Detroit show: Genesis lobs G80 Sport

GENESIS has debuted a high-performance 3.3T Sport variant of its G80 luxury sedan with the same 3.3-litre turbocharged V6 that powers sister-brand’s Kia Stinger, which rolled out at the same show in Detroit.

The transplant procedure has carried over the same significant 272kW and 510Nm output from the Kia donor engine, but it is not yet known if the Sport will lead the G80’s arrival in Australia in about the second quarter of 2017.

It is known that Australia will not get the US-market G80 but has opted instead for the version revealed in Busan in the middle of 2016, but the new powertrain is not out of the question for the Australian car.

Hyundai’s Genesis is already available Down Under powered by a 3.8-litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol, but the standalone Genesis brand will be launched by the mechanically-similar and facelifted G80 in about April this year.

Unlike Kia, which has been vocal about the Stinger’s zero to 100km/h acceleration performance of 5.1 seconds and a video campaign that shows the model cracking 245km/h, Genesis is remaining tight-lipped on figures at this stage.

The new Sport variant joins the G80 line-up alongside a 5.0-litre V8 and 3.8-litre naturally-aspirated V6 versions, but stands apart from its stable-mates with a number of sportier highlights including 19-inch wheels and “distinctive copper (coloured) styling elements”.

For its cabin, the G80 Sport gets carbon-fibre trims, sports seats dressed up in leather to match a leather-upholstered steering wheel, amongst a host of other standard features including a large 9.2-inch touchscreen, central driver’s digital information display and aluminium trimmings.

Kia’s driver-focused Stinger is available exclusively as rear-wheel drive but, in North America, the G80 Sport will be offered as both rear- and four-wheel drive. Power is sent to the road via a sport-tuned eight-speed automatic transmission.

Sport versions also get an uprated suspension system for “superior driving dynamics, improved ride compliance and sport agility”.

Other global market specification may vary, but in the US, the updated G80 will be offered with a selection of driver assistance and safety systems including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, driver fatigue monitoring and a 360-degree view camera.

Genesis Connected Services will also offer US customers access to Google’s Destination Search, Car Finder, Enhanced Roadside Assistance and stolen vehicle tracking/recovery and some services may be transferable to other regions.