2023 Genesis GV70

New only a year ago, the Genesis GV70 pulled off a couple of amazing feats in its first year on sale. First, it became the Korean brand’s best-selling vehicle (narrowly beating the larger GV80) and second, it’s widely come to be seen as the most compelling small luxury crossover on the market, and the competition is fierce indeed. But despite Genesis’ unfamiliarity as a name, the GV70 stands out from a crowded field thanks to a unique and well-finished interior, sinuous exterior styling, a bucketload of standard equipment and a surprisingly entertaining driving experience.

Genesis doesn’t quite have “trims,” but differentiates GV70 equipment levels in a scheme the brand calls “packages.” The base GV70 is dubbed “standard,” and is only available on GV70s equipped with the 2.5T engine. From there, the model line branches upward to Select, Advanced, and tops out at Sport Prestige. 2023 sees very few changes, though there are some new color options and some equipment changes. For example, the base Standard trim now comes with a heated steering wheel. The really big news is the debut of the Electrified GV70, which we review separately.

Although the GV70 competes with a wide swath of rivals, its pricing, rear-wheel-drive-based platform and sporty driving dynamics place it more of a competitor to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi Q5, BMW X3, or even a budget alternative to the Porsche Macan. Other vehicles in the segment, like the Cadillac XT5, Acura RDX, or Lexus NX are priced similarly to the GV70 and offer better fuel economy, but they aren’t as nice inside or as engaging to drive. Also, the GV70 comes with standard all-wheel-drive (AWD) and lots of active-safety gear, costly options on some competitors.

The GV70 is decidedly good to drive. Both the four-cylinder and V6 engines are turbocharged and make a healthy amount of power, easily rocketing the GV70 to 60 mph in under six seconds. The Genesis feels agile, with sharp, communicative steering, and an overall dynamic attitude that feels more resolved and engaging than the competitors from Germany. Yet, all that sporty demeanor does not affect the crossover’s ride, the Genesis still has a smooth and comfortable ride over all but the very harshest of road imperfections. Its only real driving weakness? So-so fuel economy.

The interior of the GV70 is well-finished, too. Real metal buttons, knobs and switches comprise the interior. All of the surfaces feel extravagant and luxurious, likely highlighted by the GV70’s curvy dashboard design and large array of interior color configurations. (How many other sub-$200,000 vehicles can be fitted with a purple or green interior?) The seats are comfortable, and supportive, although rear legroom does feel somewhat tighter than some competitors. On the outside, the Genesis GV70 is an athletic-looking and eye-catching design, especially in one of the four matte paint color options.

Once inside, the GV70 is remarkably easy to use; Genesis resisted the urge to bury all functions into one singular touchscreen like other competitors. The heating and A/C controls are on a separate panel from the radio and infotainment screen, and they use real dials and buttons. Best of all, the GV70 comes with that long list of driver-assist gear including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and highway driving assist at a price lower than the Germans. All told, the GV70 looks, feels and drives like something much more expensive.

Performance 13/15

The Genesis GV70 is powered by two different engines, a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, or a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. The smaller four-cylinder makes 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The larger engine jumps to 375 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. Both engines use an eight-speed automatic, and AWD is standard.

No matter which engine you choose, the GV70 will move with authority. The 2.5T can shunt the GV70 in under 6 seconds, and the 3.5T gets the job done in under 5 seconds. Power comes on strong and evenly, with minimal delay, lag, or hesitation from the engines. The only real hesitation comes from the transmission, which can be somewhat slow to react under certain conditions. 

Numerically, GV70 is faster than most of the competition, save for the dedicated sports models, like the BMW X3 M or Volvo XC60 Recharge. Genesis doesn’t offer a specific high-performance GV70 yet, but the new Electrified model is more powerful and faster than either of the gas versions.

The most surprising part of the GV70 is its engaging driving dynamics. The steering has lots of heft, and the GV70 feels more agile than competitors from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Despite its not small physical size and curb weight (over 4,500 pounds for a loaded V6), the GV70 feels at home on a curvy road. 

The vehicle almost encourages the driver to tackle corners with gusto, because the Genesis is so good at managing the high level of grip it can generate. That sporty prestige doesn’t come at the expense of ride quality, either—the GV70’s ride is comfortable, and smooth, without being floaty or jiggly. Few drivers will ever take it off-road, but it has enough ground clearance and terrain capability to get you to that forest trail or mountain lake provided the terrain isn’t too steep. It’s a well-sorted crossover.

Fuel Economy: 11/15

Like most premium crossovers, the Genesis GV70 requires premium gas, no matter which engine is under the hood. Naturally, the 2.5T equipped GV70 is the fuel economy leader, rated for 24 mpg combined (22 city, 28 highway). The Sport Prestige 2.5T, which comes standard with larger 19-inch wheels lowers the GV70’s combined mpg to 22 (19 city, 26 highway). All trims on the V6 3.5T are rated for 21 mpg combined (19 city, 24 highway).

These numbers aren’t great compared to the MPG leaders like the hybrid Lexus NX300h, which is rated for 39 mpg combined. However, depending on trim, the GV70 matches the AWD versions of the BMW X3, Acura RDX and Mercedes-Benz GLC. The Audi Q5 bests the Genesis GV70, but only by about 1 to 3 mpg. 

