The Right Spec: 2022 Genesis GV70

Some of us who are rapidly approaching a certain age will clearly recall when Lexus (and Infiniti, to a lesser extent) first showed up on the luxury car scene and promptly took the establishment to school. Fast forward 30+ years and we find an upstart Korean brand attempting the same thing – and being largely successful.

The GV70 plugged an important hole in the Genesis lineup, given the perpetual thirst of Americans for crossovers and SUVs. Its unique lighting treatments might be a love-it-or-leave-it affair, but there’s no denying this thing brings the goods to a cutthroat segment.

Selecting the entry-level $41,500 trim means one will be in charge of a turbocharged four-banger making 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. This is lashed to a proper 8-speed automatic and not some sad-sack CVT. All-wheel drive is part of the deal, a corporate decision that surely pushed the Genesis GV70’s base price northward but is a smart move for this type of car. Upgrading to the $53,100 six-cylinder model brings a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 good for 375 ponies and 391 lb-ft of twist. It gets an 8-speed auto as well.

Telling the two apart in traffic (or on the lot) is easy thanks to a sufficiently different front valence and a spear of blacked-out trim which skewers the doors of a V6 model. A panoramic sunroof and bigger base wheels are also part of the V6 happy meal. Overall dimensions are identical, as one might expect. Adding one of three optional packages to the four-banger can upgrade it almost to par with its bigger-engined brother, bringing items like 21-inch wheels and leather seats. A power-operated liftgate, wireless device charging, and a 14.5-inch premium navigation system are standard equipment on all trims.

There are a few features not available on the I-4 at any price but do appear in V6 trims. If your backseat peanut gallery is a tad fussy, they will not be able to enjoy their own heated seats or their own climate control settings, for example, nor can the driver take advantage of a heads-up display or the trick 12.3-inch 3D-style digital gauge cluster. And, yes – after using such a screen in a Genesis sedan your author can confidently say it is a superfluous but neat party trick.

If one is content with the four-cylinder engine (and 300 horses are hardly a sum at which to sneeze), the $4,000 Select package is worth considering if you’re hell-bent on having features like a panoramic sunroof and an 18-speaker sound system. Beyond that, however, the additional packages start to encroach on the V6’s price territory. Since the 3.5T includes a vast majority of features for which one is paying extra on the 2.5T, that might be the smarter play.

Still, there’s a lot to like in the $41,500 trim. If this were an Ace of Base post, we’d be dusting off the trophy.

Please note the prices listed here are in American dollars and are currently accurate for base prices exclusive of any fees, taxes, or rebates. Your dealer may (and should) sell for less (obscene market conditions notwithstanding). Keep your foot down, bone up on available rebates, and bargain hard.

[Images: Genesis]