You know, normally we’d hold some sort of vote to figure out which is the best looking luxury crossover out there, but I’m calling it here. The 2022 Genesis GV70 officially revealed itself to the public, and it is one sharp SUV. If you’ve been following the revamped lineup from the G90 sedan on down as well as the GV80 crossover, then you’ll see the obvious resemblance with this model.
Unlike the GV80, which is more the elegant luxury crossover to soothe customers out of their BMW X5s and Mercedes-Benz GLEs, this is more of a sweeping, athletic rival to the Acura RDX, among others. To counter my earlier statement, you can totally disagree on whether that crossover (or any of the others) is better looking than the 2022 Genesis GV70 here. Regardless, though, this does carry styling cues from its siblings that make it look like nothing else currently on the road.
Think G70, but in SUV form
More or less, Genesis seems to be carrying that sporty aesthetic from the entry-level G70 sedan over to its crossover. The split-design headlights integrated with the large crest grille give off more of a sporty look than the more upright, proper GV80. That philosophy carries around to the back as well. Instead of straight lines and indentations in the tailgate, you get thin taillights and a swooping rear end. From the side, the 2022 Genesis GV70 looks Porsche Macan-ish, and the five-spoke ‘G-Matrix’ wheels help drive that more vigorous character home.
The Sport package, as shown above, brings a new front bumper, those larger 21-inch wheels and a sport steering wheel into the equation. Inside, you also get carbon fiber-patterned trim on the consoles and doors to present a more athletic image.
Inside, though, things look a bit more familiar to the larger GV80. You still get the same two-spoke steering wheel and large infotainment screen dominating the center stack. Again, Genesis has supplanted the upright, squared off, elegant styling of the GV70’s larger sibling for more dynamic oval shapes. The climate controls are also integrated into the dashboard here, rather than rising from the center console as part of a single unit. One slim, unbroken character line incorporating the air vents is still present here, but it’s more prominently placed above all the controls, just below the infotainment screen.
What about powertrains?
While the 2022 Genesis GV70 shows off the brand’s “Athletic Elegance” design, the company did not disclose any technical specs. Odds are we’ll see similar powertrains to the GV80. At the entry-level end, you can choose a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower. Higher up the range, you may be able to get a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 with 375 horsepower. Either way, that engine will come yoked to an 8-speed automatic transmission controlled by a rotary dial on the center console. Rear-wheel drive should be standard fare, while all-wheel drive will be an added-cost option.
The larger GV80 starts at $48,900 for the base version, so expect the 2022 Genesis GV70 to start a bit lower than that. Most of the competition here starts in the low-$40,000 range. Top-end models may stretch to about $60,000, though we should know more about pricing when the car makes its U.S. launch in early 2021.
