It takes a long time for a new automotive nameplate to penetrate public consciousness — even when everyone should know. So, consider this a public service announcement: Genesis makes some very, very good cars.
“Genesis, that’s a car brand?” During my week driving the 2024 Genesis GV70, I got that question more than once from friends who don’t pay much attention to cars unless they’re car shopping. So, I’ll take a moment to explain.
Genesis is Hyundai Motor’s luxury division, which will be 10 years old next year. It builds a growing lineup of luxury cars that are competitive with brands like Lexus and BMW. Genesis cars are known for design flair and unusually good prices for the luxury class.
I don’t know if the brand has a true signature product yet. But, if they need one, the GV70 should be it. It’s a compact luxury SUV, and our editors rate it the best one in its class. Yes, given the choice, we’d skip over a Mercedes-Benz GLC, a BMW X3, and a Lexus NX in favor of a fancy Hyundai. Let me tell you why.
My tester was a top-of-the-line, all-wheel-drive 3.5T Sport AWD model with the Sport Prestige package (adding goodies like 21-inch sport wheels, Nappa leather, and a Lexicon premium audio system). In Mauna Red, it retails for $69,350, including a mandatory $1,350 delivery fee.
Genesis Cares About Design
Every luxury SUV is well-designed inside. It takes a lot for one to stand out from its peers.
The GV70 gets there with surprising details. My test model’s cabin was upholstered in a bottomless blue Genesis calls “Ultramarine.”
Driving new cars can frequently make you too picky. Our editors have to work not to develop a sort of critic’s brain that makes us complain about tiny things no car shopper would find significant. But I can’t help it on this point: Virtually every car interior on the market today is dominantly black or beige. Soft Nappa leather dyed deep like the North Atlantic is a refreshing sight.
Genesis lets its designers take chances with color, and the world is a little better for it. Its competition could learn from its bravery with color.
Ovals and sweeping curves dominate the design theme inside, with the big 14.5-inch touchscreen nearly the only surface that doesn’t look organic. Brushed metal trim lends almost a midcentury modern touch. The cabin is a lovely place to spend time.
It’s even better at night when color-adjustable ambient lighting outlines just the right amount of trim.
One minor complaint: The center console has two rotary puck controllers of almost the same size, placed in tandem. One is the gear shift. The other is an alternate control for the touchscreen. Drivers will get used to knowing which is which, but since the screen already operates from touch alone, the extra controller seems extraneous.
Handsome Outside, Too
The interior is exceptional, but you’ll like looking at your GV70 from across the street, too. Genesis has adopted a signature lighting style — daytime running lights and taillights are two parallel horizontal lines — that gives its cars a unique bearing.
In a year when most SUV designers are leaning hard into a rugged, boxy aesthetic, the GV70 has enough curve to stand out.
A Rumbly Twin-Turbo V6
Genesis builds the GV70 with a choice of two engines: a turbocharged 4-cylinder making 300 horsepower or a twin-turbo V6 making 75 hp more. I’d usually tell you to just get four cylinders, and maybe you should. Three hundred horsepower is more than enough.
However, the V6 has an understated, throaty rumble under acceleration that is thrilling to experience. I find myself wanting to go against my standard, don’t-spend-more-if-you-don’t-have-to approach to car advice just for the noise of this thing.
Outstanding Seats
Most automakers save their best seats for their most expensive cars. But you don’t have to step up to a larger GV80 to get seats that do everything from Genesis.
Top GV70 trims get heated and ventilated front seats with power lumbar support and, for the driver, a power knee bolster and an “ergo motion” massage function. Ergo motion is a programmed series of stretch movements designed to prevent fatigue. I found it invigorating on a long drive.
The driver has easy access to buttons that slide the front passenger seat forward and back — a thoughtful touch.
Buy and Hold
The GV70’s best feature, however, may exist mostly on paper. Genesis covers its cars with a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. It’s the longest in the business. Some rivals will let you pay extra to be covered for that long, but Genesis doesn’t.
A luxury car is a major purchase. Buy this one, and you likely won’t have to purchase any parts or labor for it until 2034.
A Balance of Pleasures
There are reasons to consider the GV70’s competition. A BMW X3 might offer slightly more on-road thrills. A Lexus NX might be an iota better cocooned from road noise.
But, the GV70 is 95% as good at both things, warranted for longer, and offers sensory delights they don’t, including inspiring interior colors.
For my money, the GV70 is the most well-balanced compact luxury SUV on the market in the 2024 model year. Even if you’ve never heard of it.
