Story | William Ha Photography | Chris Wynia, Genesis Motor
Sports sedan sales have fallen in recent years as consumers increasingly favour SUVs. However, there are still many who prefer the classic four-door design to transport passengers in more comfort, with sharper styling, sportier handling and a lower ride height to enjoy.
Here are three premium sports sedans from three different countries, each expressing their unique identities and definitions of luxury and performance.
SOUTH KOREA
Genesis G80 Sport Plus–A to Z Luxury
If you want a full-value, comfortable mid-size luxury sedan with the latest technologies that doesn’t need to be German, this car is for you.
A smooth twin-turbo 3.5L V6 engine churns out 375 horsepower and 391 lb.-ft. of torque for brisk straight-line acceleration. Handling is above-average, but leans more than expected during hard cornering. Virtually every modern safety, driver-assist and convenience feature comes standard on the Sport Plus trim.
The exterior styling is sleek, distinct and stately, with beautiful LED lighting inside and out. The interior is well-crafted with soft-touch materials everywhere, and comes with a 14.5-inch infotainment screen, beautiful criss-cross pattern carbon fibre trim, a cup holder cover and a lovely knurled switchgear.
Cargo space is fair, but it lacks split-folding rear seats. Rear passengers get the royal treatment, with lots of legroom, outboard heated seats and their own climate control zone.
Notable features:
1. When signalling lane changes, a camera view of your blind spot appears on the dash for extra security.
2. Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) allows you to use your remote key fob to move the vehicle forward or backward to get it out of tight parking spaces.
3. If you are distracted at a red light, a reminder chime sounds when the vehicle ahead of you pulls away.
JAPAN
Lexus IS500 Launch Edition–Rear Wheel Drive V8 Rocket
The engine is the highlight of this vehicle, and revving it high is what you will need to do to extract the 472 horsepower and savour the rumbly, mood-enhancing 5.0L V8 exhaust note that makes this car special. It only comes in rear-wheel drive (RWD) and will be a future collector’s car.
The exterior styling is sporty, with wide shoulders, blacked-out accents and an imposing front end, but the overall interior is carried over from the previous generation Lexus IS models. Still, the seats are comfortable and the presence of buttons and knobs enable precise, fuss-free control of interior settings.
The IS500 Launch Edition also comes standard with a full suite of active safety and driver-assist features, including a particularly excellent automatic high-beam assist system during night driving and automatic emergency braking when backing up. An adaptive variable suspension and limited-slip differential (LSD) enables excellent handling. During normal driving, the car is quiet, composed and smooth.
Notable features:
1. Active Sound Control (ASC) enables some of the engine’s wonderful sounds produced at high revs to be piped into the interior for a greater driving experience.
2. A tachometer that can physically move left and right to display different driving information. When in Sport+ mode, the tachometer glows an angry orange when revs approach 5,000 rpm.
3. A 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is among the best-performing in the automotive industry.
GERMANY
Porsche Panamera 4 Platinum–Smooth luxury with 911 DNA
The most gilded sedan of this group, the Panamera’s styling is recognizable as a four-door 911 and it can perform like one. The Platinum Edition comes with standard AWD and many safety and driver-assist features, including Porsche’s Active Suspension Management (PASM) system for both a comfortable ride and sporty handling.
This Porsche is extremely refined, with a whisper-quiet interior and velvetysmooth ride. It isn’t the most powerful Panamera available, but its 2.9L turbo V6 puts down more than enough power with 325 horsepower and 331 lb.-ft. of torque. A car like this will appeal to drivers who prefer more brand exclusivity and want track-tested performance features.
The interior looks and feels upscale. The console touch buttons take some getting used to, but we appreciated that Porsche integrated its 12-inch touchscreen within the centre console rather than placing it on top of the dash as most automakers still do. Rear passengers get their own climate zones, heated seats, lots of vents and 2 USB ports. The rear seats can also fold down flat to complement the rear hatch design for enhanced cargo versatility.
Notable features:
1. Four drive modes, plus a ‘Sport Response’ function that delivers max power output for 20 seconds.
2. High-definition back-up camera that includes a camera washer.
3. When approaching parked cars or curbs at low speeds, the centre console screen automatically displays camera views of surrounding area to ensure safety and visibility.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Genesis G80 Sport Plus |
Lexus IS500 Launch Edition |
Porsche Panamera 4 Platinum Edition | |
| Canadian Price | From $67,650 ($81,131 as tested) | From 72,900 ($79,926 as tested) | From $123,100 ($139,620 as tested) |
| Engine | 3.5L Twin-Turbo V6, Direct Injection | 5.0L Naturally Aspirated V8, Port and Direct Injection | 2.9L Turbo V6, Direct Injection |
| Horsepower (hp) | 375 at 5,800 rpm | 472 at 7,100 rpm | 325 at 5,400 to 6,400 rpm |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 391 at 1,300 to 4,500 rpm | 395 at 4,800 rpm | 331 at 1,800 to 5,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 8 Speed Automatic, All-Wheel Drive | 8 Speed Automatic, Rear-Wheel Drive | 8 Speed Automatic, All-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel Consumption (L/100km)
(City/hwy/cmb |
14.8/9.9 /12.6 | 14.1/ 9.3 /11.9 | 12.8/9.8/11.5
|
| 0-100 km/h Acceleration (seconds as tested) | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.3 |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 239 km/h | 268 km/h |
| DIMENSIONS | |||
| Length (in) | 196.7 | 187.3 | 198.8 |
| Height (in) | 57.7 | 56.5 | 56.0 |
| Width (in) | 75.8 | 72.4 | 76.3 |
| Wheelbase (in) | 118.5 | 110.2 | 116.1 |
| Curb Weight (lbs) | 4,507 | 3,890 | 4,188 |
| Cargo Capacity, rear seatback up (Litres) | 371 | 306 | 495 |
