I’m not really a luxury car kind of person. I can appreciate them, certainly – I’m not made of stone, after all – but my natural state is in a car where the most luxurious material I touch is the good gaffer’s tape I used to cover a tear in some vinyl. So I tend to approach “premium” cars with a sort of bemused resignation, and I think the more cachet the particular marque has, the more subconscious biases I have to wrestle with.
That puts Genesis in an interesting position. They absolutely consider themselves a premium brand, and I think they deliver on that. When I see people snobbily exclude them from the more established ranks of premium cars, I roll my eyes, too. I think Genesis is easily the equal of a Lexus or Infiniti, conceptually, and if I’m honest the experience of driving one around in most day-to-day situations can feel as fancy-trousers as a Mercedes-Benz or Audi or many other more expensive brands.
The truth is that I think Genesis does a damn good job of creating a certain luxurious, premium, high-end, whatever you want to call it, feeling in their cars. They feel special, like little events that you have to find your decent sport coat or nice heels for. I think they do an especially good job with their interiors, too, and I think the key is that they focus a surprising amount on surface detailing and make good use of materials. They look appealing from a distance, but get more and more interesting the closer you get. That’s a big deal, and I’ll look at this more in a bit.
I was loaned a 2026 Genesis GV70 for a week, and I enjoyed the experience. It does a lot of things generally well, though, from a purely utilitarian/basic driving standpoint, I’m not sure it’s necessarily all that much different from a $35,000 or so Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V. The GV70 starts a bit over $10,000 more, at about $48,000, and I do think that the Genesis actually does feel significantly, quantitatively more special, more appealing, more everything than those more mainstream crossovers. And since cars are fundamentally irrational things, I think that’s a big deal.
The one I had was the Sport Prestige edition that goes for about $71,000, so keep that in mind.
It Looks Like An AMC Pacer And/Or Porsche 928
Okay, so this is the most interesting thing, at least for me, about the GV70: it’s part of a styling heritage started by the AMC Pacer. Yes, I firmly believe Dick Teague’s oft-maligned widebody, fishbowl masterpiece is the essence of the GV70’s design and why it works, at least from the rear. It’s well-established that the Pacer inspired the look of the rear of the Porsche 928 – the 928’s designer, Tony Lapine, admitted this outright – and while I can’t prove it, I think the designers of the GV70 had to be inspired by the same source. Or maybe the Pacer filtered through the 928. However it happened, I think it happened, and I’m not going to ruin my illusion by actually asking Genesis, because they’d probably just deny it, and I’m not trying to hear that.
This is all to say that I think the GV70 is a really attractive and striking-looking car, and I think it actually stands out in a sea of nearly-anonymous crossovers and SUVs, and that’s something worth celebrating.
The rear quarter is by far the most interesting angle, and I love the wide dual-stripe wraparound taillights and the graphics of the windows and the chonky haunches of the rear. I’ll even excuse the attempt to sneakily re-introduce a landau bar, like so many modern crossovers and SUVs are trying to do:
Around front, I think Genesis does a good job as well, as they have established a pretty unique design vocabulary that they stick to quite effectively: the dual-horizontal-stripe lighting, the big, shield-shaped grille, the quilty pattern of the grille mesh that carries over into the inside and the upholstery, even that sort of archer’s bow shape to the detailing in the lower grille area. The thing has some presence.
And, like the interior, the GV70 rewards close scrutiny, with some nice visual treats to be enjoyed if you, say, have one of these run into you as you’re trying to cross the street. When you get knocked to the ground, I suggest taking a moment to really look at these headlamp units, which feature 18 separate, cube-shaped light units, nine above and nine below:
The GV70 looks good, and, more importantly, doesn’t really look like everything else out there. It’s imposing without being overly aggressive, it’s luxurious seeming without feeling overdone, and it has an athletic, capable-looking stance. We often buy cars based pretty heavily on how we feel when we turn around to look back at them sitting in a parking lot, and I think the GV70 holds up well to that test.
