For 2026, the grille has a new pattern and the GV70 has thinner dual headlights.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The Genesis GV70 is the Korean premium brand’s best-selling model: one in three of the vehicles it sold in the United States last year were the GV70. In Canada, the ratio is significantly higher, at 57 per cent of all its vehicle sales.
This means that the Alabama assembly plant that makes them can’t keep up with demand and the maker has to bring in additional cars from its plant in Korea. In 2024, about a third of all the GV70s sold in the U.S. were imported from Korea.
This is good for Canada and, in the short term, bad for the U.S. It means that all Canadian GV70s are imported from Korea and so they’re not subject to tariffs. In the U.S., the maker has pledged to keep its pricing unchanged until June 2, because who knows what will happen to legislation before then?
The recent pledge from parent-company Hyundai to invest US$21-billion in the United States between now and 2028, which includes expanding production to 1.2 million vehicles a year, may well help to cut a break in tariff costs but that’s an American issue. In Canada, it’s apparently cheaper to import Korean-built cars than the exact-same U.S.-built vehicles, anyway.
The dial for selecting gears is now shaped differently from the digital controller dial just above it.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
So pricing should be consistent for the newest Genesis, the “refreshed” GV70 compact SUV. It’s still in its first generation, but lots of little things have been tweaked. It’s the same size and shape as the previous year and the powertrain is essentially unchanged, but it’s been updated with plenty of new features and cutting-edge technology.
“When we started this project, some people said, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’” said Jeong Hun Choi, a senior research engineer for the GV70. “But at Genesis, we think a little differently. We said, even if it is not broken, we can still make it better.”
For example, the pair of digital display screens on the front dash and behind the steering wheel are now merged into one 27-inch flat screen for all the information you’re looking for. The electronic driving modes now include a terrain mode for better handling in mud and sand and snow. The ambient lighting inside the cabin is redesigned to create a different and apparently more effective pattern.
The rear seats are spacious and comfortable.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Those are some of the changes you can see. Hidden in the suspension, the shocks now use fluid-damped bushings instead of traditional rubber to reduce vibration. The largest of the available wheels – the 21-inchers – are now hollowed-out to quieten their road noise. A forward-facing camera studies the road ahead for potholes and bumps, to precondition the suspension for impact.
This was a feature offered in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but it was unavailable in Canada; back then, the “Magic Body Control” system took up too much space to fit into an all-wheel-drive chassis, so it was only offered with rear-wheel-drive sedans that weren’t sold here. These days, the Genesis system is a fraction of the size. How quickly technology changes.
Tech specs
- Base price / as tested: $60,000 / $84,000 including freight, predelivery inspection and fees, plus taxes
- Engine: 2.5-litre turbo inline-four; 3.5-litre twin turbo V6
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 300 / 311; 375 / 391
- Transmission/ drive: Eight-speed automatic / all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres/100 km): 2.5-litre – 12 city, 8.8 highway, 10.6 combined; 3.5-litre – 13.1 city, 9.4 highway, 11.5 combined
- Alternatives: Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3, Cadillac XT4, Lexus NX350, Acura RDX, Lincoln Corsair
The quickest way to tell this is a 2026 version is by the exhaust tips, which are hidden on the standard model or trapezoidal on the Sport model.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Looks
You’ll need a keen eye to tell the difference from the current edition, but the 2026 has a new pattern to its front grille and thinner dual headlights as well as a redesigned bumper. The quickest way to tell is by the dual exhaust tips at the rear, which are now completely hidden in the standard model, resembling an electric car. My tester was the Sport edition with trapezoidal exhaust tips instead of the current oval tips, as well as more dark chrome molding and the like. Does it look better for all this? Up to you.
Interior
The cabin is comfortable, spacious and extremely well finished, with a dial on the central console for selecting gears that’s now shaped differently from the digital controller dial just above it. The heating and ventilation controls are easy to use, with touch-type buttons and a couple of actual knobs for adjusting temperature, so there’s no need to wade through a series of menus just to warm or cool the vehicle. Oh, and the coffee cup holders in the central console have been moved for better access. That’s the most important thing, after all.
Performance
My tester was the top-of-the-line 3.5-litre Sport edition, but it wasn’t all that sporty, even in Sport or the new Sport-Plus electronic modes. It was fun enough to drive through the curves of Montgomery County, Texas though there was more hesitation than I’d have liked when I stomped on the gas. Maximum torque kicks in at just 1,300 rpm.
The clever suspension will flatten out the rise of the SUV at the front on hard acceleration and the drop with hard braking, though it really was not noticeable. The car still bumped over hard bumps, though not uncomfortably so. In other words, the suspension control does not work miracles, despite the suggestion from Genesis’s marketing department, but it is certainly nothing to complain about.
My drive delivered slightly thirstier consumption than the 11.5 litres per 100 kilometres that Genesis claims for the larger engine, which is not great but far from bad for a car of this size. Premium fuel is recommended though not required, and both engines have a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.
Technology
Much of the GV70’s clever technology is now enhanced from before, with better active noise cancellation for a quieter ride, more effective (apparently) warning chimes and a steering wheel that just needs to feel your touch instead of your movement to know you’re holding it – just as the German brands have offered for a while now.
One new enhancement is that if you’re driving beside a vehicle that swerves sideways into your lane, the GV70 will detect this through the blind-spot intervention system and will apply the brakes on the opposite side to swerve itself clear. I didn’t get to test this, fortunately, but it sounds impressive.
Trunk space is unchanged at 818 litres behind the rear seats and 1,611 litres when they are folded.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Cargo
Nothing of significance has changed in the GV70’s interior construction, so cargo capacity is still rated as 818 litres behind the rear seats and 1,611 litres when the second row is folded flat. That’s about average for a vehicle like this, though it helps that the tailgate is wide at the bottom to help loading bulkier items.
The verdict
Genesis didn’t really fix anything with the refreshed 2026 GV70, but it didn’t break anything either, and it certainly made plenty of small and appreciated improvements in the process. It’s a more affordable alternative to the German SUVs and no, it’s not made in the U.S.A.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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