Our cars Kid in a sweet shop
As the clocks go back and the nights draw in the GV70’s swish interior and elegant illuminations do their best to compensate for the depressing lack of daylight.
Genesis Electrified GV70 Sport
P11D £64,300 Price as tested £77,825 Official range 276 miles Average consumption 3.1m/kWh Mileage 3975 miles
which operates the infotainment screen, set amongst a sea of deeply-padded leather facias and stainless-steel accents look and feel proper fancy. As do the multi-faceted diamond stitched seats which are super comfortable and chock- a-block with features. Granted I don’t think I’ll be activating the cooling ventilation function over the coming months but I’m sure the spicy heat settings and massage function will get a proper workout.
Pete Tullin
I must admit I’ve been feeling a bit like a kid in a sweet shop ever since our GV70 turned up. Yes, I know the rear three-quarter camera view that pops up on the dashboard whenever I indicate to overtake is available on lesser Hyundai -Kia models, and yes, the boost button which automatically tightens up the seat bolsters and simultaneously stiffens the suspension as it unleashes the full force of 490hp isn’t exactly groundbreaking. And yet, none of this prevents a cheeky grin from spilling across my chops every time I whoosh past a line of sleepy Sunday morning traffic.
Equally, at my age, I really shouldn’t get such a juvenile kick from abracadabra-ing the key-fob remote parking control, although, it is a proper showstopper. Not that I’ve employed it as intended to extract the GV from a tight shopping mall parking bay. Why would I do that, when I can shout, ‘Here- boy’ and get my magic conveyance to glide silently up to the front door and have the neighbours’ kids think I’m some interplanetary Time Lord. As with so much in life though, it’s the subtle things which can make the biggest differences. For example, the smoothness of the electric motors which power the Genesis’ windows and seat movements, and the expense involved in acquiring
Why we’re running it
To see how our former favourite Premium Large SUV works in everyday use.
these ghostly movements is something I really appreciate. Especially as I know getting the bean counters to sign off on this type of non-essential expenditure is akin to persuading a Yorkshireman to get his round in. Equally, the way the GV70’s additional reversing lights pinpoint any hidden kerbs which may be lurking in the background and enhance the rear camera view may not constitute must-haves, but these items do suggest a level of customer consideration that all too many manufacturers fail to factor into their product planning.
Of course, the inclusion of many of these features is so often dependent on a vehicle’s development cycle and the budget that is available to purchase said features from suppliers during that period. For example, the GV70’s intelligent lighting does what most of these systems do. When full beam is selected myriad sensors, and no end of computing power, decide which parts of the lighting jigsaw to blank out and which parts to leave illuminated so as not to dazzle oncoming
www.businesscar.co.uk | November/December 2024 | 51
drivers. Although the Genesis system works effectively enough, there are some tell-tale shady striations visible between each lighting segment, which suggests it is an earlier iteration and a slightly inferior version of the near- seamless systems that are now available. Not that there’s anything old hat about the GV’s interior. The subtle backlit translucent mother-of-pearl door inserts and the glass-topped rotary controller,
Genesis’ approach to the GV’s suspension will also contribute to my lumbar health. Yes, things can get a wee bit jittery on coarser surfaces, but the primary body movements are so luxurious I felt compelled to get down on my hands and knees to check for any evidence of air suspension. Yes, I really am that sad. Even though the undersides of the GV are shrouded in mystery, hidden behind a vehicle-length plastic skid plate, I did manage to catch a glimpse of some traditional steel coil springs as well as some spaghetti hoops of wiring entering the top of the adaptive dampers. Genesis says these dampers are informed by forward-facing cameras, which read the road surface and adjust the compliance rates accordingly, in advance of any lumps and bumps. Not that this technology is anything new, as Mercedes used a similar set-up a decade or so ago on its S-Class and back then the results were difficult to detect when compared to standard S- Class. Now perhaps modern processing powers have improved the effectiveness of this tech but regardless of the influence or non- influence of gathering advanced info, for the most part, the GV floats along in an imperious fashion. That’s always provided I don’t engage Sport mode, which instantly introduces a brittle unforgiving accent to proceedings. So that’s a lesson learnt.
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