What’s Inside
Ideally, if you owned this car, most of your time with it would be spent inside it, which is a good thing, as the interior is quite comfortable and feels quite carefully thought out. If you’re not fond of screens in cars, you likely should give the GV70 a pass, because this car absolutely revels in its screens. Now, that’s not to say Genesis has gone over to the miserable dark side of all-touch-screen controls, because they haven’t; there’s a lot of actual, real physical controls available, but there is also one absolutely massively wide panoramic screen.
I mean, it’s vast; you can’t really photograph it all in one shot, unless you’re standing outside the car, like in the picture above there. From the driver’s seat, you have to deal with it in county-sized sections. It’s all one contiguous display, and it all flows together in a satisfying way, so working from in front of the driver you have your main instruments, rendered with just enough skeuomorphic silliness to please the old-school analogue gauge contingent:
Those two purple glowing eyes on that shadowy ghost figure emerging from the bottom of the photo are the infra-red lights used by the driver monitoring camera, employed by the Level 2 driving assistance system to make sure you’re actually paying attention, or at least pretending to with your eyeballs pointed in roughly the right spot.
In the middle, you have a vast, monochrome 3D map display (among many other options, including Apple CarPlay or Android Auto):
…and finally at the other end, you get some specific context-based information and control displays, like this one that comes up when you adjust the seat:
Actually, now that I mentioned that, I think I may need to go into this further, because this is something that I feel like Kia/Hyundai/Genesis do better than almost everyone else when it comes to in-car UX: they add a visual confirmation element to controls that normally lack it. Like the seat adjustment here; they don’t have to visually show you what you’re adjusting on the seat, but it actually does help! And, even better, they provide a visual reference when you adjust your wipers, something that I think is wildly helpful and more automakers should emulate:
I feel like on so many cars I fumble around with the wiper knob or stalk, and just having a visual confirmation of what setting I’ve put it in is significantly helpful.
Let’s Keep Talking About UX and Electronic Stuff, I Suppose
You know what else the GV70 UX does that I like? While they have a touchscreen-based setup for their HVAC controls, it’s an always-available, separate touchscreen, so you never need to faff about with menus or pop-up windows just to, say, change which vents the air is blowing from. Plus, there are still physical knobs for temperature adjustment.
See the little display above the cupholders and rotary shifter that looks and feels almost exactly like those bathroom sink fixtures that were ubiquitous when I was growing up? You know the ones:
The crystalline knobs and rotary dials feel like that to me, and while I appreciate the visual and tactile detail of them, I still think the big rotary gearshift is a waste of space. Just make a column shift, already. It’s fine, and it’ll free up a huge chunk of that center console! It’s not a manual, you don’t need to grab that gear knob all the time, so get it out of the way!
The steering wheel controls are also especially nice on the GV70; the textured thumbswitches and rollers actually feel great to use, and I usually don’t think to use steering wheel controls. In the instruments behind the wheel, you can see another nice feature: when you use the turn signal, the car turns on the camera to whatever direction you’re turning, and replaces either the right or left gauge with a camera feed. It’s useful.
Also useful but also comical is how the GV70 can provide a third-person 3D view of the car in its surroundings, which can make tricky parking or maneuvering much easier. But thanks to some mathematical quirk, when it skews the camera images and calculates where to place that 3D model of itself in the scene, it always portrays itself looking comically tiny.
Look at that little GV70! It’s barely taller than the bumper of the car in front of it! Hey little guy!
Overall, the GV70 has pretty much all the electronic candy you’re likely to want – which, for most people just means CarPlay or Android Auto – but it manages to not make it the car’s entire personality, which feels like a common failing in this space.
The Soft Parts Of The Interior
Remember I mentioned the quilty look of the grille carrying over into the car’s interior details? You see the motif on the texture of knobs and switches and, of course, on the seats, which are really quite comfortable, all through the car.
The orange stitching and seat belts I think are a great touch; car interiors tend to be too bland and monochromatic, so seeing intense pops of color like this is extremely welcome.
I like to think that Genesis’ interior designers have looked carefully at the minimalistic interiors of cars like Teslas and thought, huh, no thanks, and then gone ahead and designed their interiors with all kinds of textures and curves and perforations and stitching and whatnot. And I think it works.
