The first time I saw the Genesis GV70 2022 in real life, I shivered a bit in my knees. I haven’t yet reviewed a car that I didn’t see myself driving, but after stepping out of the GV70 this was my first time experiencing the kind of craving for a new vehicle that I’ve been hearing from enthusiasts for years. It’s a feeling I expected to experience driving a Mustang fastback, not a luxury SUV – but now I can’t help but think about that damn car. I just don’t want it. I suck for that.

I hate to be dramatic. Corn thin.

Full Disclosure: Genesis supplied the GV70 for an auto raid in Los Angeles hosted by A Girls Guide to Cars. I was supposed to drive the GV80, and I think I ended up spending more time in the GV70. All opinions are mine.

Driving Conditions: Cool, Dry and Overcast in Los Angeles, California.

What is that?

The 2022 Genesis GV70 is a brand new model for Genesis, and this is its first shot at a compact SUV in a market that desperately craves them.

What makes Genesis unique is that it offers luxury at a much lower price point than competitors from Volvo or Mercedes-Benz, which doesn’t mean Genesis is skimping. Oh no. All trims come with a standard suite of premium features, and the upgrade gives you the perks, like a panoramic sunroof and heated steering wheel, or the option of a 3.5-liter engine at the instead of a 2.5 liter.

We looked at the largest GV80 from Genesis here on Jalopnik before, but where the GV80 is the proud and chic parent, the GV70 is the rebellious child. The interior retains the styling cues of the Genesis, but adds sharper lines and more stretched curves edged in chrome, giving an appearance of speed, especially when contrasted with the bright red and black interior. . This red interior is, thankfully, a bit toned down compared to eye-poppers like the 2022 Acura MDX A-Spec.

The interior is truly upsetting in the sense that no other car will ever be cool or new to you again. It’s like someone has sat down with a massive focus group and painstakingly put months of effort into the design. Everything is pretty straightforward, but it’s the finish and location that really sets the GV70 above the rest. Everything seems so pleasant. I could just sit in the front seat and stroke this bad boy all day.

A specific cry that I want to do: The wireless phone charger. Most cordless phone chargers are obnoxious trays that take up a downright ridiculous place in your console area. The GV70 opts instead for a vertical positioning for its wireless phone charger, as well as a cover that closes on it. Genius.

And you’ll get those same style cues on the outside. The Genesis’ grille started to grow on me (although this is going to look like an absolute parody in the faceplate states), but it pairs well with the thin, slotted headlights and the sculpted hood.

The fancy matte paint here is another nice touch, giving Genesis’ luxury sparkle a harder edge. Do not run it through the car wash. This is hand washable only.

What would you like to know

I drove the GV70 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige trim, which is the premium trim. It featured Melbourne Gray matte paint for an additional $ 1,500. And if you want to read my love letter to the seats of GV70, you can find it here.

• Base price: $ 42,045
• Price as tested: $ 65,045
• 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque
• 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters
• Monobloc front brakes
• Driving mode selection
• Panoramic sunroof
• 16-way power driver seat and 12-way power passenger seat
• Heated and ventilated Ergo-Motion seats
• Ambient lighting
• 14.5-inch multimedia system screen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 19/25/21 mpg city / highway / combined

The Sport Prestige finish adds:

• Quilted nappa leather seats with suede inserts
• Suede headliner
• Heated steering wheel
• Panoramic view monitor
• Smart parking aid
• 21-inch sport alloy wheels
• Carbon fiber trim
• 12.3-inch digital cluster with head-up display

How does the Genesis GV70 2022 work?

Where is the GV80 very visibly a larger SUV, the GV70 makes an effort to bring pleasure. Several drive modes give you the flexibility to customize your drive, and I found myself cruising the freeways of Los Angeles in Sport Plus mode, which harnesses all the strengths of the turbo V6.

Is it a sports car? No. Genesis does an admirable job of enhancing the feel of the ride, but with such a high center of gravity and no significant improvement in the suspension, efforts to create a true sports car are pretty much lost. This is one of the compromises you get with the Genesis’ low price; you don’t have a ton of to feel behind the wheel, but you’ll still get more than anything you’ll get from well-tuned, budget-conscious SUV competitors like Toyota.

It is a cross. This is just the way it is. But you’re still going to have a lot more fun than in most other SUVs.

The cabin is delightfully impervious to road noise, but you can also select your favorite exhaust note via the infotainment system if you want to sound like a badass, which you can certainly hear from the seat. of the driver. If you really want to enjoy a quiet cabin, put on some music and let the Lexicon audio system shine.

On the technical side, I was impressed with the Genesis infotainment system, at least from a first-time use point of view. It’s pretty intuitive, so you can jump in and start scrolling easily with the beautiful glass and aluminum rotary knob. My biggest complaint is that there is just so many packed into the screen including two types of navigation that I have often been confused about. That said, it’s a system that you can actually use to make quick changes while driving, which isn’t something you can say about some competitive infotainment systems.

If you have children or other rear passengers, they will fit perfectly in the back seat. Unless they’re over six feet tall, in which case the backseat of most vehicles isn’t for them. There is an excellent amount of cargo space, however, so don’t be afraid to drop off all your freebies.

Is the Genesis GV70 good value for money?

Honestly, one of the selling features of Genesis right now is the fact that it packs every trim with a host of awesome standard features and a reasonable price overall – although when you crank up the trims you are also move the price.

But compared to the competition, $ 65,000 for a luxury machine loaded with all the bells and whistles isn’t bad. A similarly equipped Porsche Macan will set you back over $ 80,000, especially if you want the twin-turbo engine. The Mercedes-AMG GLC Class departures to $ 60,000. You could almost get away with buying the GV7o for a Mazda CX-5 or Toyota RAV4. Almost.

The verdict

I don’t know who decided that luxury cars should cost as much as a starting house, but I don’t like them. I’m the type of person who wants high end style on a practical budget. The kind of person who wants to be pampered with a day at the spa but who hell I don’t spend hundreds of dollars for fun when my own hot tub and a few essential oils will do the trick.

And that’s what makes the Genesis GV70 such a badass in the luxury world. It proves that you don’t need to shell out extra tens of thousands of dollars for an ultra-luxurious experience just because there’s a brand attached to it. Why pay thousands of dollars to buy a Louis Vuitton handbag if what you are looking for is just a well made leather bag that will look great and last forever?

Your Mercedes-Benz GLC is the Louis Vuitton handbag of the luxury world – ideal for people who seek luxury and also care about the name attached to it. The Genesis G70 is your handmade leather store that no one has ever heard of, but does the job on their own.

Is this just a marketing ploy to encourage people to buy from a relatively unknown brand? Probably. But does it work? You bet it does. We live in a frankly oversaturated world of cars, especially SUVs. If you want to introduce something new, you have to do it big. And what better way to do it than with a well-equipped, ultra-luxury matte gray Genesis GV70 that can give you 375 horsepower from a turbo V6 for just over $ 65,000?