Genesis is bringing some thoughtful updates to its 2026 GV70 SUV lineup.
If you’re looking for a luxury SUV to make you feel like a high-roller without having to resort to a six-figure hit to your finances, it’s hard to pass up the Genesis GV70. It’s a damn good SUV whether you get it with a gasoline or electric powertrain, and it looks like that will remain the case for the 2026 models. Much like its larger GV80 sibling, the tweaks that Genesis debuted at this year’s LA Auto Show aren’t a complete revolution. Instead, the automaker is focusing on styling touches and quality-of-life updates to keep the momentum up for its most popular model in North America.
To that end, the 2026 Genesis GV70 SUVs maintain the brand’s “Athletic Elegance” design standard. You do get a redesigned crest grille, though, as well as new multi-lens array (MLA) headlights. On the turbocharged gas models, the lower fascia gets a little bit more aggressive with extended air intake grilles. The Electrified GV70’s grille hides a noteworthy change for its owners: a NACS charging port, so it will be able to natively plug into Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Down the side, 2026 Genesis GV70 models get new wheel designs ranging between 19 and 21 inches. At the rear, the company updated the split-line taillights to resemble the (admittedly minor) changes at the front. The gas-powered models get ten exterior color options including Ceres Blue, while the Electified GV70 gets a six-color exterior palette. On the interior, the gas GV70 has four Nappa leather options including Ultramarine Blue; the EV gets interior choices.
Both models get interior updates, as you’d expect
Interior changes to both versions of the 2026 Genesis GV70 are more pronounced than the exterior tweaks, even at first glance. Instead of a single infotainment screen, the updates include a change to a single, 27-inch OLED panel mounted atop the dashboard, eliminating the old gauge cluster and its binnacle. The center stack has also been redesigned, with the HVAC vents now positioned below the screens and the climate controls now placed further down, just above the drive mode switch. Genesis also moved the wireless charging pad rearward, under the newly shaped armrest, but the infotainment and gear selector controls are pretty much the same as before (the biometric scanner has also been moved next to the two rotary dials, rather than next to the start button).
Genesis says it’s improved the GV70’s voice controls to better control functions like HVAC settings and window position. The 2026 GV70 models also get a new Terrain Mode added to the list of available drive modes, which functions as a low-traction mode for snow, mud and sand driving conditions. The SUV’s safety suite gets a few more features, including new steering wheel hands-on detection, better lane following assist, and improved remote smart parking. For the smart park feature, you’ll be able to parallel and diagonal park the GV70, in addition to the existing forward-to-back functionality.
Powertrain options remain the same, but the EV gets a bigger battery
The 2026 Genesis GV70 may have fresher styling and updated tech, but the powertrains remain largely the same as they were before. Gas versions get either a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, or a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque.
As for the EV, you get two electric motors, one on each axle, for a combined output of 483 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. For the 2026 model, however, Genesis is bringing in a larger 84-kWh battery, rather than the 77.4-kWh unit the previous model shared with the smaller GV60. Official range estimates are not available yet, but that should at least marginally improve the outgoing EV’s 236-mile driving range. EPA ratings haven’t been published for the gas cars, either, but they shouldn’t change much from the existing numbers (22/28/24 city/highway/combined mpg for the 2.5T, and 18/24/20 mpg for the 3.5T).
The 2026 Genesis GV70 will go on sale in the first half of 2025, and we’ll have pricing details closer to launch. The automaker also recently opened its 60th standalone showroom, with four dealers recently joining the network in Kirkland, Washington; Golden Valley, Minnesota; White Plains, New York; and Jacksonville, Florida, so folks in those should have an easier time picking up a new GV70.
