Today’s consumers have an insatiable appetite for SUV/CUVs and carmakers are more than happy to produces as many of these versatile vehicles as they can. Genesis, the newest entrant into the luxury automobile world, started with only sedans but have recently started adding SUVs to their lineup. The first SUV they offered was the GV80, which I reviewed earlier this year and just last week. The latest addition to their SUV arsenal is the GV70, a sportier take on the SUV/CUV.

I spent a week behind the wheel of a 2022 Genesis G70 3.5T Sport+ to see if the newest Genesis, and the newest addition to the compact luxury SUV, is worth your time and money. Below are my thoughts on the GV70.

2022 Genesis GV70 Canadian Prices

I was impressed with the Genesis G80’s simple packages/options, because it offered two choices. However, some people want more choices in terms of packages and what not, so the GV70 comes in a lot more trims than two. The base GV70 2.5T Select has a pretty reasonable starting price of $49,000. However, as you start moving up the trim levels with more features, it does get quite pricey with the top-of-the-line GV70 3.5T Sport Plus priced at $75,500. These prices do include freight & PDI. Below is a complete list of all the trims on the 2022 Genesis G70.

Trim	Price
2.5T Select	$49,000
2.5T Advanced	$55,000
2.5T Advanced Plus	$59,000
2.5T Prestige	$63,000
3.5T Sport	$68,500
3.5T Sport Plus	$75,500

Our review car was the 2022 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Plus AWD, it had a sticker price of $75,500. Genesis doesn’t offer any “packages” on any of their vehicles, you have to buy the particular trim with the options you’re interested.

2022 Genesis GV70 Engines

Like all other Genesis vehicles, the GV70 is offered with a pair of engine choices. The first engine is a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, producing 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 311 pound-feet of torque between 1,650 – 4,000 rpm. The second engine is a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, producing 375 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 391 pound-feet of torque between 1,300 – 4,500 rpm. Both of these engines are also found on the G80 and GV80. Power is sent to all-four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Driving the 2022 Genesis GV70

Our review car was equipped with the larger engine; however, I did drive the other two vehicles mentioned above with the 2.5-liter engine and I was quite impressed by the engine (I plan on reviewing the GV70 2.5T soon).

Our review car was equipped with the 3.5T engine, I’m familiar with this engine as I had driven it in the GV80 and G80. The twin-turbo 3.5 V6 is an amazing engine, I was extremely impressed with its power on the heavier G/GV80. On the smaller and lighter GV80, it was even more fun, especially in the Sport+ mode.

Driving in the Sport+ mode makes the GV70 an angry little SUV, it’s sports car like fast and will make you rack up speeding tickets if you’re not careful. The GV70 reminded me of the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 in this mode, minus the added crackling and popping of the GLC 43’s AMG exhausts. If you can’t justify buying a sports car because you need to haul around stuff or the kids, the GV70 Sport+ could be the answer to all your prayers. I was extremely impressed with the way this car drove when put in the most aggressive mode.

Driving the GV70 in the other modes such as Comfort, Smart, Eco, and Sport modes turns things down a notch, depending on which mode you’re in. I mostly drove the GV70 in the Comfort mode, which provides more than enough pep for normal driving. The engine makes smooth power and it’s delivered to all four wheels without much fuss. There’s plenty of grip even in wet conditions, although the Sport+ mode does deactivate the traction control.

The suspension on the GV70 Sport+ is not as harsh as the GLC 43, but it isn’t some floaty SUV suspension either. The Sport+ trim comes with the Electronic Control Suspension with Road Preview, which was also found on the G/GV80 we reviewed recently. The suspension is comfortable for driving long distances and sporty enough to make twisty roads fun.

Overall, the GV70 is an impressive driving machine. I was not expecting to have this much fun in an SUV, it could even give sports sedans a run for their money.

Genesis GV70 Styling

Preference in styling is a subjective matter; I may love the styling on a certain vehicle and it may be hated by the person standing next to me. With that disclaimer out of the way, I think the Genesis GV70 is an attractive looking crossover.

When I first saw pictures of it, the area behind the rear doors reminded me a lot of the Porsche 928, which is what a lot of the journalists compared it to as well. However, having spent a week with it, it never really looked like the 928’s rear at all.

