3.5T Sport 4dr All-Wheel Drive Sedan
2022 Genesis G80

At this point, we know what to expect when Hyundai applies an N badge to its cars. The resulting vehicles are serious performance machines with tremendous appeal to enthusiasts. Over at corporate sibling Genesis, however, the label of “Sport” has brought with it a relatively inconsistent experience. This confusion remains with the 2022 Genesis G80 Sport. Part of the problem is that there are two versions: the Sport and Sport Prestige. Both add the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 as standard equipment, an engine that has been discontinued as an option on other G80s for 2022. Those are now fitted only with the 2.5-liter turbo inline-four.  Beyond that, the two Sports share a number of appearance changes to further differentiate them from the standard models. These include a unique dark chrome grille, new front and rear bumper designs, black bezels around the lights and dark chrome throughout where you’d find brightwork on regular G80s. The standard Sport gets special 19-inch wheels, but the Sport Prestige gets its own 20-inch wheel design that can be paired with optional summer tires. That's all she wrote for the base Sport, however, making it effectively an appearance package paired with the V6 engine. If all you care for are those looks and the extra power — and by golly, does it look good — refer to our standard G80 review, because that’s how the standard G80 Sport will drive. For a more comprehensive, fully realized performance model, you have to put up an extra $6,300 for the Sport Prestige. That's the version we're driving here. Despite a name that implies extra leather or general fanciness, the Prestige is in fact the version that adds high-performance features beyond the bigger engine. You get a sport-tuned adaptive suspension, high-performance brakes, rear-wheel steering and that ability to option summer performance tires. In other words, this is the real Sport.  That said, to set expectations, don’t come into this hoping for a Mercedes-AMG, BMW M or Audi Sport competitor. Despite the upgrades, the G80 Sport Prestige is still not aiming at that level of performance. The slinky sedan’s powertrain produces 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque and routes it through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The eight-speed is the same as before, but new tuning for a unique “Sport+” drive mode makes the G80 a far more aggressive shifting partner on curvy roads. There’s no sport exhaust that lets you hear the boosted V6 any better than before, but you can adjust the simulated engine noise to your liking. It gets decently loud in the cabin, but never sounds particularly good. This engine is deserving of some reins loosening, though, as it’s a potent powerplant. Launch control can be activated with stability control off, and with it, this G80 Sport Prestige smoothly scampers from 0 to 60 mph in what feels like just over 5 seconds. We estimate, because Genesis does not provide an official acceleration time. The “sport-tuned” suspension consists of springs that are just a bit stiffer than …
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