Story by the staff
Photos by Hyundai Motors.
Genesis GV70
In 2016, I was invited to experience in a press trip to Canada’s Okanagan region the Genesis C90 sedan, from the luxury division of Hyundai Motor Company. The car was loaded with the newest and latest, at that time, electronic safety features and that drive was instrumental in cementing in my mind the superiority of the Hyundai brand vs. cars manufactured in other parts of the world that had none of the features I had seen.
In recent years we have seen Genesis bring to market a number of exceptional models. Last year Genesis launched the GV80, based on their G80 midsize luxury sedan. This year they brought to market the new Genesis GV70, a sport luxury crossover SUV, based on the G70, their compact luxury sports sedan.
Both cars are based on a rear-wheel drive not a front wheel drive like a number of the other luxury cars in the market; the GV70 has all wheel drive.
The GV70 has about the same footprint as the G70 – actually it is only 1 inch longer -- but offers a lager cargo space and ground clearance which increases the practicality. Another interesting fact is that the GV70 has about 3 inches more rear seat legroom. That makes it more comfortable to ride than it’s progenitor G70. Additionally, the GV70 comes standard with a much stronger engine than the G70, and is available with an optional even larger and stronger engine.
The price is quite reasonable for the quality and features; the GV70 starts at $41,000 for the base model and the top-of-the-line trim is $53,100.
The standard engine is more powerful with equal or better fuel efficient than what comes with other much more expensive brands. The rear wheel drive offers a better balance and better handling versus front wheel drive models.
The 2.5 liter, four cylinder standard engine is as powerful as some of the V8 engines one used to get for that kind of money. It creates 300 horsepower and 311 foot-pound torque at just 1,650 rpm. Rival luxury crossovers also come with four cylinder engines but most manage only 249 to 255 horsepower.
The optional GV drive is a 3.5 liter V6, twin supercharged, that gives 375 horsepower and 391 foot-pounds of torque at 1,300 rpm.
With the standard engine, the GV70 has a rating of 22 city, 28 highway. It has the same handling capability of its sports model progenitor sharing the same chassis and suspension.
This car is a practical crossover; much more practical than the sports sedan it’s based on. While the G70 has only 10.5 cubic feet of trunk space, the GV70 has 28.9 cubic feet. When the rear seat is folded, it offers an exceptional 56.9 cubic feet of space! And the back seat knee-space is larger by 3 inches compared to the G70! An additional feature is that it has a keyless ignition achieved by downloading an app and using your phone to unlock doors and ignition!
It comes with all the technological bells and whistles i.e. safety enhancements that Hyundai has become famous for.
We test drove a GV70 while we were looking for a new car to lease. However, we ended up leasing another Hyundai crossover SUV, the Venue SEL (see article in last month’s issue) that is a little smaller, has better mileage, and is more in concert with our lifestyle and the places we visit. This is the 4th Hyundai vehicle we have purchased or leased.
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