror and everyday family transport well. 

But it needs to be for the price, which is really testing the limits of Hyundai’s brand appeal. It obviously won’t be a best seller, but with the less-polarising Ioniq 5 N only selling approximately 300 cars since its launch, this could be a very niche proposition, reserved only for those who crave its special kind of electric performance.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

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.

The original Prophecy concept, which previewed the Ioniq 6, was a thing of beauty, a case study in elegance and simplicity. The final production version of the Ioniq 6 is a case study in awkwardness, with a design that polarised opinions.

For the Ioniq 6 N Hyundai has been given a second chance to try and make it look more appealing and less divisive. To that end they’ve added this gloss black bumper with an integrated splitter, highlighted by the N-specific fluro orange strip, as well as unique fenders and 20-inch forged alloy wheels.

The facelift also introduces much more appealing slimline headlights that help reduce the awkwardness.

At the rear, there’s a new rear bumper design, with more black to try and hide some of its most awkward lines, plus an unmissable rear wing to further attract your attention. And while it undoubtedly provides a sportier, more dynamic look, it actually provides up to 100kg of downforce.

Inside, Hyundai has made a number of key enhancements to ensure the Ioniq 6 N looks suitably sporty. There’s a sports steering wheel, complete with a pair of N buttons to immediately activate the more dynamic driving modes, plus sports seats and even a soft knee pad built into the side of the centre console, so you can brace yourself when you're lapping the track at speed.

There’s a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen in the centre, which houses all of the various car settings, including the very detailed N performance driving modes. This is where you can either program the N buttons or dial up the individual settings.

There’s also track-themed graphics that appear on the head-up display, if you really want to do your best Oscar Piastri impression.

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.

The cabin is very practical too, despite its sportiness. There’s good storage spaces, including a pair of cupholders and a tray built into the centre console.

There’s also USB-C charging ports in the front and back of the cabin to keep small electric devices charged, as well as a smartphone wireless charging pad.

By relocating the controls usually found on the door (windows, mirrors, unlock/lock buttons), the door pockets have been sculpted out to create more width and space for the front seat occupants.

It’s comfortable and roomy too, especially in the back, where Hyundai has taken advantage of the Ioniq 6’s bespoke electric underpinnings to have a flat floor with good knee and legroom.

The boot measures 371 litres, which is on the smaller size for a mid-size sedan, and well short of the class leaders, like the 524L Toyota Camry.

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.

That HSV Grange analogy is pretty close to what the G80 3.5T AWD SL from $121,200 (all prices are before on-road costs) represents, and not just in dimensions and performance.

Adjusted for inflation, a 2015 Grange from $86,990 would equate to about $115,300 today, which nestles in neatly between the ‘base’ G80 2.5T rear-driver from $104,200 and 3.5T AWD SL.

And, like the big Holdens and Fords of yesteryear, the Genesis annihilates the German luxury sedan triumvirate for value for money as well as bang for your buck, when you consider what the competition is at its price point: Audi A6 45 TFSI quattro S Line from $122,415, BMW 520i from $114,900 and Mercedes-Benz E200 from $117,900.

Nowadays, even the entry-level Euro grades are pretty well specified, but all have 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engines of between 150kW and 180kW outputs and two-wheel drive, against the Genesis’ 279kW 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo and AWD.

And then there’s the SL equipment levels, that includes everything you’d expect from a machine that is built like a Lexus, behaves like a BMW and wants to be as bourgeois as an S-Class Benz, with powered, electric and wireless everything.

It’s easier to list what’s missing: namely, walk-away door locking.

Still, listing some of the standout features is editorially required, so the SL’s lucky occupants can indulge in a heated front console armrest complete with UV-C sanitisation, a real-time concierge service with a five-year subscription included, a fingerprint recognition system for extra security (freeing society from a key!), a powered rear-window shade and the quietness that active noise-cancellation brings. And all are new with the MY25 facelift.

