6 Things I Learned Living With A Genesis GV70 For 6 Months

About two weeks before the time youā€™ll 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 ā€œWhy doesnā€™t anybody know what a Genesis is?ā€ and ultimately, ā€œShould you really buy one over the Germans?ā€

Well, with 3123 miles behind the wheel, weā€™ve had a few thoughts.

People still donā€™t know what it is No, it’s still not a Bentley

Iā€™ll 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 ā€˜ownershipā€™, often getting remarks of ā€œIs that a Bentley/Aston Martin/insert other wing-badged posh brands?ā€ with week-long press cars. However, thatā€™s been a constant talking point over the last few months.

Genesis still isnā€™t particularly well known in the UK, and calling it a ā€˜posh Hyundaiā€™ only goes so far to clear up confusion. Then again, you might like people thinking youā€™re driving something twice the price.

Itā€™s better as an EV If youā€™ve read my most recent report on the GV70, this one isnā€™t 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, thatā€™s close to the WLTP quoted 27.9mpg but it doesnā€™t particularly excuse it.

Itā€™s not like itā€™s rich with power to justify that with some occasional excitement. Ample? Sure. Exciting? No.

That, and itā€™s 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-busterIā€™d 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 youā€™re driving along?

And then I had an anxiety attack. Donā€™t take this as a sympathy fishing post ā€“ this is a semi-frequent occurrence for me, and thatā€™s just part of my life. My usual coping mechanism, if Iā€™m 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 donā€™t know why, it just works.

This one particular day though, Iā€™d 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, itā€™s 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 donā€™t think Hyundaiā€™s sound engineers planned for it to work like that, nor is it a reason alone to consider a GV70. But knowing itā€™s there, and using it when I needed it, has been appreciated.

Assisted driving tech doesnā€™t have to be a nightmare Genesis GV70, interior

Assisted driving tech (or ADAS, if weā€™re 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, Iā€™d still buy a BMW X3This one deserves more of an explanation. The Genesis GV70 has many talents ā€“ itā€™s brilliantly equipped, itā€™s built immaculately, it looks great and it has rarely anything but very pleasant to drive.

Iā€™d consider one over a Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5, but that doesnā€™t answer the question I signed off my first report with ā€œShould I buy one instead of a BMW?ā€

For my money, no I canā€™t help shake the feeling Iā€™d have enjoyed everything a little bit more being in a BMW X3.

Genesis GV70, Storr Green, front 3/4 driving

Thereā€™s 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 youā€™d find in the BMW too which, sure, isnā€™t 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 youā€™re ready for an EV, youā€™re out of luck with the Genesis.

Iā€™ve enjoyed my time with the Genesis GV70, and you probably will too. Before you buy one, though, go take an X3 for a spinā€¦

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