Hyundai announced the new luxury Genesis brand and it was promoted as an elite variant on par with brands like Mercedes, Audi and Rolls Royce.

The automobile company was keen on establishing a name for themselves in the luxury sector where they have limited presence at the moment. Hyundai has always been a budget friendly company known for its low and mid range cars. They don’t compete with BMW, Audi and Mercedes but rather against Ford, Honda in the mid-range buyer category. Everything is about to change with the new 2017 Genesis G80 which costs $42, 350 for the base model.

Powered by a rear wheel drive system and a 3.8-liter V6 engine, this is the cheapest the Genesis could get. But, compared to Hyundai Genesis the new G80 is priced $2,650 higher. If you are planning to upgrade the vehicle with an all-wheel drive, it boosts the base cost by $2,500. All trimline variants which use the AWD system are equipped with heated rear seats and steering wheels making it easier to drive it around when the temperature drops.

At first look, the 2017 Genesis G80 is similar to the outgoing model. Buyers might be wondering as to why they should pay such a premium price tag for the same car. However, if you take a closer look, it is easy to know that the new generation model has some amazing features and safety add-ons making it worth the pricing.

The car is equipped with adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, emergency braking, high beam assist, lane keeping assist and every other feature which is part of the Hyundai Safety Suite. The infotainment system is one of the best with a large 8-inch display. It allows you to readily control the media. The system can be connected with both Android and iOS devices made possible by Android Auto and Apple Car Play features.

The premium package for the Genesis G80 2017 edition increases the comfort level with a 14-speaker Lexicon surround sound, parking sensors, ventilated seats and a sliding panoramic roof. It will set you back by $4,750. Ultimate package priced at $4,200 provides full leather seats, larger 9.2-inch touchscreen display, immersive 17-speaker surround setup, power trunk lid and color heads up display.

If the base model’s 311 horsepower and 292 lb feet of torque sounds meager, buyers can upgrade to a 5.0-liter V8 engine to get a cool 420 horsepower coupled with 383 lb feet of torque. Top end model is priced at $55,500.