More opulence comes in the form of Nappa quilted leather upholstery, surround-view monitors, 18-way powered/heated/vented/memory front seats with massaging and ottoman extenders, powered reclining/vented/heated rear outboard seats with (manual) sun-blinds, tri-zone climate functionality with rear-seat controls, front and rear wireless smartphone chargers, 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio (with epic sound), soft-close doors, suede headlining, a panoramic sunroof with powered blind, solar-controlled glass, a powered boot lid with valet mode and remote-control parking.

We are pretty sure you won’t find this combination of gear in your entry-level German sedans at the 3.5T’s price point.

Genesis has also crammed in as much active and passive safety as possible. More on that in detail later on.

Note that there is also an all-electric G80 Signature Electrified AWD version from $155,000, making it the series’ true flagship.

Successive federal governments in Australia with their Luxury Car Tax have made this sort of vehicle a questionable value proposition as it balloons their prices, but within the context of what else is available, the G80 makes for a brave and bold alternative to formidable yet predictable alternatives.

As mentioned earlier, while it may be expensive for a Hyundai, if you want a car capable of making 478kW and 770Nm you’ll typically need to spend a lot more than $115,000. This makes the dual-motor electric powertrain the star of the show in many respects.

Those figures are the maximum performance available when you use 'N Grin Boost', a 10-second burst of ultimate power. The ‘normal’ performance is a still an incredibly impressive 448kW and 740Nm.

These come from a 166kW front motor and 282kW rear motor, to give you all-wheel-drive capabilities.

That’s enough for the Ioniq 6 N to do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.2 seconds with N Grin Boost activated (0.2 seconds faster than the Ioniq 5 N). Top speed is limited to 257km/h, which is obviously too much for the road, but Hyundai is pitching this as a track car and in that sense it will struggle to keep up with some supercars at the end of long straights, but that’s probably a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.

Like most electric cars, the Ioniq 6 N has a single-speed transmission. But like the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai has developed an artificial ‘manual’ gearbox, which it calls N e-shift. By torque limiting the engine to create a false ‘rev limit’ there are eight virtual gears for you to use via the paddles on the steering wheel.

But this is only part of the story, Hyundai has included a number of N-specific driving settings for the powertrain beyond N Grin Boost and N e-shift. N Torque Distribution has 11 different settings that allows you to adjust the torque split between the front and rear axles up to 95 per cent in one way or the other.

Then there’s N Drift Optimiser, which helps you do big skids, on the safety of a track, of course. Plus N Launch Control to shock your mates with V8s at the drag strip and N Track Manager to keep track of your lap times.

It all sounds very complicated but Hyundai has done a nice job of integrating the systems into the car and making the menu easy to navigate. And because these systems are largely digital, rather than mechanical, it actually helps make the car easier to drive in some regards.

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.

To power this track-focused EV, Hyundai has had to upgrade the 84kWh battery with specialised heating and cooling systems.

Range is rated to 487km, which is good without being great. And, unsurprisingly, if you access all the power available you will end up using the battery quicker, much like you’ll use more fuel if you drive an internal combustion engine hard.

For track use, Hyundai suggests a ‘20-20-20’ cycle of 20 minutes of track driving, 20 minutes of cooling and then 20 minutes of charging to ensure you get maximum out of a track day. Although we were able to do closer to 30 minutes of track driving from a single charge.

To make this possible, there is a special N Battery mode, which is able to maximise track usage by managing the cooling and output depending on the scenario. There are Drag, Sprint and Endurance settings, with Drag making the battery warmer for sudden acceleration, Endurance trying to keep it cooler to extend on-track range and Sprint automatically applying N Grin Shift when needed.

It’s an incredibly complex system but it speaks to the challenges of making an EV capable of the rigours of high-speed driving consistently.

In terms of charging, the key detail to know is, with the maximum charger, you can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 18 minutes, according to Hyundai’s claim, and is compatible with either 400V or 800V charging infrastructure.

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.

To put it bluntly, the Ioniq 6 N is sickeningly fast. Literally, it can make you feel car sick from the passenger seat if the driver unleashes the power a little too frequently, which isn’t hard because the Ioniq 6 N offers near-instant torque.

The dual motors mean this swooping sedan launches out of corners with a ferocity usually reserved for supercars - it is that quick under hard acceleration. But pure acceleration is only part of the story when it comes to a proper performance car.

