Man – the Genesis GV70 3.5T is something else. Quite literally ‘something else’. What I mean is – Genesis has really developed their own flare. They know who they are at this point. They’ve come of age. Genesis engineers & designers seem to have gotten the green light. And the momentum/energy of the brand is full steam ahead. I can’t overstate this enough: If you’re in the market for a crossover that doesn’t drive like a stale biscuit, the GV70 3.5T at least needs to be on the ‘test drive list’. If for no other reason… it’s the wild card to compare other crossovers against.
The Genesis GV70 3.5T is legitimately a driver-focused crossover.
Genesis seems to have a very different (aka: better) approach to tech than the Japanese & American brands these days – thank God! The way that Genesis uses technology in their vehicles is engaging & reinforcing, rather than disengaging & distracting… and often irritating. The GV70’s tech doesn’t mom you, micromanage you, or assume you’re completely incapable. Instead, it exists to enhance & sharpen your driving experience… as technology should do in a common sense world. Notable examples are:
• Sideview cameras that display inside the tach/speedo gauges when you flip the turn signals.
• A driver’s seat with side bolsters that tighten-in when you exceed 80mph. Other passengers in the vehicle aren’t even wise to it. It’s just the GV70… nudging you whispering, “Hey are we gonna do this or what?”
• Exhaust that opens up & gets louder in Sport+ Mode.
Look at the interior design on the Genesis GV70…
There’s no other crossover doing it like this! In a world of chunky, gaudy, & faddy interiors. The GV70 dash is curvaceous, enticing, alluring, sport-driven, and retro-modern. It actually gives me hints of mid-century aeronautical auto design inspiration. Maybe – that was reinforced by this unique shade of shadowy ‘Pan AM-esque’ blue/gray interior?
Moving to the exterior design of the Genesis GV70 3.5T…
The plague of modern day vehicles is that they all look the same. I mean… in a lot of cases they literally are the same. But not the GV70.
If we’re being critical, I’ll admit that the GV70’s design may not be quite as dialed-in on the overall flow as something like a Porsche Macon S. But c’mon – that’s where the criticism stops, because aside from a select few high-end luxury crossovers… the GV70 strikes hard (no mercy), and sets itself waaaay apart from the carpool line of cream-puff crossovers.
It’s perhaps subconscious that I mentioned Porsche…
because the first time I saw the Genesis GV70, I immediately got strong Porsche 928 vibes out of the rear end & rear windows… (see photo below). Sports car designs of the ’80s have an adrenaline that still strikes chords in us today. Genesis is playing with so much power & confidence in their designs, both inside & out. They’re defining Korean auto styling… and really shaking-up global auto styling at this point.
The available 3.5 twin-turbo in the Genesis GV70 is killer.
Ask people who love cars, and they’ll tell you… some cars/engines are just more than their stats. More than the sum of their parts. This is one of them. On paper, the 3.5T makes 375hp. But in the real world, the top-model engines from Genesis are just really satisfying & engaging… and that goes for both the 3.5T in this GV70, and the 3.3T in the G70 sedan. It’s not how much power they make (which is plenty btw)… but it’s how they make power. The twin turbos feel very alive in the GV70. They come on boost quick & clean. The GV70 feels crips & eager. It’s has some of that dog pulling on the leash energy. And with all-wheel-drive plus limited-slip, the GV70 3.5T feels very sharp & responsive under acceleration.
The way that Genesis engineers/tuners have designed their Sport+ Mode is just so, so good.
More often than not, modern Sport Modes are gimmicks… making cars more spastic than sporty. Not so with Genesis. It’s obvious that Genesis is putting a lot of value into the feel of their vehicles.
