The new Genesis G80 is one of the most beautiful sedans to show face in recent memory and has reached a level of refinement and luxury that puts it on an equal footing with the likes of the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. What makes it even more appealing is the fact that it's priced well below its European rivals.

So you can imagine how this owner must have felt when his brand new 2021 Genesis G80 went up in a ball of thick black smoke on the side of a highway in South Korea. ZDNet, a local news agency got the scoop on what appears to be a tragic accident, instead of a malfunction on the part of the car itself.

The driver, who had had the car for less than a month, was traveling through a tunnel on a South Korean highway when the car suddenly hit an object lying in the middle of the lane. According to the driver, and some photographic evidence, the debris looks to be part of a large semi-trucks' air cleaning system.

The driver of the Genesis claims that once the car had driven over the object, it became lodged in the undercarriage which lead to friction and eventually fire. The components inside the air-cleaner apparently contain highly flammable fibers that could easily catch alight when placed under such circumstances.

In the photos, it is clear to see that the brand new Genesis G80 catches fire in the front half, with flames raging from under the hood, and out the wheel wells. Thankfully it doesn't appear as though the fire was started by a factory error.

This comes after the news that Genesis had to issue an official recall for a possible fire risk back in 2019 for last-gen G80 and G90 sedans. The problem was with a turbo oil-feed line that could come loose, causing oil to drain onto the turbo exhaust housing, causing a fire risk. We're sad to see this G80 die a fiery death, but we're happy that it was caused by accident, and not fried in a protest.