As impressive as the Ioniq 5 N is, it was always going to be handicapped by its taller SUV body, meaning the handling was somewhat dulled by its size and shape. The lower, more aerodynamic Ioniq 6 N is therefore noticeably more dynamic and responsive to drive.

The suspension and steering tune isn’t specifically tuned for Australian conditions, instead it’s based on the globally developed setup designed for the Ioniq 5 N, which Hyundai Australia did have input into.

Despite not being tuned specifically for Australia it still rides with impressive compliance for such a performance-orientated electric car. Even on the choppier back roads we tested it on, it feels controlled and compliant while still being responsive, without feeling uncompromising or uncomfortable.

But to really experience the true performance potential of the Ioniq 6 N, you need to hit the racetrack. Thankfully, Hyundai Australia allowed us to test it to its limits at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Free from speed limits the immense power can be unleashed and to make the experience even better you can use the N e-shift and the N Active Sound+ - three separate artificial soundtracks that are designed to mimic engine noise.

There is one that can broadly be described as ‘futuristic’ and another that is meant to sound ‘electric’ but neither are good enough to bother with. Instead, if you stick to the one that sounds like Hyundai’s petrol engine you’ll enjoy it.

While it is clearly an artificial sound, and there will be haters who just don’t like it (and they can leave it switched off), Hyundai has done a brilliant job mimicking the sounds of a proper petrol performance car. So much so that when you lift off the accelerator, you actually hear a ‘snap, crackle, pop’ from the rear of the car, as if there is an actual exhaust making the sound.

What the noise does do is really help you with a sense of speed, as does the N e-shift, not only helping you drive faster but also just making the experience more fun.

For the serious track-day drivers the amount of adjustability in the Ioniq 6 N is brilliant. In particular the N Torque Distribution system, which allows you to shift the drive split front-to-rear on the move. Experimenting with this system, there is a clear difference between the handling not only as you switch between modes, but if you’re really, really serious, you can even adjust it during your on-track run. As the tyres get hotter, shifting more drive rearwards helps the car rotate better and punch out of the corners easier.

However, while Hyundai may have designed it as a track-capable, ‘Corner Rascal’, as they like to say, the reality is, most of the time you’ll be driving, you won’t be on a racetrack.

Even so, N Road Sense is a special setting that is able to recognise a double curve road sign and urges the driver to activate N mode and have more fun, so it’s always looking to encourage you to have a good time.

But what about when you’re not driving fast? How does the Ioniq 6 N stack up as a daily drive? Well, one of the elements of  performance EVs that I personally appreciate, is how quiet and relaxed they are when you don’t need to go fast. Unlike an internal combustion performance engine, which can feel like a caged animal at suburban speeds, an EV with 448kW is as smooth and quiet as an EV with 148kW.

It means it plays both its roles - weekday commuter transport and weekend fun machine - with equal ability.

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.

The Genesis G80 scored a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment all the way back in December 2020, though this figure does not cover the 3.5T model as tested by us.

Along with 10 airbags (including front-centre and driver’s knee protection), it is fitted with a wide variety of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS).

These include 'Autonomous Emergency Braking' (AEB) with forward-collision avoidance (taking in car/pedestrian/cyclist as well as junction turning/crossing detection), lane-keep assist, lane-change and evasive steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning/collision avoidance, traffic-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, parking collision avoidance, safe-exit alert, surround-view monitors, driver-attention warning, traffic-sign recognition and auto high beams.

There are also two ISOFIX child-seat fixtures and a trio of child-seat anchorage points in the back seat.

Hyundai covers the Ioniq 6 N with its usual seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with any non-competitive racetrack usage also covered. So you can do a track day, including the official N Australia organised ones, with peace of mind.

This applies even if you upgrade your tyres and brake pads in search of faster lap times, as long as you don’t enter into a competition, Hyundai will look after most mechanical on-track problems.

Service intervals are every two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first. Hyundai offers a ‘lifetime’ servicing plan that covers the first four years, but with only two services required - one for $645 and the second for $667.

As one of the best-selling brands in the country, Hyundai has an expansive nationwide dealership network, including extensive rural coverage and service centres trained to deal with EVs.

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.