Who said sedans were dead? The electrified 2023 Genesis G80, tested

Enlarge / The Genesis G80 is a handsome midsize luxury sedan, and now there's a fully battery-electric variant. Jonathan Gitlin

Recently, Ars tested the new Genesis GV60, a sharp little electric crossover. Although this car was the first electric vehicle from Genesis to use the new E-GMP platform, it is technically the brand's second electric vehicle. That's because there's also an all-electric version of the Genesis G80 sedan. Called the G80 Electrified, it was first shown in Shanghai last year, but has now arrived on these shores.

The company launched the internal combustion-engined G80 in 2020, and it's a competent version of the midsize luxury sedan. But the platform (known internally as the M3) was designed to support both combustion and electric powertrains – few automakers today can afford to design a whole new ICE-only architecture, given the impending regulations in the world.

As you'd expect, the G80 Electrified shares a lot of the same EV technology as the GV60, which impressed us. It's a bigger and more expensive car ($79,825 plus destination charges), but it manages to be even more efficient and luxurious.

If you detect a slightly Bentley-ish look at the G80, you're not alone - a side effect of some members of the British marque's design team moving to South Korea some time ago . The distinctive Genesis "two-line" design element is present and correct, with the turn signals extending to the other side of the front wheel arches, then picking up at the rear of the car as the taillights . As an electric vehicle, the electrified variant needs less cooling, so instead of a large open grille, the panel is covered with a diamond plate, which undoubtedly helps the electrified G80 to achieve a coefficient of trail of only 0.26.

Enlarge / Distinctive Genesis twin lines appear front and rear. Jonathan Gitlin

If you lift the hood, you'll discover where the engineers have hidden much of the electric powertrain. There is no storage here, but rather power electronics and accessories. A consequence of locating the car's power electronics in the front is the presence of the charging port in the nose, which both saves weight in terms of wiring inside the car and simplify things when charging.

There is only one powertrain configuration for the G80 Electrified at present, which combines a pair of 182hp (136kW) permanent magnet electric motors, one for each axle. Combined power output is a maximum of 365 hp (272 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm), powered by an 87.2 kWh (gross) capacity lithium-ion battery. That's enough for a range of at least 282 miles, according to the EPA (453 km).

Like E-GMP electric vehicles, the G80 Electrified also operates at 800V, allowing it to charge from 10-80% in just 22 minutes on a suitable DC fast charger. Buyers get three years of unlimited 30-minute charging sessions at Electrify America stations. Based on my testing, the car uses plug-and-charge, so it's just a case of opening the charging door, plugging the car in, then remembering to come back half an hour later. Meanwhile, an AC charge at 240V and 48A should fully recharge the pack in 7 hours and 22 minutes, says Genesis.