New Flavor To A Favorite Dish: The 2018 Genesis G80 RWD 3.3T Sport

The 2018 Genesis G80 RWD 3.3T Sport.

A year and a quarter ago, we professed our deep admiration for the 2017 Genesis G80 5.0.   Something to the effect of  "a Lexus LS competitor for GS money." Not much there we'd change, but the world is changing and five liters worth of V8 under the hood is the old way of doing things, so for its sophomore year, the G80 is offering a 3.3-liter V6 twin-turbo model known as the 3.3T Sport.

Relentless Pursuit, Pursued: The 2017 Genesis G80 RWD 5.0 Ultimate

The 2017 Genesis G80 RWD 5.0 Ultimate.

It takes an enormous amount of confidence for a mainstream carmaker to spin off a new luxury line.  Toyota's choice to do that with Lexus makes it look like a no-brainer, but it's wise to remember that  Nissan has not done nearly as well with Infiniti, nor has Honda with Acura.  And Mazda was thisclose to launching one, Amati, but after three years and more than $400 million in research, decided not to.

With all that to consider, Hyundai is making the move.  For 2017, Genesis is its own line of cars.