The lux mid-sized SUV from Genesis, GV70, has received an array of additional safety, comfort and convenience features in 2025. With three grades to choose from- Advanced, Signature and Signature Sport – in conjunction with 2.5T and 3.5T powertrain options, there’s sure to be a GV70 perfectly suited for you.
A series of chassis and suspension revisions combine to substantially upgrade the model’s dynamics, ride and refinement. A reinforced lateral body connection structure in the 2025 GV70 improves body rigidity to the benefit of collision performance, chassis dynamics and refinement. The GV70 Signature Sport is delineated from the other two grades on the exterior by a Sport exclusive grille, front and rear bumpers, and dual muffler, dark chrome moulding, 21-inch alloy wheels, and black coloured brake calipers.
I drove the top spec GV70 Signature Sport powered by the 3.5 litre, V6 twin turbocharged petrol engine that produces a maximum of 279 kW at 5,800 rpm and maximum torque of 530 Nm between 1,300-4,500 rpm. The official combined fuel consumption is 11.3L/100km and for my week with the GV70 I used 12.1L/100km. This engine is not available on the Advanced GV70 grade, it only comes with the 2.5T engine.
The drive modes available include Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, which increases exhaust sound and turns the ESC off, which I am unsure as to why you would want to do this in a family SUV? The GV70 also has an individual mode called My Mode where you can configure the Engine/Transmission, Steering, and Suspension to your personal preferences. The all-wheel drive GV70 additionally has three terrain modes, Snow, Mud, and Sand and downhill decent control. I spent my time in Comfort mode because I felt that this best suited this SUV and I found that the SUV rides nicely over the bumps in the road and the powertrain is smooth and refined. This is also thanks to the Road Preview – Electronic Control Suspension technology that utilises the front windscreen-mounted camera to detect speed bumps and potholes ahead. The system then controls the damping force of the vehicle’s continually variable Electronic Control Suspension to minimise harsh impacts and deliver optimal ride comfort.
The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission Centrifugal Pendulum Absorber, just one of the features of the GV70 that have been implemented to reduce harshness and noise in the powertrain. These tuning revisions extend to revised springs, dampers and anti-roll bars, increased chassis rigidity, new sound deadening strategies, materials and application techniques, and upgraded steering logic.
Step over the Genesis Welcome Light and you are greeted with a beautiful interior, and in addition to the Signature interior highlights of two-toned steering wheel, Nappa leather upholstery and Ergo Motion front seat function, a second-row climate control panel, and the very impressive Bang & Olufsen sound system with 16 speakers, the Signature Sport offers even more refined and luxurious features. Understandably these are also a little sportier in nature like the Magma Orange detailing and Nappa leather with piping and quilting that mirrors the G-Matrix grille on the exclusive Sport seat design, Magma Orange seat belts, the flat-bottom sport heated steering wheel, Sport trim door garnish with cool ambient lighting, and metal pedals.
The Vanilla Beige Nappa leather was holding up well in a vehicle that had almost 11,000km on the odometer and there was very little discolouration on the seats or marks around the door pulls. Both front seats seat have power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height/tilt front and rear, front leg extension, side bolster, four-way lumbar support, and two memory positions. I’ve previously mentioned it before, but I like that the driver can adjust the recline and move the passenger seat forward and back using the buttons on the side of that seat. The Ergo Motion comfort stretch function works well enough with four stretch types to select from, Pelvis, Waist or Whole Body and adjustment for intensity and operation time. The front seats are also heated and cooled, with cooling working about average and being a little noisy when operating. I had one small complaint about the heated seats and that was the front of the seat is not heated, so the lower part of my legs remained cold.
Smart key sensors have been expanded to all doors for 2025 GV70, to give users keyless entry to both the front and second row and with keyless start as well this means that the key fob can remain in your handbag at all times. The cabin is dominated by the 27-inch ultra-large OLED integrated display seamlessly combines the cluster and infotainment screens, providing a 30% larger information area. When driving using guidance, the navigation system can present the map across the entire display, while delivering key driving information via the head-up display. I particularly liked the 3D showroom as it gives you quick access to most of the features that you would need to adjust most often on the GV70 rather than having to search through the many menu options.
The wide-screen layout creates a futuristic sense of luxury while clearly presenting information, and lets users interact using touch, voice, or dial commands. The voice control worked well for me when I asked it to make a phone call or set a destination on the sat nav, but when I asked it to change the radio station it would tell me the correct station and then tune to something completely different.
Users can now wirelessly connect their compatible smartphone to 2025 GV70 and control various apps using the infotainment screen. Audio information can be displayed either on the multimedia screen or as a widget in the cluster and, when using phone navigation, the map can be presented in the cluster, while other apps are displayed on the multimedia screen. For the majority of the time the wireless Android Auto worked well for me, but it also did have a yips and wanted to be connected with the USB-C cord. There’s a wireless charge pad in front of the arm rest and two USB-C ports and one 12V socket under the arm rest.
