Overview

Though still in the (slow) process of establishing a foothold Down Under, Hyundai’s premium brand Genesis has some tempting cars in its line-up including the GV70 2.5T Advanced tested that lists from $80,300 excluding on-road costs.

The money puts it slap bang up against pretty keen petrol-powered AWD competition in the premium corner of the medium SUV segment including BMW’s X3 20 xDrive from $87,300, Land Rover Discovery Sport P250 Landmark from $78,454, Lexus NX 350 from $79,450, Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 4Matic from $84,100 and the Volvo XC60 2.0 Plus B5 from $74,990 (all excluding on-road costs).

Looking at VFACTS data we find the five-seat Genesis GV70 has chalked up 360 sales so far this year as at the end of April, a fraction of the segment leaders that are up around the 1800-unit mark.

Realistically, there is no reason why the Genesis shouldn’t be right there with them and we can’t put as finger on the reason apart from a lack of dealerships, ironically a situation also affecting other more successful players in the segment.

Go figure…

Power comes from a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol good for 224kW/422Nm driving all four paws via a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission using a claimed 10.3 litres per 100km of 95RON fuel.

That roughly equates to a 600km range from the 66-litre petrol tank.

Suspension is by strut front and multi (five) link rear while steering is by variable ratio rack and pinion.

The base Advanced model driven misses out on very little in terms of luxury kit or anything else for that matter right down to leather upholstery, premium audio, heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable front memory seats… and a full suite of pesky ADAS to drive you insane.

There’s even a UV-C steriliser in the glove box and an aroma therapy diffuser.

A 2025 update saw the model gain a mild facelift and some genuine engineering improvements to the chassis, suspension, and developments to multiple drive modes and hands-free features.

All-wheel drive is standard across the board with the longitudinal engine placement delivering benefits in terms of balance and drive feel. Though AWD, power is directed predominantly to the rear axle giving a more premium feel to how the model drives.

Generous levels of kit include over-the-air update facility, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Genesis Connected Services.

Other goodies (range wide) are a 27.0-inch OLED touchscreen incorporating multi-media functions, tri-zone climate control selections, and the driver’s cluster and micro lens array headlights.

Also included are crosswind stability, biometric (fingerprint) authentication, and a head-up display.

The Advanced rolls on attractive 19-inch alloys shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber.

Driving Impressions

It’s a good looker with a distinct Bentley-esque appearance to its flanks and the interior is absolutely stupendous to look at and sit in, definitely a step up comparatively speaking.

Though “only” the base model, the Advance has as much luxury kit as a mere mortal could desire right down to soft leather upholstery and a swag of creature comforts.

The near metre wide touch screen is somewhat over-the-top and Genesis couldn’t resist the temptation to cram it full of menus and controls but thankfully some hard buttons are retained for regularly used functions with a centre console dial for gear selection.

Access is good and the cabin snug for five at a pinch, but the load space is compromised by trims and a relatively low roofline.

As usual, getting underway required deactivating intrusive ADAS that distract and detract from the actual drive experience… and despite thinking we had turned them off, to our surprise some decided to reactivate of their own volition.

It is possibly a “don’t buy” warning for us, after all, who is running the show, the driver or the car?

Hauling over 2000kg of metal and plastic takes its toll on a car’s dynamics, fuel economy and overall performance but in the GV70 2.5T’s case, sufficient oomph from the turbo-petrol donk and reasonable dynamic calibration cover off most contingencies, as long as you don’t expect sports SUV responses.

Thankfully Genesis equips the beefy GV70 with large 360mm front discs and suitably large four piston callipers, 345mm and single piston at the rear, all gripping the road via quality Michelin rubber.

Fuel economy during our week with the car averaged 10.5L/100km or a smidge more than the official combined claim of 10.3 but for some reason it’s the more expensive 95 RON.

Performance off the line is strong and it follows through to redline without buttoning off, the turbo spooling quickly with minimal if any lag evident… anywhere. Genesis says the test model will clock a 6.2 second 0-100km/h sprint and seat of the pants timing would suggest that’s close to the mark.

Performance is no doubt aided by the slick eight-speed auto that seems intuitive in operation flicking up and down without hesitation and none of the hunting as often afflicts transmissions with this many or more cogs.

The all-wheel drive system works imperceptibly with drive going mostly to the rear axle while the longitudinally mounted engine and rear wheel drive bias combine to give the test vehicle a pleasing RWD feel that is less frenetic than other systems. 

Ride quality is good on bad roads being more on the comfort side of the ledger than sporty. It’s possibly the more sensible calibration for general family use in this country.

Noise attenuation is also good with only some engine noise intruding at full throttle, but cruising is nearly silent across engine, tyre and wind noise metrics.

We are in two minds about this car as on the one hand we like its appearance and stylish interior, owner benefits, its “differentness” and size but on the other hand it’s ruined by intrusive (ANCAP mandated) ADAS, uses too much fuel and has a question mark on resale value.

It’s a maybe, maybe not proposition for us…