2021 Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD Sport review

If Hyundai’s luxury sub-brand Genesis has always had big shoes to fill, then its belated entry into the premium medium SUV market is a size-17 RM Williams boot.

Like the rest of the vehicle market, the premium brands are riding on the back of mid-sized SUVs, with Audi the Q3, BMW X3, Lexus NX and Porsche Macan being their brands’ biggest sellers and the Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo XC60 coming a close second in their respective line-ups.

As predicted, this has already been the case with the Genesis GV70 that, since arriving in Australia in June, has already outsold the G70 and G80 sedan models combined and overtaken the GV80 large SUV on monthly sales.

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But, whether or not this new kid on the block will make an impact on the premium medium-SUV market remains to be seen.

As you’ll see below, there's a lot going for it, including a choice of three powertrains and four variants brimming with standard kit, ranging in price from $66,400 before on-roads for the GV70 2.5T petrol RWD to $83,400 for the GV70 3.5T petrol AWD range-topper that’s the subject of this review.

What is the Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD Sport like to live with?

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The GV70’s boldly styled yet elegant interior is replete with quality materials including double-stitched leather that clads the dashboard, steering wheel, doors and centre console. Everything is soft to touch, even the lower door cards, and there are plenty of real metal bright spots and switches with attractive knurled edges.

Standard GV70 features include a 14.5-inch touchscreen display, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated 12-way power-adjustable front seats, reclining rear seats and adjustable ambient lighting.

Spending more on this top-spec variant brings bolder looks including a racier front bumper with larger intakes, a dark chrome radiator grille and big-bore dual exhaust tips. It also comes with 21-inch alloy rims compared to the 19s on the other variants.

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The interior is also enhanced with premium Nappa leather upholstery, suede seat inserts, genuine leather sport steering wheel with perforated hand grips, aluminium trim, and both the headlining and sun visors are coated in suede.

As well as the ballsy twin-turbo V6 engine, it also gains a sports brake package, limited-slip differential and Sport+ drive mode.

If all that isn’t enough, you can opt for the Luxury Package that features in our test vehicle, which for $6600 brings a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, eye-catching 3D-effect backlit door trim, three-zone climate control, head-up display, remote smart parking assist (with smart key), 18-way adjustable driver’s seat, driver’s seat massage function, quilted seat upholstery, rear privacy glass, and a 1050W Lexicon sound system by Harman audio with 16 speakers.

This takes the price to $90,000 before on-road costs, but you do feel like you’re getting plenty of bang for all that buck.

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The cabin is well laid out and features a high centre console with a big padded armrest and an aperture for the wireless phone charger that sits at an angle to prevent the phone from overheating. It also houses the rotary gear shifter that I quite like, though I often found myself mistaking it for the nearby rotary infotainment controller, which occasionally saw me put the vehicle in neutral when wanting to select a new radio station.

Despite that, polished metal switches and buttons are intuitively arranged and the dashboard is largely clutter-free. The panoramic touch-screen display houses in-built navigation that features an Augmented Reality (AR) view function and live traffic updates.

As you’d expect, Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto compatibility is included, as is digital radio.

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The digital HVAC controls below the touchscreen also look attractive and while there are no physical buttons as such, I prefer them to systems that are buried within the infotainment screen and can often be difficult to operate while driving.

A 3D function in the 12.3-inch full-screen instrument cluster adds depth to the picture, but given all the different settings, it is curious that there is no easy-to-read digital speedo.

Standard features include a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated 12-way power-adjustable front seats, and reclining rear seats.

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Down back, the rear seats offer good legroom and reasonable headroom considering the panoramic sunroof. The cushioning is a little firm but comfortable and the slight recline function offers a more relaxed seating position. You’ll fit three adults abreast, but the middle seat is a little tight with the transmission tunnel compromising legroom – it also misses out on seat heating installed in the outboard positions that come with the Luxury Package.

Rear seat passengers also benefit from their own HVAC controls and air vents, a pair of USB ports, netted map pockets and pop-up window shades.

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The GV70 has a handy 542 litres of boot space, which translates to 950mm from the boot lip to the rear seatbacks. It is 1300mm at the widest point and 1020mm between the wheelarches. Folding the rear seats down yields 1678L of space.

In the luggage area are four tie-down hooks, a cargo net, a first-aid kit and a safety kit that includes a torch, fluoro vest, poncho, hand cleaner and a mat to put on the ground when changing a tyre with the space saver wheel.

The Genesis G70 is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years of free roadside assist.

Owners also receive five years of complimentary scheduled maintenance that includes valet service, meaning your car is picked up for servicing and returned. You can also secure a courtesy vehicle if needed.

What is the Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD Sport like to drive?

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If you’re opting to pay top dollar for a GV70, it’s likely to be for the 279kW/530Nm twin-turbo Lambda V6 engine that’s shared with the bigger GV80, and the Kia Stinger albeit with a slightly different tune.

