THINK premium quality, high performing saloon cars and you instantly veer towards the German car makers such as BMW and Mercedes. But there is a new option just arrived in the UK and it's making waves.

It is called the Genesis G80 and if the name is new to anyone, the company stems from Korea and, while it was once a luxurious brand made by Hyundai, the company has set up as its own stand-alone manufacturer these days.

The G80 is a four-door luxury saloon that is very big on style, performance, comfort and quality, and the price-tag is competitive too.

We tried the range-topping G80 Luxury Line costing £47,950 (£54,280 with options) and it was powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine delivering 304PS and 422Nm of torque.

It was matched to an eight-speed super-slick automatic gearbox and the car could complete the 0-62mph dash in 6.0 seconds, topping out at 155mph.

There's no denying the attractive and dynamic styling of the G80. It has a real road presence thanks to its muscular lines, long stretched body - it measures almost five metres in length - and huge stand-out grille. There are tinted windows, twin tail pipes, the name GENESIS sitting proudly on the tailgate and beautiful alloy wheels.

Move inside and the cabin has a real sense of quality and craftsmanship with the main focal point being a 14.5-inch infotainment display screen along with a neat 3D instrument cluster and head-up display.

There are powered seats along with a massaging function. Special mention to the clever display system that comes to life when you put your hands near the power buttons on the side of the driver's seat so you easily see what switches you are adjusting. Clever stuff. The seats can also be heated or ventilated and the steering wheel can be warmed too.

On-board tech is impressive with a 16-speaker Lexicon surround sound system, full mobile phone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, over-the-air software updates and plenty more besides.

Out on the open road, the G80 cruises at motorway speeds effortlessly sitting at 70mph. A Highway Assist function uses the front camera to detect lane markings to help keep the car centred in its lane.

It is also nice and responsive through the country lanes with sharp acceleration through the automatic gearbox and steering wheel-mounted paddles for added driver engagement.

There is an electronically controlled suspension system with road preview and this monitors the road ahead detecting any potholes and speed bumps to help cushion the blow. And the all-wheel drive system offers added grip in more adverse driving conditions.

There are drive modes to alter the mannerisms of the G80 and these are called Comfort, Sport and Eco which are easy to switch through on the fly.

Despite its size, the G80 proved quite agile in busier town centre traffic with all manner of driver assist systems to help with parking in tight spaces.

Comfort levels are excellent and there is ample space in the back for three to sit side by side. The boot has a 424-litre capacity and there are all manner of convenient storage compartments throughout the car, including a lockable glovebox, front and rear cup holders, a deep cubby box, door bins, seat back pockets, trays and a charging pad.

On the downside, my one real criticism after a week behind the wheel clocking up more than 600 miles was the boot. When opened after a rather heavy downpour, water ran into the boot which is not what you expect on a premium executive car.

It's also a car that likes to make lots of beeping noises to warn about speed limits, lane departure and numerous other functions and there is even a welcome and exit jingle. These do get on your nerves after a while, but can be deactivated thankfully.

When it comes to economy, under WLTP testing, our G80 could deliver a combined 31.2mpg with carbon emissions of 205g/km.

The vehicle is packed with safety features such as blind spot monitoring, evasive steering assist, smart cruise control, lane following assist, driver attention warning, forward collision alert with pedestrian and cyclist detection, plus advanced airbag technology. There are 10 airbags with front centre airbags that are deployed if there is a side impact and these prevent the front occupants colliding with each other.