Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport 2021 Review

Genesis is a new luxury car brand owned by Hyundai and the all-new 2021 Genesis GV70 is no budget family hauler. Far from it.

There’s a sense of occasion to this vehicle established by a blend of high-quality materials, an intuitive, tech-driven user experience and a unique design that doesn’t try to mimic rival premium mid-size SUVs from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Indeed, the moment you lay eyes on the swoopy SUV it’s clear that Genesis isn’t following the rule book. It’s taken a risk by executing such a daring exterior design and this is mirrored in the cabin, with an ovoid motif in the cockpit and plenty of jaw-dropping features.

For the Australian launch we’re testing the most expensive GV70 3.5T model, which is priced from $83,276 plus on-road costs and climbs to $89,876 with the optional luxury pack fitted ($6600). The latter adds diamond-quilted seats, with a massaging function for the driver, among other things.

The range starts at $66,400 plus ORCs, which undercuts the opening price of German competitors including the Audi Q5 ($68,900), BMW X3 ($71,900) and Mercedes-Benz GLC ($75,100), but not the GV70’s Japanese rival, the Lexus NX ($57,500).

Beyond the aesthetic appeal, the Genesis feels every bit a luxury car. The huge digital screens, plush floor mats, quality trim and impressive leather upholstery across the seats and most of the dashboard make it a lovely place to spend time.

All model grades come with a big panoramic sunroof, a power-operated tailgate with hands-free operation, sun blinds on the rear windows and adjustable ambient LED cabin lighting.

You can read all about the standard features in our Genesis GV70 news story, but big-ticket items like the 14.5-inch ultra-wide central touch-screen and the digital temperature controls with tactile feedback really elevate the experience.

There’s also a very cool 12.3-inch digital instrument display that one-ups its rivals with a 3D effect, where the central trip computer section appears elevated in a hologram sort of way. (If it’s not to your liking, you can turn off the 3D effect.)

The fully power-adjustable seats look amazing, the cushions are supportive and the leather quality is very good – but not quite class-leading – with a perforated, diamond-quilted finish adding a bit of razzle-dazzle.

There’s acres of room in the cabin for both front seat and rear seat passengers, and the boot has plenty of space too, rated at 542 litres with all seats in place, which is pretty good considering there’s a space-saver spare wheel tucked under there.

Warranty coverage is pretty good at five years/unlimited kilometres, plus five years of roadside assistance. You also get five years’ free servicing, where your vehicle will be collected and returned, with a loan car supplied as well.

Despite so many positives from a product perspective, you have to be in a major city to actually inspect a vehicle at a retail store – not a traditional dealership – and currently that’s only Melbourne and Sydney. Brisbane and Perth are set to follow later this year. There's also the question of depreciation which is going to turn some buyers away before they even consider trekking to a Genesis 'gallery'.

The 2021 Genesis GV70 comes with an impressive array of safety equipment, including a couple of features billed as first-in-class.

These include a blind spot camera system that streams live rearward footage to the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel whenever you flick the indicator on. The system is surprisingly effective, which is good given that the rear blind spots are pretty big when you turn around for a quick head-check.

The fitment of eight airbags also includes a first-in-class central front airbag that in the event of a crash will deploy between the front occupants, reducing the potential for head-clash injuries.

There’s a long list of driver assistance systems, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, and some impressive auto steering systems in the form of lane keeping and lane following assist, which work well on the freeway.

Automatic headlights, including high beam dipping, are fitted, as is a very good adaptive cruise control system with stop-and-go traffic jam capability and AI (artificial intelligence) learning that adapts to your habits.

Some other useful tech features include a very good surround-view parking camera with a 3D drag-and-rotate feature, while the augmented reality sat-nav system that uses the 14.5-inch central screen delivers very clear navigation instructions.

There’s also a cordless phone charging pad, and while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is provided, it’s wired.

The GV70 hasn’t yet been evaluated by independent safety authority ANCAP, so doesn’t carry a star rating yet.

There are currently three engine choices for the 2021 Genesis GV70, starting with an entry-level 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (224kW/422Nm), a mid-spec 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (154kW/440Nm) and the top-spec 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 that we’re driving here.

The biturbo V6’s peak power of 279kW joins the party at 5800rpm, while its burly 530Nm of torque rides a flat wave from 1300-4500rpm.

