HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US TO SEE WHAT THE NEW JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L ADDS TO AN AMERICAN LEGEND... PAT RECONNECTS WITH AN OLD FRIEND DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE... GREG CARLOSS GOES "OVER THE EDGE" WITH YET ANOTHER EXTREME EXPERIENCE... THEN, WE'LL SLOW THE PACE AND ENJOY THE LUXURY LIFE IN THE LATEST GENESIS G 80...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

♪ ♪ Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

"I DO."

WE'RE TIRERACK.COM AND WE HAVE ANSWERS.

AND, TOOLS TO HELP.

"LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S, UH, TAKE A LOOK."

"OH!"

FIND, DELIVER, INSTALL.

John: WHETHER, YOU CONSIDER IT AND EVERY MAN'S RANGE ROVER, OR THE ULTIMATE FOUR-SEASON SUBURBAN FAMILY ADVENTURE CRUISER; THE JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE HAS BEEN MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE OVER THE LAST 28 YEARS.

BUT, WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE 5TH GENERATION, IT OFFERS SOMETHING IT HAS NEVER OFFERED BEFORE.

♪ ♪ WHEN IT COMES TO GO ANYWHERE OR DO ANYTHING VEHICLES OFF AND ON ROAD, THE JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE IS ONE OF THE FIRST THAT COMES TO MIND.

BUT, UP UNTIL THIS POINT, GRAND CHEROKEE ADVENTURES WERE LIMITED TO FIVE PASSENGERS.

FOR 2021, JEEP IS SET TO GROW GRAND CHEROKEE APPEAL, BY GROWING ITS SEATING CAPACITY WITH THE 3-ROW GRAND CHEROKEE L. AND THE ADDITIONAL ROW OF SEATING IS NOT JUST AN AFTERTHOUGHT, OR COMPROMISED INTO THE EXISTING ARCHITECTURE; THERE'S AN ALL-NEW UNIFRAME STRUCTURE HERE, PROVIDING AMPLE SPACE FOR ADULTS IN THAT 3RD ROW.

REAR DOOR OPENINGS ARE LARGER AS WELL, PROVIDING EASY ACCESS.

MIDDLE ROW PASSENGERS, WHETHER THEY'RE RIDING IN THE STANDARD BUCKETS OR THE OPTIONAL BENCH SEAT, HAVE PLENTY OF LEGROOM TOO; AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FOR THOSE THAT DON'T NEED SIX OR SEVEN-PASSENGER CAPACITY, THE TRADITIONAL FIVE-SEAT GRAND CHEROKEE WILL SWITCH TO THIS PLATFORM LATER THIS YEAR AS A 2022 MODEL.

SO, JUST HOW MUCH BIGGER IS IT?

WELL, ITS 121.7 INCH WHEELBASE IS 7.0 INCHES LONGER THAN THE CURRENT WK2 GRAND CHEROKEE AND ABOUT 2.0 INCHES LONGER THAN THE DODGE DURANGO.

ALL OF THIS ELEGANTLY DONE AROUND CUSTOMARY JEEP CUES SUCH AS THE SEVEN-SLOT GRILLE, TRAPEZOIDAL WHEEL ARCHES, AND LIMITED FRONT AND REAR OVERHANGS.

AND IT CERTAINLY DRIVES LIKE A MUCH LARGER VEHICLE.

THE INDEPENDENT FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION, WITH AVAILABLE QUADRA-LIFT ADAPTIVE DAMPING, ALSO FEELS MUCH MORE SOFTLY SPRUNG; GIVING IT A TENDENCY TO ROLL ENOUGH IN CORNERS THAT IT MAKES YOU VERY CONSCIOUS OF YOUR SPEED.

STANDARD ENGINE IS THE FAMILIAR 3.6 LITER PENTASTAR V6 WITH 293 HORSEPOWER AND 260 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ADEQUATE, BUT NOT EXCITING.

IF YOU WANT A LITTLE MORE PEP, OR ARE LOOKING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXCEPTIONAL 7,200 POUNDS TOWING CAPACITY, YOU'LL NEED TO UPGRADE TO THE 357 HORSEPOWER 5.7 LITER V8.