The Genesis GV70 shares the looks of the rest of the Genesis line of vehicles, with the signature twin light strips for the headlights and taillights. The GV70 also features a massive grill, and like the rest of the Genesis vehicles, it looks pretty good in my opinion. In addition to the large grill, the front bumper also features two large side intakes at each corner and another lower air intake. Unlike the G80 and GV80, the GV70 doesn’t feature the twin side markers for the turn signals, however the GV70 is based on the G70 sedan, which also doesn’t feature these eye-catching turn signals (they’re instead placed on the side mirrors). The rear of the GV70 is simple and looks quite sharp with the twin light strips, however, I’m not a big fan of the massive black/grey plastic treatment on the bumper, which houses two rather large exhaust tips.

2022 Genesis GV70 Interior

The GV70 may share its looks and drivetrain/powertrain with other vehicles in the Genesis lineup, but the interior is completely unique to it. Personally, I think the GV70’s interior is one of the nicest interiors I’ve been in a long time.

The interior on the GV70 is sporty and elegant. Genesis has taken a somewhat minimalist approach to the interior design. At the center of the car is an ultra-wide 14.5” touchscreen, which is also found on the G/GV80. This screen can be controlled by touching it; however, it is a bit of stretch to reach it. You can also use the rotary dial on the center console to navigate between different screens such as entertainment, settings, navigation etc. It’s not too difficult to use this system.

Below the touchscreen is the highlight of the interior, in my opinion. The Genesis GV70 features an oval screen that displays the climate control settings. This screen comes with two knobs and is controlled by touching various parts of it to change the settings. Personally, I really like the way this looks and it’s pretty simple and intuitive to use it. Using a system like this is not new, but it is a different design take on it and I enjoyed the quirkiness of it. I’m pretty sure this design will make it onto other Genesis vehicles.

Our top-of-the-line GV70 3.5T Sport Plus AWD came with 12.3” 3D gauge cluster, which was also found on the G/GV80 I recently reviewed. The graphics on this system are crisp and it looks great.

Our GV70 was equipped with the all-red Nappa leather seats with quilting, the leather was also applied to parts of the dashboard and door panels. Our GV70 also came with carbon fiber trim on the doors and center console, this combination of the red leather and carbon fiber gave the interior a really sporty look.

The interior is quiet and comfortable. This is a small SUV/CUV, so the leg room in the back is limited. Setting the front seat to my driving position (5’ 8”), left enough room for me in the back seat but I would call it quite tight. There was a decent amount of head room for me, but taller passengers will find it tight.

Our review GV70 came with every available option, as a $75k vehicle should. The list of safety, convenience, and tech equipment is quite comprehensive, I have included a list of some of the highlights below.

Automatic LED Headlights
LED taillights, DRL, and Signal indicators
Power folding mirrors
1,050 watts Lexicon audio system with 18 speakers
2 front, 2 rear USB ports
3-zone climate control system
Heated steering wheel with paddle shifters
12.3” 3D Digital Cluster
Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go
Genesis Connected Services Telematics System
Wireless Charging Pad
Integrated Memory System
Power Driver’s Seat, Outside Mirrors, Steering Column, HUD
Proximity Key with Push-Button Start
12-volt Outlet
Auto-dimming Inside Rearview Mirror
HomeLink Integrated Transceiver
Rearview Camera with Parking Guidelines
Surround View Monitor
Head-up Display
Power Hands-free Smart Liftgate w/ Auto Open
Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
Electronic Stability Control System (ESC)
Traction Control System (TCS)
Brake Assist (included with ESC)
Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC)
Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
Parking Distance Warning – Rear
Parking Distance Warning – Front
Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
Lane Following Assist (LFA)
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
Driver Attention Warning (DAW)

Overall Thoughts on the 2022 Genesis GV70

I was extremely impressed with the Genesis GV70, which is not surprising as other Genesis vehicles have been great. The GV70 has won numerous awards, since it was introduced, over the last year in various markets around the world.

The GV70 is a good looking CUV, it’s comfortable, full of luxury and tech features, and is a lot of fun to drive. If you’re in the market for a sporty compact CUV, there are a lot of choices, but do make sure you test drive a GV70 and compare it what the Europeans have to offer; you will not be disappointed.