Just 12 years after the debut of the Genesis label, the G80 has entered the third generation. The Korean luxury car improves each generation, getting closer and closer to the territory of its European rivals, and probably surpasses its Japanese rivals already. The new car looks more elegant than the last generation. Although "Sensuous Sportiness" is not officially the design language of the Genesis brand, its influence is evident on the G80, where you can see a very sleek, coupe-like proportion and softer lines than the current industrial trend. However, the luxury brand features a massive diamond-shape mesh grille that would not feel out of place on a Bentley. Its split headlamps might split opinions, but they give a perception of extra width, hence a big-car feel. Meanwhile, the side vents located just behind the front wheels give a perception of luxury performance car.



The roof line is very fast at the back, extending smoothly to a waterdrop tail. However, Hyundai said rear headroom is not affected, since the rear seat is mounted lower. The G80 is only 5mm longer than before, slipping just under 5 meters, but it is 35mm wider at 1925mm and 15mm lower at 1465mm. Meanwhile, the wheelbase is unchanged at 3010mm. 19 percent of the body is now made of aluminum, helping the car to cut up to 125kg compared with the old car. Admittedly, that figure is obtained by comparing the old V6 model with the new 4-cylinder model. Suspensions, adaptive dampers and AWD system are largely carried over.

As for engines, the 5-liter Tau V8 has retired under the trend of reducing emission. Taking its vacancy is a new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 (up from the outgoging 3.3-liter unit) with 380hp and 391lbft of torque. It is expected to be the main engine for export. The old pair of naturally aspirated V6s, 3.3 and 3.8-liter Lambda, have also been abandoned. Substitution is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder GDI turbo with 304hp and 311lbft. It might sound a bit disgraceful to the buyers of an E-segment executive car, so we'll need to observe how the market respond to it. However, this engine might be more oriented to the company car buyers in Korea rather than export. The last option is a 2.2-liter turbo diesel four with 210hp and 325lbft, which looks underpowered for private buyers. All motors are hooked up to Hyundai's 8-speed automatic transmission.



The interior looks far more upmarket and coherent than the outgoing car's. The instrument is a 12.3-inch screen, while the infotainment screen is even larger at 14.5-inch.

The car's development is overseen by ex-BMW M boss Albert Biermann, so you can expect vast improvement in ride and handling. The V6 engine seems strong, too. On the downside, the lack of plug-in hybrid powertrain option seems to be an oversight. This prove that the car has no much ambition in Europe.

For: musical voice, directional stability, calm ride, safety features, smart infotainment, value for money.
Against: performance, turbo lag, inert handling, unreliable safety features, not much.

Just when the pandemic of coronavirus stops car makers from operating and motoring journalists from road testing, AutoZine shifts its focus to an alternative test subject: Tedros Adhanom. After an extensive testing, we are sure that he is tested positive, very positive indeed.

Design and Engineering: Though built in Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom is derived from the platform of Red Flag CA7600J. No wonder he has strong family resemblance with that car in the headlights, radiator grilles as well as paint job. He falls in the category “forms follow functions” with no desire to chase for any particular design themes. He is about as stylish as a Volkswagen Transporter, but the plus side is an exterior that looks inoffensive, certainly far less offensive than his words. This makes him especially popular to the conservative taste of the Chinese market.



Engine and Performance: Sharing powertrain with Red Flag means he is a little bit relaxing in response to any crisis. 0-60 mph takes a leisurely 2 months. Turbo lag is serious. Even when the turbo is finally spooled up, it provides little effort. However, the exhaust plays good music to the ears of Chinese authority.

Handling and Ride: Handling is far from agile. In the twisty, Adhanom feels larger than his size and weight suggested. Poor forward visibility prevents him from responding to winding roads, often leading to falling off cliffs. On the flipside, he displays outstanding directional stability, following strictly the direction given by his Red Flag ECU. On bumpy roads, he shows unrivalled calmness, almost self-isolated. His electrical power steering filters all the dangerous signals from medical frontiers, while leaving only the good news his Chinese government friends want to hear.

Safety features: Adhanom is generously equipped with many safety features. Blindspot enhancing system automatically puts the situation in Wuhan at blindspot. Collision warning system delays travel warning until the disease already spread out worldwide. Lane keeping control makes sure WHO sticking to the tagline of China authority: the world should thank China! And finally, there is a red button labeled “Pandemic” to warn you a crisis that everybody knew already, if not died already.

Infotainment: Tedros Adhanom is equipped with an AI infotainment system capable of recognizing voice commands and answering your questions. You trigger it by calling “Hey China”, then it will reply, “How would you like to praise China today?”

Price and Value: Frankly, it has nothing to do with you and me, just matter to the country that put him to the post. Considering the visible salary of this job is only $240,000 a year, less than a Rolls-Royce Ghost, and how much rewards it can bring the beneficial country, it is a bargain.
 
Verdict: The best WHO director-general since Margaret Chan. The world would not be the same without him. And much more overcrowded.