Rear seats get their own HVAC controls, which is nice, and also a 110V wall-type outlet for belt sanders and Hitachi Magic Wands.
Also nice for rear passengers are these rear-seat-accessible seat adjustment controls, so if you’re chauffeuring people around, they can give themselves more legroom. Or, I suppose, deny themselves more legroom if they’re feeling penitent.
The cargo area is quite generous, even with the rear seats up, and I appreciate some little details here, like how the rear bumper reflectors wrap up and over the bumper:
I don’t know if that’s useful in any way, but it looks cool.
While we’re down here, I have to admit that I can’t remember if these exhaust tips are fake or not. If they are fake, I have opinions. If not, great job, Genesis.
There’s a nice hidden storage compartment in the back there, too, ideal for long items like party subs.
See? It’s pretty wide. And yes, there is a spare tire under there as well:
It’s a temporary spare, unless SPARE TIRE is a new tire brand I wasn’t aware of.
Genesis does an excellent job on their interiors. They’re genuinely pleasant spaces to spend time in, and they really do feel a level above most automotive mass-market interiors.
How Is It To Drive?
The G70 I had as a press car had the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine – the base has a 2.5 liter turbo inline-four making a very adequate 300 horsepower. The V6 makes 375, and it feels genuinely quick.
The 2.5-liter gets 21 mpg city and 28 highway, and the V6 gets 18 city and 25 highway. Not great, but not terrible.
I took the GV70 to the North Carolina Southeast Regional Premium Crossover Autocrossing Championships in Whynot, NC, and, thanks to the crossover’s nimble handling and AWD sure-footedness, won every single event and then everyone clapped and the governor landed in his helicopter and presented me with the French Légion d’honneur medal and then all of my childhood bullies drove up in a bus and one by one apologized for being such jerks to me and then everyone sang a song about how the GV70 and I were the best Premium Crossover Autocrossers in the world, ever.
I’m just kidding! Of course, none of that happened! I drove this thing around town and on the highway a bit, but I in no way even pushed this car anywhere near its limits. It handles well for a fairly bulky car, and doesn’t feel too top-heavy, which is nice. Also, look how huge those brakes are, and I really like those wheels with their subtle stripes. Very slick indeed.
In Conclusion, I Conclude
I think Genesis makes some fantastic luxury cars that seem to cost a bit less than many other luxury cars, and that’s great in my book. Sure, the badge still lacks the cachet of other brands, but if that really bothers you, then I suspect maybe you have some bigger, deeper issues to explore.
I also think the GV70 happens to be one of the best-looking premium crossovers on the market today. It’s not something I can see myself ever actually owning, but for those who choose to, I think you made a great choice.
All photos by Jason Torchinsky except where noted.
Top graphic images: Jason Torchinsky [note about topshot: Our managing editor, Pete, wants more faces in topshots. Fine. I found a picture I had of myself while actually in the car, and used that. My wife saw it and said I looked like “a deadbeat.” You can see the original topshot here. So I changed it. Just thought you should know. – JT]
That topshot picture looks so professional that I almost didn’t recognize you! Then I noticed where the car was parked…yep, that’s Jason.
I do like the interior, other than the giant screen. And I guess carbon fiber-looking stuff is going to replace piano black?
Hitachi magic wands . . . LOL Thank god for that outlet.
My wife was sold on one of these, until she saw the interior (quilting? too much. Orange or red seatbelts and stitching? nah.)
That plus the lack of a plug in hybrid option (on top of the ass real world mileage for the 3.5) pushed us into a Mercedes GL350e. Two weeks of her commutes on 110 power, and we still haven’t had to put a drop of gas into it.
I wonder, for plug-in hybrids: is there a requirement the you run the gas engine at some interval, so seals and hoses don’t dry up? Does it do it for you automatically?
I’ve had the same thought. Given the terrain where I live (at the top of a fairly steep mountain pass) and the relatively small hybrid motor, we do find ourselves briefly dipping into the gas engine on most drives.
My Volt did automatically. Needed to burn a bit of gas every so often so I’d put some fresh in.
