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

About two weeks before the time you’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 “Why doesn’t anybody know what a Genesis is?” and ultimately, “Should you really buy one over the Germans?”

Well, with 3123 miles behind the wheel, we’ve had a few thoughts.

People still don’t know what it is

I’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 ‘ownership’, often getting remarks of “Is that a Bentley/Aston Martin/insert other wing-badged posh brands?” with week-long press cars. However, that’s been a constant talking point over the last few months.

Genesis still isn’t particularly well known in the UK, and calling it a ‘posh Hyundai’ only goes so far to clear up confusion. Then again, you might like people thinking you’re driving something twice the price.

It’s better as an EV

If you’ve read my most recent report on the GV70, this one isn’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, that’s close to the WLTP quoted 27.9mpg but it doesn’t particularly excuse it.

It’s not like it’s rich with power to justify that with some occasional excitement. Ample? Sure. Exciting? No.

That, and it’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-buster

I’d thought Genesis’ 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 you’re driving along?

And then I had an anxiety attack. Don’t take this as a sympathy fishing post – this is a semi-frequent occurrence for me, and that’s just part of my life. My usual coping mechanism, if I’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 don’t know why, it just works.

This one particular day though, I’d made a beeline for the GV70. Air con on, cooled seats on despite it being December… and a bit of Sounds Of Nature. It turns out, it’s a great way to just relax the mind a little – 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 don’t think Hyundai’s sound engineers planned for it to work like that, nor is it a reason alone to consider a GV70. But knowing it’s there, and using it when I needed it, has been appreciated.

Assisted driving tech doesn’t have to be a nightmare

Assisted driving tech (or ADAS, if we’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 tree…

Not much more really to say on this. I asked the question at the start, and have now found an answer.

…and no, I’d still buy a BMW X3

This one deserves more of an explanation. The Genesis GV70 has many talents – it’s brilliantly equipped, it’s built immaculately, it looks great and it has rarely anything but very pleasant to drive.

I’d consider one over a Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5, but that doesn’t answer the question I signed off my first report with “Should I buy one instead of a BMW?”

For my money, no I can’t help shake the feeling I’d have enjoyed everything a little bit more being in a BMW X3.

There’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 you’d find in the BMW too which, sure, isn’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 you’re ready for an EV, you’re out of luck with the Genesis.

I’ve enjoyed my time with the Genesis GV70, and you probably will too. Before you buy one, though, go take an X3 for a spin…