Genesis GV70: Lordy, it’s gaudy!

What is it?

It’s still not a household name, at least not in motoring circles, but Genesis is the luxury sub-brand of Hyundai in the same way as Lexus is to Toyota.

There are plenty of model choices: two sedans (G70 and G80), three SUVs (GV60, GV70 and GV80) with petrol, diesel and electric powertrains as well as two- and all-wheel drive in the SUVs.

GV70, the mid-sized SUV, is this week’s test and comes with the choice of 2.5- and 3.5-litre turbocharged petrol engines as well as a fully-electric EV.

The entry-level 2.5T comes with either rear or all-wheel drive.

All other variants are AWD only.

What’s it cost?

GV70 is a real eye-catcher that drew positive comments wherever we went.

The lines are SUV but without the boxiness or semi-coupe look that many competitors have adopted.

The large mesh-filled grille follows the Genesis family pattern, with the number plate attached inside the grille.

The Genesis badge, which does have an uncanny resemblance to that of Aston Martin, sits at the front of the bonnet.

The split horizontal front and tail lights are another Genesis feature and broaden the vehicle’s front appearance.

A panoramic sunroof with tilt and slide panel and powered blind is standard across the range.

The Sport Line Package adds 21-inch five-spoke G-matrix alloy wheels, sporty front and rear bumpers, gloss black sport radiator grille, front skid plate, roof rails and dark chrome for the grille surround and window frame trims.

Others will no doubt love the G-matrix wheels but we found them a bit gaudy for the otherwise elegant looks of the car.

Genesis GV70 offers 10 exterior colours, including three matte lines that add $2000, seven interior colours and four trim inserts – to let buyers express individual preferences.

The standout feature at the front of the GV70’s cabin is the 14.5-inch touchscreen.

It certainly looks spectacular although the combination of extra width and low height mean that functions on the left of the screen require too much of a stretch even for a tall driver.

Also, the shape of the screen compresses the satellite navigation view more than is practical.

There’s a 12.3-inch 3D colour screen in front of the driver with a digital instrument cluster.

A camera is activated either side of the screen each time the turn indicator is used.

Bluetooth provides two connections, one phone/audio, the other just for audio, with USB ports on the front and rear centre consoles.

There’s wireless (Qi standard) smartphone charging, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – both wired.

If you need relaxing there’s a Sounds of Nature feature with a choice of six pre-set sounds.

Our favourites were twittering birds and ocean waves.

Audio comes from a nine-speaker Genesis sound system with an external digital amplifier.

The 3.5T gets a premium 16-speaker Lexicon by Harmon unit.

Every GV70 model comes with a comprehensive list of safety equipment, starting with eight airbags, including one between the front seats to prevent serious injury due to potential driver and passenger contact.

Among other features are blind spot monitoring and collision avoidance, forward collision avoidance with cars, pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear cross-traffic alert and collision avoidance, lane keeping assist, smart cruise control, 360-degree surround view monitor, front and rear parking sensors and safe exit assist.

Reverse parking warning activates if pedestrians or objects are detected and will apply emergency braking where necessary.

Furthermore, the car will park itself, even in the tightest spots.

Both steering and speed are automatically operated and can be controlled remotely by using the smart key while out of the car.

When a passenger opens a door to get out of the car and an approaching vehicle is detected behind, Safe Exist Assist will sound a warning.

If a car is detected it also keeps the Electronic Child Safety Lock activated to prevent the doors from opening.

In addition, if the risk of a rear-side collision is determined, the door is prevented from opening even if the ‘open’ button is pressed.

What’s it go like?

There’s a real premium look to the interior of the GV70 Luxury Sport Line tested with Nappa leather and suede appointed quilted sport seats, suede headlining and pillars, a sports steering wheel, alloy pedals and aluminium trim.

There are sport gauges for oil temperature, torque and turbo boost to let the driver extract the best from the engine.

Rear seat space is enough to fit three adults in reasonable comfort with good leg, head and hip room.

An air conditioning control is located behind the centre console as well as heating for all three seating positions.

There is also a control on the side of the front passenger seat that allows it to be adjusted either by the driver or rear passengers.

Rear storage space in the petrol models is 542 litres with the rear seat backs in place, dropping down to 503 litres in the EV.

The powered boot release button is conveniently located at the bottom centre of the rear mirror although most users will open it through a button on the key fob.

Like the other doors it will open when it senses the proximity of the key – even, as we found out on several occasions, when the owner is simply walking behind the car.

A space saver spare wheel can be found under the boot floor and there’s also a clever roadside safety kit with a range of items to help in an emergency – such as gloves, hi-vis vest, towel etc.

The EV gets a tyre repair kit.

Genesis GV70 comes with a choice of four drivetrains, starting with the 2.5T with a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with 224kW of power and 422Nm of torque paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic that drives either the rear wheels or an electronically controlled AWD system.

Flagship GV70 3.5T Sport has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 with 279kW and 530Nm mated with the same transmission and AWD,

The most recent addition is the fully-electric GV70 EV Performance, while the previous 2.2-litre turbo-diesel was dropped with the MY 2023 update.

Pressing the unlock button on the key fob opens the door handles which sit flush against the sides of the car.

As an SUV the driving position in the GV70 is fairly high for good outward vision.

The driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive.

The chunky steering wheel feels great but does tend to obstruct the driver’s view of the instrument panel and the gear selector.

GV70 is quite a large and heavy vehicle, but doesn’t feel like it when cruising on the motorway where it’s smooth, comfortable and quiet thanks to extra insulation.

When pushed along the feeling and sound from the turbo engine is akin to that of a decent-sized six-cylinder unit.

One annoying feature is that the gear selection control knob shares the centre console with the similarly-sized, and shaped, information system rotary controller making it is easy to mix them up – which we did frequently.

Out on the open road GV70 is well-balanced and corners better than expected for an SUV.

It’s not a sports machine but comes closer than many others in the class that we have tested.

There are five drive modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Custom), and three Terrain modes (Snow, Mud and Sand). So, plenty to play with here.

The eight-speed automatic transmission is reasonably quick to respond with shift paddles on hand if needed.

Fuel consumption on short trips was well above the listed figure of 10.3L/100km but dropped noticeably, to around 8.5L during motorway cruising.

What we like?

• Luxurious
• A real eye-catcher
• 14.5-inch screen stands out
• Comprehensive list of safety equipment

What we don’t like?

• Wheels a bit gaudy
• A stretch to reach far side of touchscreen
• Chunky steering wheel obstructs instruments
• Heavy fuel consumption around town

The bottom line?

Genesis GV70 is a beautifully crafted vehicle, both inside and out.

It’s well-equipped, enjoyable to drive and with prices starting from just under $70k, excellent value when compared with its more-established European and Japanese rivals.

Like Lexus before it, Genesis marketers see the brand as a competitor against the upmarket German marques.

Despite the major impact Korean cars have had in recent years, that’s unlikely to happen to Genesis any time in the immediate future.

Then again, Hyundai has surprised us before – so who knows?

Potential buyers may wish to hold off because the next GV70 upgrade has been launched in Korea and is due to arrive here in Q4 2024.

 

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