The rear axle gets an electromechanical limited-slip differential, or e-LSD, designed to vector torque between the left and right rear wheels to improve steering response when accelerating.

A genuine rival for six-cylinder competitors like the $113,900 BMW X3 M40i (285kW/500Nm) and the $120,600 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 (287kW/520Nm), the muscular Korean model is no slouch.

Genesis claims it’ll accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds, helped along by its in-house-developed eight-speed automatic transmission, which features a launch control system.

The GV70 3.5T Sport doesn’t feel quite as rapid as the numbers suggest, but there’s no denying its pace. It also sounds pretty good from the cabin, but it’s all synthesised and has virtually no external exhaust noise, which will be a pro or a con depending on your personality.

The eight-speed transmission isn’t quite as quick to respond or shift as the polished ZF gearboxes used by BMW and Audi, but it’s nothing if not refined and features paddle shifters for manual overrides. There are also different drive modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+, which noticeably sharpen up powertrain and chassis response.

All models come with a 2200kg braked towing capacity and a trailer stability assistance system.

Official combined-cycle fuel consumption for the 3.5T Sport is listed at 11.3L/100km on 95 RON premium fuel, but the trip computer was reading 16.3L/100km once we’d finished with it.

We should qualify that the GV70 V6 was well and truly put through its paces over a four-day period, and our desire to apply full throttle at any opportunity speaks to the high levels of engagement the powertrain generates. So over a longer term, we’d expect economy to be better.

There will also be a fourth powertrain in future, a battery-electric system, which should be a cracker given how quickly parent company Hyundai is moving with its electrified products. Genesis has already stated it will sell three EVs in Australia in 2022, and the GV70e is expected to be one of them, alongside the GV80e large SUV.

The drive experience in the 2021 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport is very good, its adaptive shock absorbers (only available on this model) affording excellent ride comfort on the softest setting and switching to a firmer and sportier set-up when you want to turn up the tempo.

The GV70 is particularly smooth and quiet on the freeway, with its refinement enhanced by acoustically laminated front windows and heavy use of sound deadening materials.

On poorly maintained and pockmarked country roads, the ride quality does not deteriorate, even on the Sport model’s oversized 21-inch alloy wheels.

Contributing to the plush ride is a ‘road preview’ system, which uses a camera to monitor significant changes in road surface and tweaks the shock absorbers accordingly ahead of time.

The semi-autonomous steering aids – lane following and lane keeping assist – work well on the freeway, using the windscreen-mounted camera to either stay within the lanes or track and follow the vehicle in front. They’re not quite as effective on country roads, struggling with poor lane markings and when there are no other vehicles to track.

The steering is best described as super-light, conveying nothing to the driver in terms of meaningful feedback, but for all that the GV70 Sport has impressive driving dynamics, sitting flat through corners, tracking keenly and generating a fair amount of grip.

There’s not a lot of understeer either, the SUV approaching corners with a keen attitude.

It’s perhaps most impressive, however, at slower speeds in the suburbs, where its excess of tech provides extra eyes and ears.

The locally-tuned suspension ensures the Genesis GV70 has a balanced, light-footed feel in tighter confines and when surrounded by traffic.

For both comfortable cruising and more dynamic driving, the Koreans and their Australian suspension team have delivered a finessed blend of both worlds here.

Genesis has crafted a hugely impressive and very compelling premium mid-size SUV on its first outing.

There’s a high-quality feel throughout the 2021 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport, and it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into every element of the vehicle, being handsomely equipped, driving well and ultimately creating a comfortable, relaxing place to spend time.

But for all the GV70’s accomplishments, its premium fit and finish, meticulous execution and high levels of refinement, rusted-on luxury car buyers are perhaps unlikely to make the switch from the established German brands because Genesis is simply unknown.

Badge value and reputation count for a lot in the luxury vehicle segment and Genesis has neither. Depreciation will not be kind to this SUV.

Of course, that could change in the years to come and the GV70 provides a solid foundation for the Korean brand.

At the end of the day, those who do decide to take a chance with this fresh-faced SUV won’t be disappointed.

How much does the 2021 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport cost?
Price: $83,276 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol
Output: 279kW/530Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 257g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested