A Little Bit of Everything
Let's start with the exterior and then work our way in.
On the outside, the GV70 is unique and stands out in an ocean of compact SUV's. The front shows the unmistakable Genesis fascia which highlights the two line design philosophy and G matrix pattern. It's also fairly round and curvy whereas most compact SUV's are very squared off and boxy.
The side is even more impressive where the body lines show a parabolic line going from the headlights all the way to the taillights, creating a nice flow of structure and guiding ones eyes. This is especially so on a bright day where shadows are cast underneath the lines, it makes the car look longer and sleeker than it actually is.
The rear is also unique, as there are no protrusions, all the lighting is flushed/recessed into the body panel to keep with the rounded and curvy design. Overall, the design is Porsche like in the best way possible, while retaining it's own character.
The downside of the exterior design is that it can be misleading in the product intent. For example, one might assume that the GV70 is more of a cushy cruiser than what it really is; a cruiser with a sporty bite. Speaking of bite, I'll just say that the suspension is overall good, it has a german style dampening where potholes or dips are handled quickly; there's no bouncing or cushioning so to speak, but it's definitely not uncomfortable. Some harshness tends to be experienced when going over smaller higher frequency imperfections, but again, not uncomfortable.
Now, the interior.
Personally, my favorite part. The leather is great, the natural scents the materials give off is great, the ambient lighting is tasteful (not like an in your face night club), the touch points are great, ergonomics are good, the sunroof (surprisingly) does an excellent job of minimizing heat from the sun, the AC works well, etc. The size of the interior space is what you would expect from a compact SUV, and the trunk space is good for it's class, although overall cargo utility is hurt by the round hatch. Sitting inside feels like I'm in a mobile lounge. Road noise is controlled, as well as wind noise. It's really a great place to be.
The tech is good too. Traffic aware cruise control is very good for bumper to bumper highway traffic, the system is very good about telling you if there is an issue and what the issue is. The different drive modes actually are different.
My biggest gripes with the interior are the gauge cluster/infotainment, and front passenger area.
I was never a fan of the analog + digital gauge cluster, especially with the digital portion being kind of low quality. Yes, it gets the job done but Volvo for example had a great fully digital display as stabdard at the time the GV70 was released. I know that there's now a new full length display ripped off of a Hyundai, but I digress. In the passenger area, the front dash is design forward, and because of this, the obtuse shape of the dash that extends from the glovebox to the HVAC control panel, intrudes on the usable space of the front passenger area. With child seats behind the front seat, there is little to be said about knee room because of this.
Things I'm unsure about are the longevity of the power train, especially since it's a newer in house gearbox, engine tends to be a little rough especially at start up, the stop and go jolts the car too much, and the motors that close the trunk are a little loud. Also, the overall sound design is weird. Porsche makes and Mercedes make great sounding exhaust notes from a 4 cylinder engine, the sound design for the GV70 isn't great and sounds worst when it overhangs. Included in the weird sound design is using Hyundai tones and sound stage; why does my Genesis have to sound like an Elantra when I get a confirmation or alert tone?
Verified Owner
