Genesis GV70 long-term test
Genesis hasn't been around for long, but it already has a What Car? Award winner in its line-up. So, can the new Genesis GV70 follow up on that success and convert buyers from mainstream rivals?...
The car Genesis GV70 2.5T + 8AT AWD Luxury | Run by Darren Moss, deputy digital editor
Why it’s here To show that Genesis can mix with premium rivals at the top end of the large SUV market
Needs to be Luxurious, comfortable, and able to function as a mobile office when needed
Mileage 6078 List price £46,470 Target Price £46,470 Price as tested £60,229 Test economy 24.4mpg Official economy 29.7mpg Dealer price now £37,729 Private price now £33,537 Running costs (excl. Depreciation) Fuel £482.23
14 March 2024 – Talking points
As you might imagine, we talk about cars a lot in the What Car? office. Whether they’re good or bad, our water-cooler chat is as much about what we’ve been driving as it is about which TV show is worth binge-watching next. But outside of work, most of my friends aren’t car people, so it came as quite a shock that so many of them took an interest in my Genesis GV70.
I think it was probably down to the fact that they’d never heard of Genesis before, so were curious about how its offerings compare with those of the (much) more established competition. And the answer when it comes to the GV70 is rather complicated.
You see, there are some things which the GV70 does quite a bit better than most rivals. Its physical rotary dial to control the infotainment system, for example, is far easier to use on the move than the touchscreen set-ups in the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC. And while the BMW X3 matches the Genesis in this regard, it misses out on the proper knobs to adjust its climate control that my GV70 has. For ease of use, then, the newcomer teaches the establishment a thing or two.
It’s not all good news, though. I generally found the car’s infotainment system easy enough to get along with. However, I like to use Apple CarPlay when I’m driving, because it reads out Whatsapp notifications from my phone, so it’s annoying that the GV70 allows CarPlay to occupy only three quarters of its 14.5in touchscreen’s real estate. The remainder is given over to widgets – many of which tell me results for sports teams that I don’t follow.
Other aspects of the GV70’s tech suite worked better. The blind spot cameras, for example, which display an image of anything that won’t have appeared in the mirrors when I indicate to change lanes, are brilliant. And while lots of premium cars come with 360-degree camera set-ups to help you park, the GV70’s is super crisp and responsive, so I never worried about fitting my car into the tightest spaces.
In addition, on my mostly urban commute to the What Car? Office, the relatively light This premium family SUV has had a fair few tongues wagging, and often in a positive way steering helped me to filter through urban traffic and the slick eight-speed automatic gearbox allowed me to pull out from busy junctions quickly. However, on faster roads, I found I had to work my GV70’s 2.5-litre petrol engine surprisingly hard, which in turn generated a fair amount of noise. This is a pity, because wind and road noise are both largely kept at bay, even if the petrol-engined Q5 that I ran a few years ago was quieter still.
More significantly, it was much cheaper to run. I didn’t expect the GV70 to be fantastic in this regard given that its official fuel economy figure is just 29.7mpg, but the best I saw was around 26mpg on a long trip, and 21mpg when commuting. As a result, my wallet has taken more of a pounding than I expected.
Perhaps, if I was to run a GV70 again, I’d reduce costs by being more restrained with the options list. My car had everything from a pack that coated the interior in fine Nappa Leather, to a detachable tow bar. And while my passengers and I so appreciated my car’s beautiful interior on every trip that it became a major talking point, I barely used the tow bar.
Still, the GV70 was practical enough for me, even though the Q5 and X3 officially have bigger boots. Even when I took my aged cat, Halo, to my parents’ home for Christmas, the GV70 swallowed her and all of her kit while leaving plenty of room for passengers and presents.
In conclusion, then, the GV70 is a mixed bag, and whether or not it will suit you will depend on your priorities. But when it comes to kickstarting conversation, nothing can beat it.
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