BOTH WORK WITH THE SAME 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE IS STANDARD; BUT WITH THREE DIFFERENT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS MORE GROUND CLEARANCE THAN BEFORE, THE GRAND CHEROKEE L OFFERS OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY FOUND IN FEW OTHER 3-ROW SUVs.

WITH THE SAME V6 ENGINE, AND MORE VEHICLE TO MOVE THAN BEFORE, OUR ON PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS WERE TEMPERED HEADING TO MASON DIXON DRAGWAY.

AND INDEED, IT WAS A LEISURELY TRIP TO 60 OF 9.4 SECONDS; ABOUT A SECOND SLOWER THAN LAST GEN.

THE ENGINE REVS HIGH AND MAKES A LOT OF NOISE, BUT FEELS A LITTLE OVERMATCHED MOVING THIS BIG OF A VEHICLE.

THE QUARTER-MILE TRIP WAS A FULL 17.1 SECONDS AT 82 MILES PER HOUR.

MORE OF THE SAME SOFTLY SPRUNG TUCK AND ROLL THAT WE EXPERIENCED ON THE STREET HERE AT OUR HANDLING COURSE...

BUT STEERING FEEL WAS BETTER THAN PAST JEEPS, AND THE L CERTAINLY BEHAVES APPROPRIATELY FOR ITS SIZE.

BRAKES WERE WELL ABOVE AVERAGE THOUGH; WITH STRONG AND CONSISTENT STOPS OF ONLY 105 FEET FROM 60 MILES PER HOUR.

REGARDLESS OF TRIM, THE GRAND CHEROKEE L IS A QUITE LUXURIOUS AND INVITING SPACE TO BE IN; AND WITH THE STRETCH, THERE'S A LOT MORE OF IT FOR CARGO TOO.

BEHIND 2ND ROW SPACE CLIMBS FROM 36.3 CUBIC-FEET TO 46.9, AND MAX GROWS FROM 68.3 TO 84.6; THERE'S EVEN 17.2 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE WHEN THE 3RD ROW IS UP.

UP FRONT, A PAIR OF 10 INCH SCREENS ARE STANDARD; ONE IN THE CENTER FOR UCONNECT 5; AND ONE FOR THE DRIVER, AS A FRAMELESS DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTER.

THE WIDER CENTER CONSOLE IS TRIMMED IN PIANO BLACK, AND HOUSES A ROTARY SHIFTER.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THE V6 ARE 18-CITY, 25-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED.

BUT WE AVERAGED JUST 19.1 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

STILL, THAT'S ONLY SLIGHTLY WORSE THAN AVERAGE FOR THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE; CONSUMING 15.7 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY, WITH 7.1 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

THERE'S A WIDE SPREAD OF GRAND CHEROKEE Ls TO CHOOSE FROM, STARTING AT THE BASE LAREDO FOR $38,690, WITH ANOTHER TWO GRAND FOR 4-WHEEL-DRIVE, AND STRETCHING ALL THE WAY TO TOP SUMMIT RESERVE TRIM BEGINNING AT A HEALTHY $63,690.

WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING GREAT, YOU WANT TO SHARE IT WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, THE 2021 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L NOW PROVIDES SEATING FOR UP TO SEVEN, WHICH MEANS GROWING JEEP FAMILIES NO LONGER HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR COMFORTABLE 3-ROW CAPABILITY.

AND, JEEP IS DOUBLING THEIR EFFORTS; AS IN ADDITION TO THIS GRAND CHEROKEE L, IS AN ALL-NEW FULL-SIZE WAGONEER ON WHICH WE'LL HAVE A FULL ROAD TEST SOON.

SO, PLENTY OF REALLY BIG NEW JEEPS HEADED OUR WAY, WITH PLENTY OF ROOM TO BRING MORE FRIENDS ALONG FOR THE ADVENTURE!

♪ ♪ SPEED PROVIDES THE KINDS OF SENSATIONS THAT WORDS FAIL TO DESCRIBE.

YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT TO GET IT.

AND THIS WEEK GREG CARLOSS TAKES US "OVER THE EDGE" WITH SOME CAR NUTS THAT SATISFY YOUR NEED FOR SPEED.

♪ ♪ Greg Carloss: BLASTING DOWN A FRONT STRAIGHT AT WIDE-OPEN-THROTTLE IN AN EXOTIC CAR IS THE THRILL OF A LIFETIME.

