I WAS genuinely excited when Genesis announced it was releasing a Sport version of its luxurious motorway muncher, the G80.

However, disappointingly, it turns out it's just a new trim.

But, with Genesis - the new, premium brand offering from Hyundai - that's still no bad thing. It's a lovely thing to drive and a very comfortable place to be.

Building on the existing luxurious equipment, unique details inside and out have given the G80 an even sportier appearance.

Dark gloss chrome has been used on the front bumpers, radiator grille, door sill panels and window edge trims of the new G80 Sport, while the headlights are framed in a black trim, allowing them to blend harmoniously into the front of the and ensuring a distinctive look.

This is also reflected at the rear, where the G80 exhaust trims are integrated into the newly designed rear bumper.

The front brake calipers are optionally available in red, creating an exciting contrast to the dark or light alloy wheels in 19 or 20 inches respectively, available in two new designs - one of which is the oddly named Dark Sputtering.

Cavendish Red, the exterior colour exclusively reserved for the G80 Sport, rounds off the sporty appearance.

Inside, the G80 Sport comes with an exclusive three-spoke sports steering wheel with adapted decorative stitching, aluminum sports pedals and surfaces made of carbon fibre or ‘Hybrid Metal Weave'. I was particularly taken by the design of the door speakers.

Leather with diamond-shaped quilting and distinctive contrasting piping provide excellent seating comfort.

Enhancing G80's luxury and high-tech features even further, a wireless charging option has been introduced for all G80 variants with Executive Package, while the groundbreaking augmented reality navigation system with its huge 14.5-inch touchscreen is now on board as standard. This includes static and moving displays, allowing the front camera to deliver a real-time image.

Thankfully, it's not just a touchscreen but can be operated via a rotary controller on the centre console.

The optional Comfort seat package - a must-have at £1,680 - includes superbly comfortable electrically adjustable Ergo-Motion seats, but has added the massage function for the passenger seat, mirroring the driver's seat.

The G80 Sport is available in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive powered by a the same four-cylinder, 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine with eight-speed automatic as offered in the Premium and Luxury trims of the G80. Likewise, the Sport produces the same 300bhp, the same 422Nm of torque and the same 0.62mph of six seconds. Top speed is 155mph.

It also pumps out the same 205g/km CO2 emissions and officially returns the same 31.2mpg.

So, like its siblings, the G80 Sport is certainly quick and there's masses of grip. The gears shift smoothly and everything is nicely hushed when cruising on major roads.

For such a big, heavy car - 1,930kg - it doesn't wallow through corners and its electronically-controlled suspension, which uses front cameras to scan the road ahead, deals with all but the worst potholes.

There's lots of space up front and the seats slide quite a way back yet still deliver plenty of kneeroom in the back. Headroom is good too despite the sloping roof. However, while Genesis claim it's a five-seater, it's much better carrying four in armchair-like comfort.

The boot takes a plentiful 424 litres of luggage.

So, it's not quite a ‘Sport' version just subtly tweaked for a little differentiation. What you still get is a quick, luxurious super comfortable, well-equipped saloon, which is much cheaper than its ubiquitous German rivals. And that's not bad.

Prices start at £49,450 on-the-road for rear-wheel drive versions or £51,825 for the all-wheel drive This includes a unique five-point plan for customers which includes five-year unlimited warranty, five-year free servicing, five-year roadside assistance, and five-year access to a courtesy car.