Car Reviews
Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD Refresh – THEY DIDN’T SCREW IT UP!
Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD Refresh
THEY DIDN’T SCREW IT UP!
Here’s my full disclosure: This past weekend I spent $6 on the Sat/Sun edition of the Wall Street Journal. And while I enjoy its four sections, I spend those $ix after-tax dollars largely for Dan Neil’s automotive review. His collection of cars, trucks and SUVs is more diverse (and upscale) than mine, as are his locations. Dan – as you may know – has won a Pulitzer for Criticism, while I’m only criticized for my (lower case) criticism.
And here’s the point: Dan reviewed the ’26 Genesis GV70 3.5T for the October 4th/5th issue, and that very same spec is sitting in my driveway less than 10 days later. A less ambitious reviewer might simply crib what Dan has written, but I want my own Pulitzer and, you know, a Peace Prize; maybe this is the week I get ‘em.
News of a refresh is not always good news, especially if you happen to have liked the original. And when discussing/dissecting the Genesis GV70, you should know I loved the original. A member of the EPA’s Small SUV subset, the GV70 impresses as substantial; on that driveway it’s almost Teutonic in its proportion and detailing, without the fat that’s creeped into some of the BMW and Benz lineup. And with a rear-wheel drive bias in the GV70’s all-wheel drive platform, it sits back on its chassis, combining elements of a Grand Tourer with its utilitarian hatch. And I gotta’ tell you: The GV70’s Ceres Blue paint is an almost-match to my Miata’s Polymetal Gray metallic; both are to dye for…
Inside, what Genesis calls its ‘Sport Prestige’ trim is about as pimped-out as $70K is gonna’ get; if this were a film script it’d be Pretty Woman. The cream-colored leather is both piped and perforated, and that piping is in a contrasting orange – a fall color for all four seasons. Seats are both accessible and supportive in front, while the rear continues the ‘sport’ theme while perhaps (if you’re a big ‘un) compromising comfort. Both leg and headroom are surprisingly generous, but the middle passenger would be better served by accessing the hatch…this is a lunch hour ride, and not intended for the extended tour.
My disconnect with the interior is right thar in front of the driver. The highly touted 27 inches(!) of combined instrument cluster and navigation is roughly 20 inches too much from my analog angle. There are those of you that like widescreen TVs, and I’m one of them. But I want that widescreen in my wide TV space…and not, notably, dominating my dash. It is soooo overscale relative to the proportions of the GV70 cabin, and I soooo wish you could obtain from Genesis a more conventional layout. The good news: Genesis has positioned HVAC and audio controls separately, so what you do frequently is totally intuitive. Thank God.
Under the GV70’s hood Genesis provides you with two choices, and both are credible. Our test GV70 boasts the available 3.5 liter twin-turbo V6, delivering 375 horsepower @ 5800 rpm and 391 lb-ft of torque @ just off idle. According to Car and Driver, that combo should deliver a 0-60 in a flat 5.0 seconds, while sucking Premium fuel at a combined EPA estimate of 21 miles per gallon. The standard 2.5 liter turbocharged four will give you ‘only’ 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, while adding almost a full second to your 0-60 times. But it’s not that much more efficient; the 3.5T gives you an EPA estimated 21 mpg combined, while the turbocharged four delivers 24 mpg combined. At some point soon there’s a hybrid waiting in the wings, and if it delivers a credible performance along with a real 30 miles per gallon…well, everybody wins.
On the road the GV70 is both composed and comfortable. If wanting to do track days the company’s G70 4-door is the better choice, but if towing your track vehicle (either engine gives you 3,500 lbs. of towing capacity), the GV70 is just about perfect. And if tip-toeing offroad, there are the GV70’s Terrain modes, helping to get you through snow, mud or sand. But for driving beyond the trailhead, get yourself a side-by-side.
After a week of driving in and around Northern Virginia, I’m impressed by the GV70’s composure and comfort, and delighted by its restrained design. If I could address the product team I’d ask for less heft. The V6 weighs in at a minimum of about 4550 pounds, while the turbocharged four comes in at 200 pounds less; you can assume that most of that weight differential is over the front wheels, and it feels like it.
I’ll guess that product team is laying out the next GV70 now, and here’s my two cents: Offer one turbocharged 4-cylinder hybrid delivering the performance of the current V6, and target an even 4,000 pounds for an optimal curb weight. With that, the GV70 would have its recreational aspect enhanced, along with efficiency fully of this century. It’d be a rebirth…rather than a refresh.