The output is similar to the 287kW/520Nm twin-scroll V6 in the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 that sells for about $112,000 before you tick an option box.

According to Genesis, this will do 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds, which is just 0.2 seconds slower than the AMG, and achievable when engaging the eight-speed automatic transmission’s launch control system.

In normal conditions, it doesn’t exactly leap off the line due to the slight delay in getting its two-tonne-plus heft moving. But once it gets going it’s quite a delight and barrels down the road with a combination of momentum and brute force.

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The one downside to having all this power to propel a luxurious SUV that weights 2038kg before adding a full tank of petrol and bodies, is the greedy fuel consumption – the official combined fuel economy is 11.5L/100km (the AMG GLC43 consumes 10.4L/100km) which scoots up to about 14L/100km with some spirited driving.

Then there’s the 15.9L/100km urban fuel consumption that makes my old 5.0-litre VY SS Commodore seem like a teetotaller.

The SS Commodore makes a decent noise when you put the foot down too, unlike the GV70 that remains relatively quiet even at high revs. To compensate, Hyundai has provided a synthetic engine note that's pumped through the audio speakers, which sounds okay but just isn’t the same as the real thing. That said, this is a luxury vehicle so a bit of shush isn’t a bad thing – road and wind noise are also well tamed.

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The eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission feels refined and shifts through the gears effortlessly, but it doesn’t really like it when you stomp the foot down, preferring gentle throttle inputs.

Paddle shifters are provided for manual input and, like the AMG, there are different drive modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ that alter powertrain, steering weight and chassis response to suit.

Because this range-topping GV70 variant is presented as the sporty option, you feel compelled to drive it as such, but to me it feels best when driven like a grand tourer knowing you’ll always have more than enough power and Newtons than you’ll ever need.

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This is the only GV70 variant with adaptive dampers, which deliver exceptional ride quality. Driven in Comfort mode, it feels particularly smooth on freeways but also remains composed on rougher roads despite rolling on big 21-inch rims shod with low-profile (255/40) Michelin Pilot Sport 4s.

One trick the adaptive suspension has up its sleeve is a camera-operated ‘road preview’ system that looks for changes in the road surface and tweaks the shock absorbers accordingly before you drive over them.

One trick the adaptive suspension has is a camera-operated ‘road preview’ system that monitors the road surface and tweaks the shock absorbers accordingly.

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Ride comfort doesn’t come at the expense of driving dynamics. There’s little body roll through bends and you feel well planted to the road thanks to the all-wheel-drive setup that favours the rear wheels but benefits the front axle when needed – if you’ve ever driven a front-wheel-drive V6 SUV like the Hyundai Palisade, you’ll really appreciate the extra traction.

That said, it’s not as sprightly through tight bends as the four-cylinder version due to the extra weight of the V6 engine over the front wheels, meaning you’ll have to ease off the gas a little sooner.

The steering is light but direct and works well in all driving conditions, including when tight manoeuvring is required in city streets or when parking.

What is the Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD Sport like for safety?

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The GV70 comes with a comprehensive list of standard passive and active safety features, which includes eight airbags among which is a centre-side bag between the front seats. It also features smart cruise control with stop & go function, and ‘Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist’ that incorporates AEB with car/pedestrian/cyclist detection and will also brake or take over steering if it detects a collision at an intersection or when changing lanes.

Other safety features include:

• Active bonnet
• Blind-spot collision avoidance
• Blind-spot monitor on the gauge display
• Driver attention warning
• Leading vehicle departure alert, that goes off when you’re caught napping at the lights
• High-beam assist
• Intelligent speed-limiter
• Lane following assist
• Lane-keeping assist
• Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance
• Rear occupant warning
• Safe exit assist
• Surround-view monitor
• Trailer stability assist

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The Luxury Pack adds reverse collision avoidance and Hyundai's Intelligent Lighting System that reduces the intensity of the headlights for oncoming traffic, but only as much as necessary.

It's yet to receive an ANCAP crash safety rating, but considering the three other Genesis models have achieved five stars, including the G70 sedan on which the GV70 is based we’d be very surprised if it scored any lower.

The Verdict

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Australia's appetite for medium SUVs has already seen the GV70 become the biggest-selling Genesis here. The more affordable and less greedy 2.5-litre four-cylinder variants will account for most of the model's sales, with this twin-turbo V6 flagship bringing performance cred to the marque.

It also delivers plenty of luxury SUV for under $100K, but its real appeal, as well as being a delight to drive, is its bold look-at-me appearance that stands out against the Lexus NX and its German rivals, certainly giving it the edge at private-school drop-off time.

The fuel bills might make some potential buyers think twice, however, and while they will be somewhat offset by free servicing throughout the warranty period, I do wonder how they will affect resale value after five years considering we’ll be well into the EV revolution by then.

2021 Hyundai GV70 3.5T AWD Sport specifications