The 2025 GV70 also features the latest generation of Genesis Connected Services (GCS) and owners are provided with a complimentary five-year subscription. GCS facilitates an increasingly connected lifestyle with an array of safety, security and convenience features accessible through 2025 GV70’s multimedia interface or via a compatible smartphone.
The air-conditioning control panel is one feature I really liked in the GV70 as it’s intuitive to use for the front and second-row air-conditioning and purification settings via a touch-type panel with haptic feedback. Other nice touches in the GV70 include the crystal-like controls and the knurling on the knobs and stalks, the hair-line brushed pattern Aluminium centre console, the Suede roofliner, the large panoramic sunroof that opens for the front half only, good size drink bottle storage in front door cubbies, and the list just goes on.
Understanding that there are many elements to what luxury means to different people the GV70 has multiple special features to help set your mind at ease. This includes a Mood Curator with four moods to choose from – Vitality, Delight, Care and Comfort. Settle in and relax with a combination of music, scent, lighting and massage. That’s correct even the scent in the GV70 is controlled with an Air Aroma diffuser that brings a welcoming and pleasant scent to the cabin, with a choice of fragrances selectable via the infotainment display, and the strength of the fragrance dispensed adjusted via the air-conditioning control panel. For the hygiene conscious there’s an advanced UV-C sanitising compartment in the centre console armrest that uses ultraviolet light to remove 99.9 percent of surface bacteria from phones, wallets and glasses.
The rear seats have manual recline adjustment with a good amount of head and leg room for me, but taller individuals may find it tight and I also thought that the rear seats lacked under thigh support. The outer seats are heated and the centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two cup holders in it that have grippy sides with the drink bottle cubbies in the rear doors being angled, but large enough.
For younger passengers there are two ISOFix/three rear tether child seat restraint points and manual blinds on the rear windows to keep the sun out of your child’s eyes. The digital rear climate controls for temperature, air speed and mode controls can also be adjusted from the front of the cabin as well. The two central air vents have individual direction control and on/off controls and below these there are two USB-C ports.
The GV70 Signature Sport has a powered tailgate operated via a button on the tailgate (located on the rear windscreen wiper), key fob, and in the cabin. The boot space is a good size and would fit a pram and the weekly shop and has four substantial tie down points, two hooks, two lights, one 12V socket, a mat over the entire boot floor for easy vacuuming, a roadside assistance kit, and a very good first aid kit. If more space is required the rear seats have a 60:40 split with the release in the boot, and the seats almost lie completely flat. I liked that the cargo cover can be neatly stored under the boot floor, if not required, and there’s also a cargo net under there as well along with a temporary use spare tyre.
Passive safety includes eight airbags with front airbags for the driver and passenger, a front centre side airbag, knee airbag for the driver, side (thorax and pelvis) airbags for the driver and front passenger and side curtain airbag. The 3.5 litre V6 petrol variant of the GV70 is unrated by ANCAP.
Driver assistance features include Blind-spot Collision Avoidance-Assist – Rear/Side, Blind-spot View Monitor displayed in the driver’s dash when you indicate, Driver Attention Warning that still bongs at you a lot and told me that my face could not be seen because I was wearing sunglasses, but it was less assertive than in previous Genesis models that I have driven. Other features include Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision-avoidance Assist 2, Lane Keeping Assist – Line/Road-Edge, Lane Following Assist 2, and Rear Cross-traffic Collision-avoidance Assist.
For convenience the GV70 has auto lights and high beam assist and auto wipers with display on dash when you change the settings on these, something I wish that all vehicles did as I find it so handy to know when I’m actually in auto mode rather than just guessing. For parking safety, the GV70 has standard rear-view camera with 360-degree view and 3D walk around with Parking Collision-avoidance Assist for Front, Side, and Reverse.
All 2025 GV70 vehicles come with a five year / unlimited km warranty, with the exception of vehicles used at any time during the warranty period for commercial application. Plus, 2025 GV70 vehicles are entitled to Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance (i.e. logbook) services every 12 months or 10,000km for the first five years or 50,000 km, whichever occurs first. Genesis to You avails owners to the Concierge Service and Courtesy Vehicle Service for five years and Genesis 24/7 Premium Roadside Assistance Program for five years and this increases to 10 years if servicing is conducted by Genesis.
Pricing for the GV70 3.5T Signature Sport starts at $100,000 excluding on-road costs and as tested with the optional Ceres Blue Matte paint ($2,000) this GV70 was $102,000 plus on-roads. For more information you can visit a Genesis retail outlet, build and price your GV70 online, search for available GV70s or book a test drive.
| Pros | Cons |
| A great all-round mid-sized SUV package | Sport+ drive mode seems senseless to me? |
| The many thoughtful design features | Lack of heating at the anterior of the front seats |
| The built-in 3D showroom | Voice control didn’t work for radio selection |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.