Gallery: 2017 Genesis G90 exterior
For 30 years, Hyundai has built inexpensive, fuel-efficient, A-to-B cars and sold them in the United States. Now the Korean company wants more.
In November 2015, Hyundai announced it would start a new luxury sub-brand called Genesis. Some scoffed at the company’s caviar dreams, but that’s most likely because they hadn’t stepped inside the oddly named Hyundai Equus or Genesis sedans. Genesis takes those two models under its umbrella -- while the Equus becomes the G90.
We’ve added a G90 to our long-term fleet to see how it competes -- or doesn’t compete -- against some German and stateside rivals. Unlike Our long-term Jeep Wrangler, we won’t see too many trails with this G90. Its life will be spent rolling to galas, road-trip-ping in style and seeing how well it holds up to a Michigan winter.
While we could have snagged the 5.0-liter Tau V8 to power our G90, we opted for Hyundai’s latest: a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6. The smaller engine makes 365 hp and is standard issue for G90 buyers. The bump to the V8 nets you about 60 more hp.
The extra off-the-line power would be nice, but the V6 is plenty for us to cruise over to the country club for an afternoon of sport-jacket-wearing shenanigans. Besides, peeling out of the parking lot might get us banned. Again.
The G90 wasn’t flogged countless miles at the Nürburgring but was likely engineered with an executive in the back making adjustments until the suspension and chassis let him type emails without road imperfections upsetting the ride.
Unlike the Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7-Series, both starting around $100K, this Genesis is priced to move. Our all-wheel-drive tester rang up only a $71,550 ticket and feels about 90 percent of the way to Benzland. Glossy wood, adventurous tech and cowhides fill the interior.
For the sticker price, you basically get everything Hyundai can throw at it. Sure, some people like a ton of options, but we’ve got truffles to buy and don’t mind saving money where we can.
Gallery: 2017 Genesis G90 interior
The styling, too, is a sign Hyundai isn’t trying to build a Mercedes facsimile anymore. Looking at the first-generation Equus, the resemblance was uncanny. Now the staple Hyundai trapezoidal grille greets passersby, a sign the company is trying to put itself on the map with its own style, not copy the segment benchmark’s winning ways.
Fit and finish are superb, a must in this league. The paint is flawless, the interior is trimmed to the nines and all the panel gaps are perfect. So it looks like the quality is there. We’ll see how it holds up after our drivers have their way with it.
We’ll also be evaluating the tech, as much a requirement in luxury sedans today as fine Corinthian leather was in ’70s. The G90 gets adaptive cruise control, 360-degree cameras and plenty of infotainment. The S-Class and 7-Series even offer strange (and probably unnecessary) features like night vision. The G90 skips that for more useful features like power sunshades and door closers, and an easy-open trunk.
The Genesis and Equus were already a massive step forward for Hyundai. Directly competing with the German luxury staples, not to mention Lexus, isn’t for the faint of heart. Ask Cadillac. So now we have a year to put this G90 through its paces, and southeast Michigan’s pothole-riddled streets should take it to task. Broken parts, dropped shrimp or spilled champagne will earn the G90 poor marks. Every time someone asks us what kind of car it is, it will get a gold star. Over the next 12 months, we’ll see if this G90 is really a competitor or just another also-ran.
This article first appeared in the January 9 issue of Autoweek magazine. Get your subscription here.
Vehicle Model Information
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $71,550
AS TESTED PRICE: $71,550
POWERTRAIN: 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, all-wheel drive, eight-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 365 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 376 lb-ft @ 1,300-4,500 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 4,784 lb
FUEL ECONOMY: 17/24/20 mpg
