
6 Things I Learned Living With A Genesis GV70 For 6 Months
About two weeks before the time youāll read this, it was time to say goodbye to the Car Throttle Genesis GV70.
We took delivery of OY24 XSF back in October with a few questions in mind. Chief among those was āWhy doesnāt anybody know what a Genesis is?ā and ultimately, āShould you really buy one over the Germans?ā
Well, with 3123 miles behind the wheel, weāve had a few thoughts.
People still donāt know what it is No, it’s still not a Bentley
Iāll leave it up to you to decide if this is a good or a bad thing, but it seems nobody actually knows what a Genesis is.
This I knew coming into GV70 āownershipā, often getting remarks of āIs that a Bentley/Aston Martin/insert other wing-badged posh brands?ā with week-long press cars. However, thatās been a constant talking point over the last few months.
Genesis still isnāt particularly well known in the UK, and calling it a āposh Hyundaiā only goes so far to clear up confusion. Then again, you might like people thinking youāre driving something twice the price.
Itās better as an EV If youāve read my most recent report on the GV70, this one isnāt going to come as a surprise. The weak link of the car has been its 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The final consumption figure over those 3123 miles clocked in at a meagre 26.6mpg. Granted, thatās close to the WLTP quoted 27.9mpg but it doesnāt particularly excuse it.
Itās not like itās rich with power to justify that with some occasional excitement. Ample? Sure. Exciting? No.
That, and itās pretty loud under full throttle and not the good kind. Having driven the EV version previously, it does much the same job only a lot quieter and more efficiently. Given the internal combustion version is now dead in the UK, the choice has been made for you, anyway.
Sounds Of Nature is an anxiety-busterIād thought Genesisā Sounds Of Nature app to be little more than a quirky gimmick. Really, why would you want your car to make waterfall and bird sounds while youāre driving along?
And then I had an anxiety attack. Donāt take this as a sympathy fishing post ā this is a semi-frequent occurrence for me, and thatās just part of my life. My usual coping mechanism, if Iām at home, is to run outside, sit in my beloved 15-year-old Suzuki Swift Sport and stick the air con on full blast. I donāt know why, it just works.
This one particular day though, Iād made a beeline for the GV70. Air con on, cooled seats on despite it being Decemberā¦ and a bit of Sounds Of Nature. It turns out, itās a great way to just relax the mind a little ā a bit of respite if you close your eyes and just focus on the speakers. Rainforest noise, winter nights… and others that have escaped my mind.
I donāt think Hyundaiās sound engineers planned for it to work like that, nor is it a reason alone to consider a GV70. But knowing itās there, and using it when I needed it, has been appreciated.
Assisted driving tech doesnāt have to be a nightmare Genesis GV70, interior
Assisted driving tech (or ADAS, if weāre being technical) is something we just have to accept exists on new cars. And then accept it can be a pain to figure out how to turn it all off every single time you get into a car.
Fortunately, the GV70 has proven to be on the friendlier side of that tech. Turning it all off is as simple as a button hold of the lane-keep assist, and even when you are driving with it on, I found it to be pretty unintrusive as far as this stuff goes.
Yes, it can fit a Christmas treeā¦ Not much more really to say on this. I asked the question at the start, and have now found an answer.
ā¦and no, Iād still buy a BMW X3This one deserves more of an explanation. The Genesis GV70 has many talents ā itās brilliantly equipped, itās built immaculately, it looks great and it has rarely anything but very pleasant to drive.
Iād consider one over a Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5, but that doesnāt answer the question I signed off my first report with āShould I buy one instead of a BMW?ā
For my money, no I canāt help shake the feeling Iād have enjoyed everything a little bit more being in a BMW X3.
Genesis GV70, Storr Green, front 3/4 driving
Thereās something about the GV70 that feels just a little dated, a little bit clunkier than the X3 and ultimately a little less appealing. It lacks that bit of fun youād find in the BMW too which, sure, isnāt the main point of an SUV this size, but can make the difference when the right road calls.
Plus, you can have the X3 with a diverse range of engines including the M-lite M50, which is well up our street. Unless youāre ready for an EV, youāre out of luck with the Genesis.
Iāve enjoyed my time with the Genesis GV70, and you probably will too. Before you buy one, though, go take an X3 for a spinā¦