TRUST ME, I'VE DONE IT, BUT, GUESS WHAT?

SO CAN YOU.

AND, I'M HERE WITH SOME FOLKS WHO HAVE BUILT THEIR NAME ON GIVING THAT EXTREME EXPERIENCE.

IN FACT, IT IS THEIR NAME.

SINCE 2012, XTREME XPERIENCE HAS BEEN HOSTING TRACK DAYS AND CHECKING OFF BUCKET LIST ITEMS FOR OVER 250,000 SPEED SEEKERS.

Brandon York: XTREME XPERIENCE GOT STARTED IN A VERY SORT OF ROCK AND ROLL PIRATE WAY.

WITH OUR FOUNDERS...

THEY SAW AN EMPTY SPOT IN THE MARKET WHERE THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF AUTO ENTERTAINMENT AVAILABLE TO THE EVERYDAY GUY.

AND SO, THEY GRABBED UP A COUPLE OF CARS, RENTED SOME TIME ON THE LOCAL RACETRACK AND GAVE IT A SHOT.

Greg: A DECADE LATER, XTREME XPERIENCE HOLDS DOZENS OF EVENTS PER YEAR AT RACETRACKS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY INCLUDING OUR OWN, DOMINION RACEWAY OUTSIDE OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IT ALL STARTS ONLINE WITH A SIMPLE BOOKING PROCESS TO CHOOSE WHERE, WHEN AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT TO DRIVE.

AMERICAN MUSCLE, GERMAN PRECISION, OR ITALIAN STYLE.

XTREME XPERIENCE HAS WHATEVER REVS YOUR ENGINE.

AND, IF YOU CAN'T CHOOSE JUST ONE, DRIVE THE WHOLE FLEET.

Brandon: WE'RE RUNNING THE NEW C8, THE HURACAN EVO, THE MCLAREN 570 S... WE'VE GOT THE FERRRARI 488, WE JUST GOT IN OUR GT3 RS.

Greg: PRICING VARIES FOR EACH CAR, FROM $200 TO $430 FOR A 3-4 LAP SESSION.

AN INSURANCE PACKAGE IS REQUIRED, BUT BASE COVERAGE ADDS JUST $39 TO THE TOTAL COST.

THEN, WHEN THE DAY COMES ALL GUESTS HAVE TO DO IS SHOW UP AND FOLLOW THE SIGNS.

Brandon: WE GET THEM EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO GET READY THEY GET THE USB FOR THE VIDEO, THEY GET IT ALL SORTED OUT, BOOM, QUICK, EASY WAIVERS, EVERYTHING.

THEN, THEY HIT THE CLASS, AND SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE THING.

SO THE CLASSROOM IS REALLY WHERE YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW TO GET THESE CARS AROUND THE TRACK.

Greg: THE CLASS IS QUICK YET COMPREHENSIVE, BUT THOSE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MORE INSTRUCTION CAN OPT FOR A RIDE-ALONG WITH A PRO-DRIVER.

AFTER THAT, FIND YOUR CAR WHERE AN INSTRUCTOR WILL GET YOU STRAPPED IN BEFORE TAKING THEIR PLACE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHERE THEY'LL TALK YOU THROUGH THE CAR AND THE TRACK.

Brandon: YOU GOT TO FIGURE THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A RACE TRACK.

MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A CAR LIKE THIS... AND SO, THOSE INSTRUCTORS IN THE RIGHT SEAT HAVE GOT TO HAVE A CALM DEMEANOR.

Instructor: ...YOU DON'T TOUCH THAT GUY IN THE MIDDLE... Ryan Grose: WHAT I LIKED IS THAT THE TRAINER THEY PUT ME WITH, THE OTHER DRIVER HELPED ME TO DRIVE FAST SAFELY.

SO EVERY TIME I TOOK A LAP, HE WAS TELLING ME, ACCELERATE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THIS TURN, TURN A LITTLE BIT EARLIER...SO BY THE END OF THE DAY, I WAS WAY FASTER THAN I WAS EARLY ON.

Addison Grose: I DROVE THE LAMBORGHINI HURRICANE EVO, THE PORSCHE GT3RS, AND THE FERRARI 488.

