2017 Genesis G90
Genesis is the newest luxury brand in North America. It is often referred to as the Korean Lexus. Genesis packs the G90 with luxury features in a price that is less than it's competitors like the Audi R8, S-Class, BMW, etc. This is the first luxury car worth this much money that I have driven so I can say that I was easily wow'ed by the features. Prior to getting this vehicle, I have never heard of or seen a Genesis badge on the road before. Let's see how the G90 performs after a week of test driving.
Disclosure: JS Auto Media & Genesis Canada provided me with the 2017 G90 for a week to test drive, and photograph. All photos in this blog post was taken by me.
ACCELERATION: 8/10
- Twin-turbocharged 3.3L GDI V6 (365 hp, 376 lb-ft)
- 5.0L V8 420 HP @ 6000 / 383 lb-ft @ 5000
- 5.2 seconds 0-100 km/hr
- Little slow off the line but once the turbo kicks in there is a ton of pull.
BRAKING: 9/10
- Massive brakes. The engineers maximized the space to install as heavy duty brakes to result in stellar braking.
HANDLING: 8/10
- Lighter curb weight for something in this category makes the handling feel good.
RIDE: 8.5/10
- Very comfortable ride. It does a good job of absorbing road imperfections. It is great to be driven around.
ECONOMY: 7.5/10
- 20 MPG - 3.3L RWD/ AWD
- 19 MPG 5.0L RWD
- 20 MPG 5.0L AWD
CABIN NOISE: 9.5/10
- The most quiet vehicles I have ever experiences.
EXTERIOR: 8.5/10
- Vehicle definitely turns heads with its elegant and reserve luxury design language.
SAFETY|SECURITY|TECH: 7/10
- Anti-whiplash front head restraints with power controls/seatbelt pretensioners
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System with individual tire pressure indicators
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 9 airbags: Advanced dual front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side airbags, roof-mounted side-curtain airbags, and driver’s knee airbag
- Haptic feedback steering wheel
- Lane Keep Assist
- Driver Attention Alert
- Vehicle Stability Management
- Auto Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection
- Active Blind Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
- Electronic Parking Brake with Automatic Vehicle Hold
- Rain-sensing wipers and auto-defog
- Multi-View Camera System
INTERIOR FOR DRIVER: 9/10
- Front seat comfort is absolutely amazing with 22 way articulating power seat and even power tilt and telescopic steering column.
- 360 camera, front & rear parking sensors make it easy for parking in tighter spaces.
- Side and interior mirrors move up and down when switching to reverse gear.
INTERIOR FOR PASSENGERS: 9/10
- Back seat is crazy. Plenty of space. I would love to sit in the back and have a driver take me around.
- Power sunshades.
- Heat and cool seats for every seat in the vehicle
- Can even control the infotainment from the rear
INTERIOR STORAGE: 7.5/10
- Surprised by the power open and close feature for such a light trunk but definitely a premium feature!
- Not a ton of space to fit many luggages for a family road trip.
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM: 8/10
- I love how huge the display makes it look more upscale but would like to see a more premium interface. It is currently using the Hyundai map graphics.
- No Android Auto or Apple Car Play. I guess the people who buy this car are not tech savvy and don't have a use for it.
- No touch screen, the controls are on the center console with a joystick like control. I actually like and prefer this type of control style.
- Very nice that you can swap between the different cameras from the infotainment system but strange there isn't an auto parallel park feature for a luxury car.
OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE 2017 Genesis G90:
The 2017 Genesis G90 is a big, and comfortable car equipped with a beast of an engine. Hyundai being the parent company, you wouldn't expect it to make a nice luxury car but I was surprised by the design language of the cabin. I think overall the car has a classic look that will stand the test of time. I feel Hyundai has done a great job with taking a stab at making a luxury car and it far more successful at hitting the goal compared to Acura, Infiniti and Lexus. It's top of the line trim is cheaper than the base model of it's competition making it a great value for a luxury vehicle.
This is the best value buy for a luxury vehicle but if I had the money I would probably pick the Mercedes S-Class. And the Genesis 2nd. I like the car but I wonder if people will buy it. I think the brand needs to work on building it's presence. I have never heard of it nor have I ever seen one on the road. I also feel the logo design to be confusing. I had people think it was a Bentley or Chrysler car.