Cool.
I like a lot of this, the interior looks like a nice place to be, but the screen just really ruins it for me. I will allow some versions of tacked on tablets for center screens, but I can’t stand the way the big rectangular screens with no hood look for instrument clusters.
As for the top shots – I vehemently disagree with Pete. I know it comes from data or whatever and the same thing has happened in all the Youtube thumbnails, but I hate it.
Not that I dislike you guys, but the faces always look specifically forced for a topshot like this and it gives me secondhand embarrassment.
Surely any screen would benefit from a hood. And your’re right about the topshot faces, Pete’s wrong.
Too bad you didn’t have a chance to compare it to the Electrified GV70.
There’s not nearly enough glass to look anything like a Pacer . . .
I’ve decided it’s a good thing I became an engineer and not a designer. I see no resemblance to the Pacer whatsoever. This interpretation is lost on me.
My spouse was going to look at one. Unfortunately her favorite car magazine is Consumer Reports and this synopsis 86ed the idea:
“If it weren’t for the nightmarish infotainment controls, many on our staff would be thrilled to own one, especially in our test model’s gorgeous Cardiff Green paint.”
The bright blaze-orange seatbelts are… Something. They remind of the ones frequently found in commercial fleet trucks. They’re that color so that, theoretically, in the event of an accident with entrapment, first responders can find them quickly and cut them to free the driver, thereby saving on insurance premiums. Also, they’re highly visible to the insurance companies’ “weed weasel” inspectors whose job is to go out and snap photos from the roadside and parking lots, to make sure the fleet drivers are wearing said seatbelts, among other things.
Not exactly what I’d expect in a luxury SUV, though.
Other random thought — I will now no longer be able to un-see “stealth landau bars.” What’s next? Incognito opera windows?
I’ve seen contrasting seatbelts, matching the contrasting stitching, before on at least one other manufacturer’s sportiest trim level.
What is with you and Mercedes both referencing magic wands in your articles this week? Did you guys pick up a new sponsor? Haha
I generally like the look of the Genesis vehicles. I always feel though that there is one angle where the design kind of seems over bloated or falls apart a little bit and I think the rear quarter is a bit awkward. I really dig the orange belts and stitching though
I rented one last year with the four banger and I was surprised by the amount of room in it, more than the Lexus NX. It was very nice to drive but the turbo four had a lag. None of my cars has a turbo si I’m used to immediate, linear speed. The G70 was plenty quick, but it took a moment and I find that disconcerting.
Then please stand by to commence rollin’, mister, because I 100% exclude Hyundai/Genesis from the more-established-premium-marque category.
Most of their corporate life has been spent making penalty boxes for financially-challenged individuals, which by itself keeps them out of the premium club. (No, Volkswagen isn’t premium, either.)
Their dealerships are apparently abysmal in both condition and in treatment of their customers. Conversely, the premium brands – even Lexus – generally offer a very agreeable dealership experience.
Let’s revisit the issue in 50 years. Perhaps by then they will have improved considerably in all areas and people will have forgotten about their craptacular beginnings.
PS The grille on the one you tested is tragic, as is the quilted interior.
Clue: Belt Sanders, Hitachi Magic Wand.
Answer: Things adjacent to wood?
*slow clap*
I have no sense of the height, but this could almost pass for an actual station wagon.
Probably should compare to a Lexus NX or RX, and an Acura RDX. Especially at the price that “Sport Prestige” one goes for.
I could do without most of that screen. Helpful for someone who drives it for a week to have pop-ups confirm that you are adjusting the seat or wiping the windshields or need a map in an unfamiliar town. So, perfect for a rental. For someone who might own this for 20 years (my market demographic, and yes I’m being optimistic about this brand)? Completely unnecessary and there had better be a way to override.
Better use of tech would be voice commands for these actions. Voice commands leave two hands on the wheel that are not fumbling around.
I think I’d actually get carsick looking at those screens. While Driving!
Screens that big are just begging for somebody to implement a replica of Star Trek’s LCARS user interface. Call it “LCARS for Cars.”
Dammit! Now I want it!
