Genesis may not have much in the way of “heritage,” but the Korean automaker’s G90 flagship touches on lots of very familiar luxury car motifs. It has the kind of road presence that used to accompany names like Fleetwood Brougham or Imperial, but the road manners and technology of a modern German luxury sedan. It has the same whisper-quiet solidity of another one-time upstart, the Lexus LS. All that makes the big Genesis a serious challenge the luxury barge status quo.

While the G90 is not all things to all people, it serves up a very distinctive blend of large-format luxury, and Genesis has another pair of aces in its hand. The G90 comes with the longest warranty in this class of highly complex machinery and it costs as much as $37,000 less than some competing cars.

A major makeover in 2020 gave the already-competent Genesis G90 a much more distinctive appearance. It isn’t afraid to advertise that it’s an old-school luxury barge, even if Genesis is an upstart name. Genesis

The G90 was the very first Genesis car to reach showrooms back in 2017, and it got a major style update for 2020 that made it much more distinctive. 2021 sees only modest updates as a result. The infotainment system can now accept over-the-air updates and there’s a new rear-comfort drive mode setting, presumably for use by chauffeurs. South Korean G90 buyers often have private drivers.

The emphasis on rear passenger comfort telegraphs this car’s personality. It drives well and far more precisely than yesteryear’s land yachts, but the G90’s clear focus is quiet, cossetting comfort. It does not really like to be pushed hard on twisty roads and it isn’t as fast as some alternatives. That isn’t to say it isn’t fun and there is a useful Sport mode, but the G90 is a boulevard cruiser with a buttery-smooth ride and not a big sports sedan.

Visuals are subjective, and the Genesis’ huge grille won’t be everyone’s favorite, but the G90 fills the void left by the departure of Cadillac’s CT6 and the Lexus LS’ 2018 transformation from staid to swoopy. The G90‘s 2020 makeover, and almost every body panel was changed, made it into a much more distinctive car. The subtly sculpted look is complimented by delicate chrome details and intricate 19-inch wheel designs. The result is much more distinctive on the road than the virtually-invisible A8L or the less harmonious BMW 7 Series.

The G90’s clean and logical interior is also lush with fine materials including four different types of real wood trim and Nappa leather, all standard. Genesis

There are two basic models, the Premium and the Ultimate. The Premium, which starts at $73,995 including a $1,045 destination fee, packs a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 making 365 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque. The $77,745 Ultimate uses a 5.0-liter V8 making 420 horsepower and 383 pound-feet. Both use an eight-speed automatic with paddles shifters to drive the rear wheels, although all-wheel drive (AWD) is available on both models for $2,500.

Many will choose the V8 option for its extra grunt while others will opt for the relative efficiency of the V6. The truth is, though, there isn’t much difference between the two in either category. The EPA fuel economy estimates for combined driving differ by just one—20 in the V6 and 19 in the V8. The G90 is slightly below average for this heavyweight class in MPG terms, but not terrible. The V8 provides a useful power bump, but in a car this big with a cossetting personality, the driving experience is not hugely different.

These cars don’t come cheap, but aside from AWD the G90 offers no extra cost options. The full experience comes at the starting price. For the Premium, that price starts at just $720 more than the base model Lexus LS and $3,000 to $14,000 less than the other LS models.  It’s also $10,000 less than the base model Audi A8L or BMW 7 Series and a whopping $37,000 less than the Mercedes-Benz S 500. The G90 doesn’t feel cheaper, however, and it provides much of the same experience as these more familiar names. Much of, but not quite all of.

 Few people will feel cramped in the sumptuous rear quarters of the G90, but even in V8 form, where the car gets power adjustable rear seats, there’s a bit less leg room than in most rivals. Genesis

The cabin is a quiet sanctuary, thanks to the G90s solid build, extensive dampening materials and active noise canceling technology. It also looks appropriate to the class. The pretty design is accentuated with five different interior hues, all tasteful choices. The trim is real wood, the seats are Nappa leather, and the heated-and-ventilated front seats are 22-way adjustable for the driver and 16-way for the passenger. V8 models come with power-adjusting rear seats, too. There are also amenities like selectable ambient lighting, power sunshades and a 17-speaker Lexicon surround-sound system.

If there’s a deficiency in the cabin, it’s that back seat passengers have 37.8 inches of legroom. Most passengers will never feel cramped in the G90, but Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer 44 inches or more back there. Those extra 6.2 inches might be worth an extra $37,000 to LeBron James, but your needs may vary. The G90’s 15.7 cubic-foot trunk is appreciably more generous than the Audi A8L (12.5 cubic-feet) or the Mercedes S 500 (12.9) but less than the Lexus LS500 (16.95).

A 12.3-inch touchscreen with navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are standard, but they’re not wireless. Phones fit nicely into the wireless charging pad, however. Genesis’ software and its choice to leave plenty of physical controls in place makes using its systems easy, and there’s less of a heavy learning curve than in some tech-heavy flagships. There are also no gimmicky gesture controls, but the driver’s digital display measures only 7 inches, not quite the digital cockpit of the A8L. On the V8 Premium, rear passengers get their own entertainment system, with a pair of 10.3-inch displays.

The G90’s 15.7 cubic-foot trunk is generous even by the standards of the full-size luxury car world. Genesis

In terms of active safety tech, the G90 boasts a slate of helpful features, all standard. Navigation-based adaptive cruise control with automatic curve slowdown, lane keeping and lane following assist, forward collision avoidance with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alerts with collision avoidance assistance, safe exit alert, a driver attention monitor, it’s all there at no extra cost, unlike some other big-buck sedans.

The G90 earns a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS, something none of its rivals can claim. While all the cars in this class are very safe, very few are ever crash tested thanks to their huge prices. Genesis can actually demonstrate the G90’s safety bona fides in the same way most mainstream cars can.

The cars’ systems are also guaranteed to work longer than all of its rivals. Genesis is, course, a new part of Hyundai, and the G90 enjoys the same five-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and ten-year, 100,000 miles powertrain warranties offered by the parent brand. G90 buyers also get three years and 36,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance with a home valet service. Genesis really does want you to know that it’s serious about taking on the best of the best.

The G90’s looks probably won’t be to everyone’s taste, but the car is highly distinctive on the road and a more cohesively styled whole than some of the alternatives. It doesn’t hurt, either, that it’s a whole lot less expensive than its peers. Genesis