Genesis G80 may look familiar, but it holds its own in luxury

The G80 is one of two sedans that Hyundai is using to launch its all-new Genesis luxury brand. Genesis will sit alongside Hyundai in the same manner as Lexus and Toyota.

At a base price of $41,400, and $55,660 when fully loaded, the G80 is priced for value, but it competes well feature-for-feature with luxury stalwarts such as Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The G80 is a rear-wheel-drive, front engine sedan, a format favored by luxury makers.

The cabin is quite roomy for both front and rear passengers, with ample headroom.

Genesis offers the G80 with either a 3.8-liter V6 or a 5-liter V8 engine. The former can also be optioned with all-wheel-drive.

The side graphic of the G80, the side window opening, shows something similar to BMW's Hofmeister kink at the C-pillar.

The big, full-frame grille is reminiscent of that seen on Audi's cars.

The 5-liter V8, using direct injection, makes 420 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque.

19-inch wheels come standard with the G80 V8, and this model uses staggered width tires, with 245s on the front and 275s at the rear.

Genesis' version of the Hofmeister kink can be seen at the rear of the side graphic.

Big, comfortable front seats incorporate heating and cooling, also standard on the G80 V8.

The wood trim uses a matte finish, making it look very natural and contributing to the elegance of the cabin.

There aren't too many amenities for rear seat passengers, beyond the well padded seats.

Genesis doesn't push the boundaries much with in-cabin features, but everything it does include works easily.

The G80 V8, and V6 models with the Ultimate package, get many standard features, plus a large, 9.2-inch LCD in the dashboard.

Electric power steering shows ample heft to let you know you're in control of the car.

Genesis retains analog gauges on the instrument cluster.

The head-up display shows navigation and speed, and comes standard with the V8 version of the car.

And eight-speed automatic transmission is the only gearbox available.

The dial and buttons below the shifter control infotainment functions. Click through for plenty more shots of the G80.