I’ve been reading this site since it’s inception, and never once did I read an article referencing a Hitachi Magic Wand.
And now, today, we get TWO Hitachi Magic Wand references.
Someone’s been hanging out in the smutty side of the Internet? New site sponsor? Will there be a test drive/review?
How about a C/D-style comparo between the Hitachi and other brand Magic Wands?
Will there be a reader meetup at Lover’s Lane?
The site is getting renamed The Smutopian on Monday.
It does look like a 928, till a 928 pulls up.
I thought it looked more like a Panamera, but whatever. It’s slopey
Slopey. I like it.
Torch, that picture of the 3D map hit me right in the feels. I recognize the outline of most of those buildings from my years on campus. Go Heels!
My wife and I always play the game of “where did Jason shoot these photos” when he does any local stuff.
Not to be too glib, but was exhaust coming out of both of them? That’s usually how I tell.
Just touch them while the engine is running.
Oh, that could be dangerous?
OK, just put your nose up to them and take a deep breath.
Isn’t Danger his middle name? Or was it Chainsaw?
Genesis biggest issue is being saddled with Hyundai\Kia stores for sales and service. I know they’re building out standalone stores, but it hurts the image.
Now I want to talk about Delta crystal knob faucets. I have these in my home. They are 32 years old, original to the house and function like new. I think they are ugly, but good luck finding any faucet today with that kind of service life.
Now that we can talk about faucets… oh never mind. It’s just that I spent an hour or two yesterday replacing one while squished inside a bathroom cabinet. I’m just one size larger than Torch and I could barely get my shoulders inside.
I had a pre-refresh base model as a rental car a few months back. I felt like I had won the rental car lottery. Drove nice, was comfortable, and had plenty of room. My only complaint was that the pre-refresh UX on the infotainment was hard to get used to. Overall, I dug it.
There is just SO MUCH of EVERYTHING…
My head hurts.
So nice to see a new vehicle review here!
(It doesn’t help that there are seldom any new cars to review anymore…)
With a few exceptions, I really like what I see – I want to see more from Genesis.
(Does it come with a Phil Collins memory card?)
Agreed on the drive selector – Just make it a damned stalk already.
And those screens would be much less jarring if they were integrated into the architecture of the dash rather than randomly stuck on like so many billboards in West Hollywood.
I’m also fascinated by the spare tire which is accessible from within the cargo area and also from below the bottom of the car. But how do they keep the tools from falling out the back?
I think that second picture is upside-down.
What about a Peter Gabriel memory card?
Maybe just a sledgehammer in the toolkit.
We test drove one of these earlier this year when shopping for a new car for my wife. This was top of her list until the test drive. She found the tech in it overwhelming and the driving experience underwhelming (it was the 2.0, not the V6), not to mention the dealer experience wasn’t up to par compared to the Lexus and Audi stores we visited.
Did you have to go in? We flirted with the idea of a certified pre-owned 2.5t model (huge warranty), but we were going to use their concierge service, try to get someone just bring the car to us. but then we ran the fuel economy numbers, and it was womp, womp time given our city driving…
Didn’t know they’d concierge a test driver to you, but as we wanted to compare a few cars driving down to the auto row made the most sense.
Every time Jason manages to post an actual car review, I know that it took serious effort for him to focus on getting that out. Could he have performed more R&D work into salami-based storage devices? Of course. But he didn’t.
Proud of you.
you have no idea how accurate this is.
Hey, at least unlike the Cybertruck he didn’t have to rent the test car from Turo.
Or park it down the street. Or drop off Otto a few blocks away from the school. Or wear a Nixon mask while driving it.
Turns out this is a 2025 model and what you see is autumn of 2025 in the background.
Ok, so as of this writing, there are two — TWO –references to the Hitachi Magic Wand today on the Autopian. Is this a new product placement, or…?
Next up: David Tracy finds a new way to bust rusty nuts loose on his Jeep YJ.
“Some Geniuses figure out how to turn a Magic Wand into an ultrasonic cleaner”
If DT begins to frequently reference the Hitachi Magic Wand in his posts, I’ll upgrade my membership.