The Genesis line-up might currently be restricted to just two specific body styles, but the nascent luxury brand is determined to keep interest up – a goal that lead to the unveiling of the 2018 Genesis G80 3.3T Sport at the 2016 LA Auto Show. The 3.3T Sport adds one new member to the full-size G80 family, which serves as the current entry point for curious premium shoppers looking to sample Genesis for the first time.
The key difference between the G80 3.3T Sport and its siblings is made somewhat obvious by the name. The vehicle cribs the 3.3L twin-turbo engine that initially debuted under the hood of the larger G90 sedan. This unit makes 365 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque available to the driver, numbers that are almost certainly underrated given how much more quickly the mill performs in real-world driving compared to the ostensibly mightier 5.0L V8 (also available with the G80, alongside a 3.8L V6).
The Genesis G80 3.3T Sport also provides an adaptive suspension system, unique interior and exterior trim accents, and a full complement of high end comfort, safety and infotainment features. The sedan’s eight-speed automatic transmission has also seen its shift algorithms enhanced to better take advantage of the new engine’s power band, and ventilated-disc brakes at the rear of the car add a further performance edge beyond either V8 or V6 alternatives. Finally, all-wheel drive is standard with the 3.3T Sport, which helps improve not just handling at the limit but also cold- and wet-weather traction.
Genesis is poised to maintain its momentum over the course of the next few years by rolling out a smaller sport sedan, several sport-utility vehicles, and a luxury performance coupe to help flesh out the rest of its lineup. Canadian buyers won’t have any actual showrooms to visit – whether to check out these new developments or even test drive the G80 3.3T Sport – as the company is adopting an almost entirely online-based sales model that sees vehicles delivered and picked up for maintenance and purchases by a dedicated concierge team.
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