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 14/15

The Genesis GV70 has plenty of passive safety features, like eight airbags. It’s also earned the Top Safety Pick+ distinction from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Surprisingly, it has not yet been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) As far as active safety, the GV70 includes lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and a driver monitoring system, and more.

However, for 2023, the super-advanced Highway Driving Assist II, which Forbes Wheels has used in several Genesis products, has been removed as an option. That system would even allow the GV70 to change lanes at the push of a button, and used machine learning to adjust its style to the driver. The standard Highway Driving Assist is still standard, but it doesn’t have the upgraded features found in the newest version.

Comfort & Room: 13/15

The Genesis GV70 seats are comfortable, especially in front. In upper trims, the seats are both heated and cooled as well as offering a massaging function. They’ll even increase bolstering in hard driving, just to keep the driver in the right place. They’re comfortable and supportive.

However, the GV70’s rear seat feels somewhat tight. It may match competitors from Mercedes-Benz and BMW numerically (37.2 inches of legroom to the X3’s 36.4), but the seat cushion feels a bit lower to the ground, adding to the slightly less comfortable rear seat compared to those offerings. The seatback does recline, but the seat itself isn’t as soft or well-padded as the front two seats. Audi, Acura and Volvo also all have more legroom, around 38 inches, and slightly more open-feeling rear quarters.

Infotainment: 13/15

Genesis’ infotainment system is arguably one of the best in the industry, and the GV70’s control interfaces among the easiest to use in its class. The system is snappy, intuitive and can be navigated with either a touchpad mounted on the center console’s rotating dial or the touchscreen itself, unlike other competitors which tend to lock the user into one form of interaction. It includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both of which work well with little to no lag. It’s a huge, 14.5-inch widescreen display that acts as a centerpiece for the GV70’s well-finished interior.

Yet, the GV70 does have some omissions and an Achilles’ heel. There’s no wireless CarPlay or Android Auto, not even as an option. Also, there’s no Wi-Fi hotspot. Nearly all of the GV70’s competitors offer these features, either standard or as options. On the other hand, a head-up display and a 12.3-inch 3D driver display are optional. Another minor quibble? The rotating wheel on the console works well, but it’s easy to confuse it with the shifter dial and grab the wrong one.

Cargo Space & Storage: 14/15

Genesis describes the GV70’s exterior as “coupe like,” and indeed it’s quite rakish. Surprisngly, however, this does not mean any real compromises on cargo space, unlike actual “crossover coupes” like the BMW X4. The GV70 has one of the more capacious cargo areas in its class. Popping the standard power tailgate reveals a wide hatch opening and nearly 29.0 cubic feet of space, sneaking past the very capacious BMW X3. 

Fold the rear seats down and the GV70’s 56.9 cubic feet is topped only by the BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and the Jaguar F-Pace, the last of which straddles the line between compact and midsize SUVs.

Style & Design 10/10

The GV70 is such a striking vehicle to look at. Despite sharing a lot under the skin with its bigger brother, the GV80, the two vehicles manage to look drastically different. The GV70’s hunkered-down stance, sleek roofline, and intricate side surfacing stand out as different from some of the boxier and blander designs of the competition. The large, triangle-shaped grille with its big chrome mesh insert might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly distinctive, and far different that what the competition is doing. It stands out in the best ways.

Inside the Genesis hits hard on refinement, and style—the GV70 feels and looks like a car far more expensive than it really is. The design is well-considered and highly developed in the same vein of, say, a Bentley. That’s reflected in both the quality of the materials and the attention to detail that seems to have gone into them, as well as the variety of customer choices. The GV70’s armada of color choices isn’t quite as vast as the Bentley Bentayga’s, but it also costs $140,000 less.

Also, despite its friendly price nothing about the Genesis GV70 feels as if the brand looked to cut corners or skimp on costs. It all looks, feels, and performs as rich as it does in pictures.

Is the 2023 Genesis GV70 Worth It? Which GV70 is the Best Value?

Unequivocally, the Genesis GV70 is worth it. Despite some relatively small flaws, the Genesis GV70 is immensely satisfying to drive and use. If you can tolerate the lack of a hybrid option, and merely average fuel economy, the Genesis GV70 is probably one of the best values in the luxury segment. Its starting price undercuts nearly every competitor, while offering a better-finished, better-executed product.

However, if you’re picking amongst the Genesis GV70 lineup, the 2.5T Advanced is probably the best package. It gains 19-inch upgraded wheels, real leather seating surfaces, and a panoramic moonroof. Without any of the special matte paint colors, the GV70 2.5T Advanced will ring in at $51,800, not including the $1,125 destination fee. The Sport Prestige’s aggressive wheels and sporty seats are cool, but we aren’t sure if they’re worth the extra $4,000 over the Advanced.

The 3.5T’s extra power is nice, but isn’t strictly a requirement. Strangely, the 3.5T doesn’t offer as many color choices as the 2.5T, so if you really want that semi-bespoke feel and you’re building to order, the lower-end models actually offer more combinations.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Genesis GV70?

The Genesis GV70 costs a little more than its rivals to insure, but not much. According to our data, the average 30-year-old female driver with a good record can expect an average annual premium of $2,362 for the 3.5T Sport Prestige. A similar BMW X3 M40i would ring in at $2,613, an Audi Q5 $2,655, a Volvo XC60 $2,278 and the Acura RDX $1,929. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, see our car insurance calculator.