IT WAS AWESOME.

I'VE GROWN UP JUST LOVING CARS AND WATCHING VIDEOS OF THEM ALL THE TIME, BUT ACTUALLY GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL WAS INSANE.

Brandon: IF YOU'RE INTO CARS AT ALL, THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE DO THIS AND WHY PEOPLE SPEND SO MUCH EFFORT, TIME, AND ENERGY INTO THESE KINDS OF CARS INSTEAD OF YOU KNOW, YOUR BASIC COMMUTERS...

THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL, UNIQUE THING.

AND WE HAVE TAKEN EVERY SINGLE PRECAUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE TIME THAT YOU CAN IN THE SAFEST POSSIBLE WAY.

John: THIS WEEK AT GOSS' GARAGE, PAT MEETS UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND, ONE THAT YOU MIGHT JUST REMEMBER TOO!

♪ ♪ Pat Goss: WELL...NOW THAT WE'VE SEEN OUR MAXTON AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S BEEN SITTING FOR THE LAST 20-25 YEARS AND ITS HAD NO USE, AND NO PREPARATION BEFORE IT WAS PUT IN STORAGE, WELL, WE NEED TO EVALUATE IT.

SO FAR, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE LOOKED AT THE FUEL LINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT... YOU LOOK AT THE FUEL... WE RAN THIS COAT HANGER DOWN INTO UH, ONE OF THE FUEL LINES AND COME OUT WITH THIS THICK SLUDGE, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO FUEL AFTER IT SITS... WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT IN THIS FUEL LINE, SEE IT JUST KINDA STRINGS OUTTA THERE...NO GASOLINE LEFT.

SO, WE REPLACED THE FUEL LINES, GOT THE CAR RUNNING, SO IT RUNS, BUT NOT WELL.

IT PROBABLY NEEDS CARBURETOR WORK.

IN ADDITION, IN ORDER TO MOVE IT, THE BRAKES WERE SEIZED UP, SO WE HAD TO TAKE THE PADS OUT OF THE REAR BRAKES AND NOW WE HAVE TO FIND OUT ALL THAT'S WRONG BACK THERE.

THE CLUTCH...WELL THE CLUTCH YOU CAN'T PUSH THE PEDAL.

SO THAT MEANS IN MOST CASES THAT THE CLUTCH DISC HAS WELDED ITSELF TO THE FLYWHEEL OR THE PRESSURE PLATE AND PROBABLY BOTH IN THIS CASE, SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO FIX THAT.

NOW IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE TOOK THE AIR CLEANER HOUSING APART AND THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND, THE AIR CLEANER HAD TURNED TO THIS YUCKY-LOOKING MESS HERE, AND WE ALSO HAVE A SITUATION WITH A RAG THAT'S TIED AROUND A LINE UP IN THE FRONT THAT'S THE OIL COOLER... WELL, IT APPEARS THAT THE OIL COOLER IS LEAKING SIGNIFICANTLY, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIX THAT.

NOW ONCE, WE GET ALL DONE WITH IT, WE'LL GET OUR MAXTON BACK ON THE ROAD.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK !

John: TIME FOR US TO TAKE ANOTHER REALLY QUICK, QUICKSPIN!

♪ ♪ Jessica Ray: ONE OF THE MOST PHENOMENAL THINGS ABOUT THE PORSCHE 911 GT3 IS THAT DESPITE THE MIND-BLOWING PERFORMANCE, IT CAN EASILY BE USED AS A DAILY DRIVER.

AND, FOR THOSE THAT DO JUST THAT, PORSCHE IS NOW OFFERING A 2022 911 GT3 WITH TOURING PACKAGE.

THE TOURING PACKAGE FIRST BECAME AVAILABLE WITH LAST GENERATION'S GT3, ONLY NOW A 7-SPEED PDK IS AVAILABLE TO REPLACE THE STANDARD 6-SPEED MANUAL; WHEREAS IT'S THE PDK THAT'S STANDARD IN THE REGULAR GT3.

MOST NOTABLY, THE TOURING PACKAGE ELIMINATES THE GT3'S LARGE FIXED WING, REPLACING IT WITH A SELF-DEPLOYING REAR SPOILER.

