2024 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige Is Athletic Luxury Defined

The Genesis GV70 might be one of the best value-for-money propositions on the market. It competes in the premium compact SUV market alongside Mercedes, BMW, and Volvo while costing a lot less and being no less premium. Genesis doesn’t have the name recognition of the European brands (yet), but it delivers in style, comfort, tech, and performance – particularly if you opt for the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 over the already potent turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the base trims.

Along with all 2024 models, our tester, this striking Mauna Red 3.5T Sport Prestige model, comes with a collision-avoidance system, adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, and onboard Wi-Fi upgrades. We spent a week honing the though that the GV70 is real competition for big names like the BMW X3 and Audi’s Q5.

Exterior: Yes, Bentley Feelings

A lot is made of the similarities Genesis models bear to Bentley’s design language, and perhaps that’s no accident. The current Chief Creative Officer for Genesis is Luc Donckerwolke, formerly the Director of Design for Bentley. The GV80 and GV70 have both been the subject of “Baby Bentley” headlines, but we don’t feel this is a bad thing – and we feel that Genesis is pushing things forward with styling, while Bentley seems held back by convention. The GV70 is sleek; its outline and curves are complimented by its sharp two-bar head and tail light units.

The above sounds like words straight out of a press release, but we’re genuine fans of the GV70’s sense of style, and it’s added to in the Sport trims. The base Sport models get 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and sporty styling tweaks, along with interior upgrades. Opting for the Sport Advanced Package will set you back an additional $6,400. For this price, you get 21-inch alloy wheels, a hands-free liftgate, and power folding exterior mirrors.

Our tester was fitted with the Sport Prestige Package on top of the Sport Advanced; an additional $3,200 ($9,600 total) unlocks loads of upgrades for the money, most of which are found inside.

Interior: More For Your Money

There’s no less attention paid to style, comfort, and convenience inside the GV70, but we do feel designers got a little more creative here than they did with its GV80 sibling. Somehow, there’s a lot going on without feeling too busy, and the curves and shapes come together cohesively. All points of contact feel premium, including the knurled and glass-surfaced drive mode selector mounted on the center console with the media control wheel. However, the media control wheel is easy to mix up with the drive control, but it’s far from a dealbreaker unless someone goes to select something on the screen and manages to move the car instead.

The Sport Prestige Package includes Nappa leather seating surfaces, which we believe means just the bits you sit on and not the sides of the seats – which is fine by us. The upper instrument panel is leatherette wrapped, as in faux leather, but that’s also fine. It feels plush and will last longer with less upkeep. At this trim level, you also get a microfiber suede headliner.

Some ambient lighting is included, along with carbon fiber trim, wireless phone charging, and luxury items like heated and ventilated seats for the front occupants, heated second-row seats, three-zone climate control, and a heated steering wheel.

Unlike its sedan counterpart, the G70, the GV70 has more room in the back for a couple of tall teenagers or adults, but it isn’t necessarily generous. However, cargo space is plentiful for a compact crossover – luggage can easily be piled up for airport runs.

Infotainment: Slick And Sleek

The GV70’s infotainment system is pulled directly from the GV80, so it’s loaded with a large widescreen display that we prefer for navigation duties over a taller, thinner screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard along with SiriusXM with a 90 day trial subscription, and a fingerprint detection system for the start button that we haven’t had a chance to try properly yet. That’s something that needs to work perfectly every time to be useful as a security feature.

For the full luxury experience, a Lexicon sound system is standard with the Sport Prestige Package, and if big, clear sound is an attractive feature for you, it’s worth the extra money spent – and we expect even more tech for the 2026 model year.

Under The Hood: Twin Turbo Power

The standard engine for the GV70 is a peppy 300-horsepower 2.5-liter turbo engine, but for some extra luxury and performance, the twin-turbo 3.5-liter engine makes 375 hp with 391 pound-feet of torque. Full torque sent to all four wheels is available at just 1,300 rpm, so the GV70 can pull away from a stop with virtually no strain on the engine like a luxury car should.

The rub is that the GV70’s 3.5T spec has luxury car fuel costs – expect 18/24/20 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles if you drive with a light right foot, and to put in premium gas at the pump. The smaller engine is more frugal, naturally, but will be impacted negatively if you opt for larger wheels:

However, this is a Sport trim, and the engine steps up excellently by pulling hard. Its full horsepower comes on tap at 5,800 rpm – meaning it likes to be revved out. The eight-speed automatic is flawless around town, and in Sport mode, it’s a quick-shifting yet smooth-moving unit.

On The Road: Dual Personality

Genesis has clearly worked hard on the balance between driving in Comfort mode and Sport mode. Around town, the GV70 Sport likes to hustle, but the suspension is smooth and compliant – and even better with the 19-inch wheels rather than the 21s. On the freeway, it’s a benign cruiser and where the heavily-damped style of suspension tuning pays off the most.

However, the GV70 Sport is for those who want to be able to change mode and get their back road hustle on. Both Sport and Sport+ modes shift the attitude of the GV70 in a satisfyingly aggressive way. The engine growls, the chassis and steering stiffens, and the throttle response improves drastically. Like the G70, the GV70 is a vehicle that engages the driver and encourages them to push hard. It does feel heavier than the G70, but far from bulky.

In corners, the grip is plentiful, and the chassis is nicely balanced when pushing out of a corner; the all-wheel-drive system loves to hook up while the engine pulls. It’s a remarkably satisfying crossover to get to grips with.

Conclusion: Ever So Nice At The Price

You can get into a new 2025 GV70 for $45,700 – just $550 at the entry point over a 2024 model – which is a great price for a peppy, premium crossover with gorgeous looks that delivers Genesis’s unique style. On style alone, we would take one over a BMW or Mercedes equivalent. To step into a 3.5T model, you’re looking at $58,300 for 2025 ($57,750 for a 2024 model), and we would pause and think about whether we needed the extra power and fuel consumption. These prices are quoted before adding destination and adding any packages.

To spec our tester, you would need to budget $69,350 – which is a drastic up-sale on a base model, to say the least. The Sport Prestige package ia responsible for $9,600 of that figure, and it isn’t essential. However, compared to what you would be paying for a similar spec BMW model, it’s far from horrific; the equivalent 382-hp BMW X3 M40i starts at around $62k, and you’ll have to tick the boxes for at least another $7k or $8k to get as many features as the GV70 has at that price point.

The Genesis GV70 is a lot of quality car for the money, with the positives far outweighing any negatives – the latter being a tight back seat and poor fuel economy are shared by class competitors anyway.