2021 Genesis G80 vs. 2021 Mercedes e-class sedan
Hyundai’s upscale brand has been seeking recognition, so how does it fare against granddaddy of luxury sedans?
Pretty much everyone loves a good underdog story. Certainly Hollywood, which has given us Rocky, the Star Wars franchise, even Revenge of the Nerds, to name just a few.
Reality is less kind. Take Genesis, for example. Hyundai’s upscale brand has been struggling for years to gain recognition — and sales traction — as a legitimate contender in the luxury car ranks, despite producing some excellent, even award-winning automobiles.
It’s been a tough slog, but the South Korean automaker
has been nothing if not persistent.
That brings us to Genesis’ latest offering — at least until the much anticipated arrival of the GV80 crossover: its redesigned 2021 G80 “executive mid-size” sedan.
To make this a real underdog story, let’s throw the G80 into the ring with the granddaddy of luxury sedans, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
With more than 14 million sold worldwide since 1946, the E-Class is the best-selling model series in Benz’s long history — more than 1.2 million customers around the world have bought this current-generation car.
Offered in sedan, coupe, cabriolet and wagon forms, not to mention the performance-driven AMG editions, the E-Class is a juggernaut, climbing over the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Tesla Model S and many other rivals to reach the sales summit.
To keep it somewhat fair, let’s set aside AMG-fortified E 43, E 53 and E 63 models, and concentrate on the two mildest E sedans, the E 350 and E 450 4Matics.
In the other corner, the challengers — the G80 2.5T Advanced and 3.5T Prestige, which also have all-wheel drive.
POWERTRAINS
The key difference between the redesigned G80 2.5T and the 3.5T is, like the E 350 and E 450, found under the hood. The 2.5T Advanced ($66,000) is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine making 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The 3.5T Prestige ($76,000) has a zippier twin-turbo 3.5-L V6 that puts out 375 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. Both are paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The E350 4Matic ($63,100) is propelled by a turbo 2.0-L four-cylinder engine with 255 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, while the E450 4Matic ($72,300) has a 362-hp, twinturbo 3.0-L V6 with 369 lb-ft of torque. In both cases, the engines are mated to a ninespeed automatic transmission.
STYLING
When it comes to the G80 and E-Class redesigns, neither the Genesis design team nor the gang in Stuttgart got wild and crazy. After all, both cars have a contemporary formality to them that tends not to look dated after a few years.
Genesis likes to refer to the G80’s design as “progressive” with “athletic and elegant characteristics.” Most of the
G80’s visual uniqueness happens up front, with a dominant crest grille and quad headlamps that are “inspired by the brand’s winged emblem.” The side “parabolic” line, which begins at the front lights and gradually runs lower to the rear through the top of the door, are supposedly inspired by “the elegant look of several venerable classic cars.”
There’s less poetic waxing from Mercedes’ stylists regarding the E-Class refresh. Models here get a redesigned grille and front bumper to go with the standard AMG body styling. In addition, all models now feature a hood with pronounced power domes. The E-Class features all-LED headlights as standard. At the back end there’s a new bumper, split tail lights, and a new trunk lid.
DIMENSIONS
Saving truly limousine-like accommodations for the flagship G90 and S-class, the G80 and E-Class are nonetheless, at just less than five metres in length, pushing full-sized status. At 4,995 millimetres, the Genesis is, by 75 mm, the longer sedan. The E-Class is wider, though, by 145 millimetres.
As for interior room, both cars are sympathetic to the long and leggy. Up front, the G80 has appreciably more headroom than the E — 100plus millimetres extra, a boon for those who consider some form of headgear a necessary fashion accessory. The difference in rear-seat headroom between the two cars is almost negligible, the G80 offering an extra half-inch or so. The Genesis has more than 100 mm extra legroom up front as well, while the E-Class gives rear-seat passengers an extra 30 mm of stretch-out room. Shoulder room front and rear is a virtual tie.
As for which car will hold more pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage in the trunk, the winner is the G80, with 15.3 cubic feet of cargo room, compared with the E-Class’s smallish 13.1.
CABIN
Both cars feature cabins that are lavishly contented and exceedingly comfortable. The list of amenities found in both cars is too long to recount here, so let’s just cover the highlights — the details both manufacturers deem particularly noteworthy. The G80 2.5T Advanced comes with a full suite of driver-assistance and safety features, head-up display, 21-speaker Lexicon premium audio system, “segment-largest” 14.5-inch infotainment screen with navigation, surround-view monitor, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, panoramic sunroof, and more. The 3.5T
Prestige elevates the driving experience with the addition of a large 12.3-inch 3D digital instrument cluster, remote smart parking assist, Nappa leather upholstery with a driver’s massage seat, and open-pore natural wood trim.
As part of its model update, the E-Class is fitted with an entirely new steering wheel, either all-leather or in a wood-leather combination. I know, big whoop, right? Typical Germans: undersell and over-deliver. It gets better, though maybe a tad too clinical. The instrument cluster and the media display are controlled by swiping along the “touch control” buttons, the operating principle of which changes from optical to capacitive.
The new E-Class is equipped with the latest generation of the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system. In standard form, it includes two large 12.3-inch screens, which are arranged side by side. The information in the instrument cluster and on the media display shows up on large, high-resolution screens.
Here’s the thing with Mercedes: The options list includes numerous packages that can elevate the E-Class to almost hedonistic levels of opulence. The seat choice alone can send one into fits of ecstasy. Choose wisely or go crazy — it’s only money.
SAFETY
Needless to say, both the G80 and E-Class come with a bewildering number of driver-assistance and safety features. Genesis lauds its “world-first” centre-mounted airbag between the front occupants to mitigate impact in a lateral collision, as well as its smart cruise control with “machine learning,” an artificial intelligence-based navigation technology that enables the G80 to independently learn the driving characteristics of its drivers and implement autonomous driving similar to that of human drivers.
Also noteworthy is the G80’s driver-attention alert warning, which monitors the driver’s attention by analyzing driving patterns and behaviours, including intermittent steering and unnatural deceleration through vehicle signals such as steering angle, steering torque and vehicle lane position. In the 3.5T Prestige trim’s digital instrument cluster, this feature is further enhanced as a forward-looking camera monitors the driver and generates pop-up messages and warning tones when fatigue or neglect is determined.
Likewise, Mercedes notes such next-generation driving-assistance systems in the E-Class as Distronic active distance assist, active stopand-go assist, steering assist, brake assist, and active blindspot assist. Active parking assist with Parktronic and a 360-degree camera make it possible to enter and leave parking spaces automatically.
VERDICT
The chances of the G80 tempting E-Class owners out of their rides vary between slim and none. Fans of the Mercedes brand are extremely loyal and any thought of Genesis being seen as an equal would border on the ridiculous. Yet in addition to building a quality automobile, Genesis does make the G80 an attractive proposition for those who make their money the old-fashioned way — by earning it.
The G80 is sold for a set price that includes all delivery and destination fees, as well as an impressive suite of ownership benefits, including Genesis at Home concierge service, complimentary scheduled maintenance, Genesis Connected Services, map updates, etc., all for five years or 100,000 kilometres.
Still, the E-Class didn’t earn its “heart of the brand” accolade by rolling over every time a pretender throws down a challenge. Some key things to consider about the refreshed sedan are the classy and classic redesign, an upgraded and more comfortable interior with the latest infotainment, and the aforementioned next-generation assistance systems. It also bears mentioning again that there are also AMG versions to consider, or if a kinder footprint is desired, an upcoming plug-in hybrid version.