FINER DETAILS INCLUDE SILVER TRIM, FULL BODY-COLOR FRONT FASCIA, AND UNIQUE GRILLWORK.

INSIDE, THE OPTIONAL LEATHER IS NICER LOOKING AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE; PLUS, DARK BRUSHED ALUMINUM TRIM, AND MORE CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS THAN IN THE STANDARD GT3.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, EVERYTHING BELOW DECK AND UNDER THE REAR HATCH REMAINS THE SAME; WHICH MEANS A TRACK-WORTHY SUSPENSION SETUP AND 502 SCREAMING HORSEPOWER FROM THE NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 4.0 LITER FLAT-6.

Brian Robinson: BEING THE FLY BENEATH THE RADAR, UNASSUMING TYPE MYSELF, I CAN APPRECIATE THE VIBE OF THIS GT3 WITH TOURING PACKAGE WITH MY CURRENT TAX BRACKET SITUATION; PROBABLY NOT IN THE CARDS FOR ME ANYTIME SOON, BUT I AM IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW DRIVING THE HECK OUT OF THIS ONE AND CONFIRM TO YOU THAT IT IS INDEED A MAGICAL MACHINE.

LOADS OF GRIP, LOTS OF FRONT AND FEEL.

CAPABILITIES FAR ABOVE MY ABILITIES.

ALL WITH A PERSONALITY THAT MAKES YOU NEVER STOP DRIVING IT.

Jessica: SAME PRICE, NO MATTER WHICH GT3 YOU CHOOSE, STARTING AROUND $161,000; ORDER YOURS NOW, AND PORSCHE WILL BUILD IT FOR YOU IN THE COMING MONTHS.

WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THE 2022 PORSCHE 911 GT3 WITH TOURING PACKAGE SOON, SO KEEP IT LOCKED ON MOTORWEEK !

♪ ♪ Greg: TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO OUR 2021 KIA SELTOS LONG-TERM.

PART OF A RAPIDLY EXPANDING SMALL CROSSOVER SEGMENT, THE SELTOS STANDS OUT BOTH WITH STYLE AND SUBSTANCE.

NOT EVERYONE WAS ENAMORED WITH THE STARBRIGHT YELLOW PAINT JOB, BUT THIS SMOOTH-BODIED UTILITY IS MORE RUGGED-LOOKING THAN SOFT.

SX TRIM ADDS SOME SPORTINESS WITH 18 INCH ALLOYS, FULL LED LIGHTING, AND SOME TASTEFUL SPLASHES OF CHROME.

IT ALSO COMES WITH AN ENGINE UPGRADE; A 175 HORSEPOWER 1.6 LITER TURBO-4 WHICH WE FOUND TO BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE; FRUGAL TOO, DELIVERING A QUITE GOOD 28.9 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE OVER 13,483 HARD MILES.

THE INTERIOR ALSO HELD UP QUITE WELL THROUGH A YEAR'S WORTH OF ABUSE; AND THE ONLY SERVICES REQUIRED WERE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, AND A TIRE REPAIR.

WE STILL HAVE QUITE A FEW MONTHS LEFT TO SPEND TIME BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS 2021 ACURA TLX, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

OUR A-SPEC'S LOWER STANCE, SLIM HEADLIGHTS, 19 INCH SHARK GRAY WHEELS, AND BLACK DECK-LID SPOILER ALL HELP THE TLX TURN SOME HEADS.

BUT, OF COURSE, IT'S THE DRIVING THAT MATTERS MOST TO US.

WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVING, THIS TLX IS PRETTY VERSATILE BECAUSE OF THE WAY ACURA HAS PROGRAMMED ITS DRIVE MODES, OR AS THEY CALL THEM "DYNAMIC MODES."

THERE'S ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EACH ONE.

THE SOFTER SUSPENSION SETTING FOR COMFORT MODE IS IDEAL FOR THE HIGHWAY, WHILE THE FIRMER SETUP MIXED WITH THE SHARPENED THROTTLE RESPONSE IS PERFECT FOR WHEN THE ROAD GETS TWISTY.

AND AS WE HEAD INTO PRIME LEAF PEEPING SEASON HERE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC, WE'RE EIGHT MONTHS AND 16,000 MILES INTO OUR TEST.

WE LOVE THE OVERALL SOLID FEEL OF THE CAR AND THE 280 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 DELIVERS EXCEPTIONAL POWER, WITH A DECENT 24.9 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE AS WELL.

WE'LL CHECK IN ON OUR ALL-ELECTRIC PORSCHE TAYCAN, ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: THE GENESIS OF GENESIS WAS NOT AS A BRAND, BUT AS HYUNDAI'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT GOING UPMARKET WITH 2009'S HYUNDAI GENESIS.

WELL NOW, GENESIS IS OF COURSE A COMPLETE BRAND, WITH MULTIPLE SEDANS AND SUVs TO CHOOSE FROM, AND PLENTY OF EVs ON THE WAY.

BUT, THEY HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN WHERE THEY STARTED FROM.

♪ ♪ BEFORE IT WAS KNOWN AS THE GENESIS G80, THE HYUNDAI GENESIS SEDAN WAS THE KOREAN CARMAKER'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT GOING FULL LUXURY.

2021 BRINGS A NEW GENERATION OF G80 AS THEY, LIKE MOST BRANDS, PREPARE TO TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS IN THE NEAR FUTURE; YET ALSO, HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF TRYING TO FULLY ESTABLISH WHAT IS STILL A SOPHOMORE BRAND WHEN IT COMES TO THE LUXURY MARKET.

WHILE, WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE A GOOD VALUE WHEN IT COMES TO MAJOR PURCHASES, NOT A LOT OF BUYERS IN THIS SEGMENT WANT TO DRIVE AROUND IN SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A BARGAIN.

HERE, THE MID-SIZE G80 MOSTLY SUCCEEDS WITH AN ELEGANT NEW SHAPE; HIGHLIGHTED BY A MINIMIZED PARALLEL QUAD-LIGHTING THEME, EXAGGERATED FENDERS, AND A COUPE-LIKE CABIN PUSHED SEVERELY REARWARD, THOUGH THE GIGANTIC FAMILIAL SILVER GRILLE IS ONE OF OUR LEAST FAVORITE VISUAL CUES.

INSIDE, IS TRULY A SHOWCASE OF WHAT HYUNDAI IS CAPABLE OF.

MATERIALS, SWITCHGEAR, DISPLAYS; ALL EXUDE GREAT QUALITY.

THE LAYOUT IS SIMPLE, WITH MINIMAL CONTROLS, AND A WIDE 14.5 INCH HIGH-DEF TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY SCREEN ON TOP OF THE DASH.

IT COMES WITH A GENESIS INTEGRATED CONTROLLER THAT RECOGNIZES HANDWRITING FOR DESTINATIONS AND PHONE NUMBER INPUTS.

AND THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE TECH ICEBERG; WITH 21-SPEAKER LEXICON AUDIO, REAL WOOD TRIM, A 12 INCH DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTER, AND EVEN REMOTE SMART PARKING ASSISTANT ALL AVAILABLE.

WHETHER, YOU STICK WITH STANDARD LEATHERETTE, OR OPT FOR THE REAL THING, FRONT SEATS ARE WIDE AND SUPREMELY COMFORTABLE, WITH A MASSAGING FUNCTION OPTIONAL.

REAR SEATS ARE EQUALLY LUXURIOUS, AND THANKS TO A LONGER WHEELBASE THAN MOST OF ITS EUROPEAN RIVALS, LEGROOM IS MORE THAN GENEROUS.

THOUGH, IT DOES COME AT A PRICE, AS TRUNK SPACE IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN BEFORE; DOWN FROM 15.3 TO A COMPACT CAR-LIKE 13.1 CUBIC-FEET.

SMOOTH AND REFINED POWER IS A MUST IN THIS SEGMENT, AND GENESIS OFFERS A CHOICE OF TURBO POWER-PLANTS THAT DIFFER FROM THE GERMAN'S BASIC 2.0 AND 3.0 LITER SETUPS.

STANDARD, IS THIS 2.5 LITER TURBO I4 WITH 300 HORSEPOWER AND 311 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THE UPGRADE IS A 375 HORSEPOWER 3.5 LITER TWIN-TURBO V6.

WITH EITHER ENGINE, COMES AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CHANNELING POWER TO THE REAR WHEELS OR OPTIONALLY TO ALL-4.

IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE OUR 2.5T WAS LAUNCHING ALL THAT HARD, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT A SLACKER, AS WE HIT 60 IN JUST 5.3 SECONDS.

IT'S A SERENE AND TRANQUIL TRIP TO THE END OF THE QUARTER-MILE IN 14 SECONDS AT 101 MILES PER HOUR.

POWER IS SMOOTH, AND SHIFTS ARE MOSTLY IMPERCEPTIBLE.

ITS EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN A LUXURY VEHICLE, WITH JUST ENOUGH EXHAUST NOTE TO GIVE YOU SOME SENSE THAT YOU'RE RAPIDLY ACCELERATING.

AS EQUIPPED, THIS 2.5T IS RIGHT AROUND 4,000 POUNDS; AND FOR THE MOST PART, IT HANDLES THAT BULK QUITE WELL.

NOT QUITE TO THE POINT OF BEING NIMBLE; BUT IT'S REASONABLY RESPONSIVE TO INPUTS, SURPRISINGLY PROFICIENT, AND DECEPTIVELY QUICK.

THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF BODY ROLL, WHICH IS TO BE EXPECTED IN A CAR THAT MAKES NO CLAIMS OF BEING A SPORTS CAR, BUT NO UNDERSTEER TO HINDER THE PROCESS.

THIRTEEN INCH BRAKE DISCS ARE STANDARD ON THE 2.5T; AND THEY'RE QUITE EFFECTIVE, AS 111 FEET WAS ALL THAT WAS NEEDED TO BRING THE G80 TO A SMOOTH AND STABLE HALT FROM 60 MILES PER HOUR.

THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF NOSE DIVE, BUT BETTER PEDAL FEEL THAN MOST IN THE SEGMENT.

THE G80'S M3 CHASSIS WAS DESIGNED WITH SUVs IN MIND, ALSO UNDERPINNING THEIR GV80 UTILITY; SO NATURALLY, IT PROVIDES A VERY SOLID AND STABLE PLATFORM FOR THIS SEDAN.

THE STRUCTURE ITSELF IS ALSO 55 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN THE PREVIOUS G80.

THE MULTI-LINK SUSPENSION IS TUNED PLUSH, YET NOT SOFT; IT COMBINES WITH THE BANK VAULT LEVELS OF SOLITUDE, TO DELIVER AN ALMOST BENTLEY-ESQUE DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR A REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE 2.5T ARE 23-CITY, 32-HIGHWAY, AND 26-COMBINED.

THAT'S AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE; WITH CONSUMPTION OF 12.7 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY AND EMISSIONS OF 5.7 TONS OF CO2.

WITH A STARTING PRICE OF JUST $48,745; NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE TO MATCHING THE G80'S VALUE IN THE MIDSIZE LUXURY SEDAN SEGMENT.

AND WHILE THAT'S A GREAT VALUE PROPOSITION, IT'S CAN ALSO BE A STIGMA THAT GENESIS MUST OVERCOME, IF THEY WANT TO SWAY BUYERS FROM WELL-ESTABLISHED LUXURY BRANDS.

THE APPEAL HAS TO BE ON MERIT RATHER THAN PRICE.

TO THAT, WE THINK THE 2021 GENESIS G80 IS INDEED EXTREMELY APPEALING, AND A GIANT STEP TOWARDS BECOMING A FULL MEMBER OF THE CLUB.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME... FOR A DYNAMIC ROAD TEST OF JAGUAR'S XF SEDAN... THEN, WE WILL GET FRUGAL AND FUNCTIONAL IN HYUNDAI'S SANTA FE HYBRID UTILITY, PAT GOSS LOOKS AT THE FINE POINTS OF RV WIRING, WHILE STEPHANIE HART FINDS A NEW CLUB TO HANG OUT WITH IN LA, PLUS MORE QUICK SPINS AND ALL THE LATEST MOTOR NEWS.

TIL' THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

"I DO."

WE'RE TIRERACK.COM AND WE HAVE ANSWERS, AND, TOOLS TO HELP.

"LIKE, OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S, UH, TAKE A LOOK."

"OH!"

FIND, DELIVER, INSTALL.

♪ ♪ Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] ♪♪ YOUR WATCHING PBS.