With medium SUVs now an entrenched a part of Australia’s staple automotive food plan – and premium-badged, premium-priced fashions making up 16 % of that appreciable wedge – the GV70 was all the time going to be an important mannequin for the burgeoning Genesis model.
Favouring a fastback, coupe-like form over a extra conventional box-style wagon, the GV70 is as a lot about visible dynamism as it’s about precise dynamic excellence, which is precisely the route it wanted to take to make an influence.
It’s additionally barely larger than the German competitors benchmarked by Genesis throughout its improvement – the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. In comparison with an X3, the GV70 is longer (by 7mm) and wider (by 19mm), with an extended wheelbase (by 11mm), but it stands significantly decrease (by 46mm), has much less floor clearance (185mm versus 204) and has a lot broader tracks for a extra athletic stance than the BMW.
If you happen to examine apples with apples – the flagship GV70 3.5T AWD Sport examined right here in opposition to its twin-turbo six-cylinder BMW equal – then the Genesis seems much more muscular, with its 1641/1657mm (entrance/rear) measurements comfortably out-sizing the X3 M40i’s 1615/1594mm observe widths.
But while you examine pricing, our absolutely optioned GV70 3.5T AWD Sport with matte paint ($2000) and Luxurious pack ($6600) leaves the X3 M40i for lifeless.
At an as-tested value of $91,876 (earlier than on-road prices), the twin-turbo V6 GV70 is considerably lower than a dead-stock X3 M40i at $113,471 (earlier than on-road prices, or any choices).
Certainly, the top-dog GV70’s logical value competitor is an X3 xDrive 30i M Sport (beginning at $82,971) with its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, but in the event you once more examine like for like, a GV70 2.5T AWD with Sport Line bundle is $73,276.
So by way of presence, specification and value, the GV70 is true within the thick of it, with the anticipated promise of an all-electric model to come back – giving the about-to-launch BMW iX3 a direct rival.
However the GV70 must be extra than simply trendy sheetmetal and a beautiful value. To attain real cut-through in a cut-throat market, this new Genesis medium SUV wants dynamic smarts, cabin aptitude, cutting-edge tech, and a few precise glamour to underpin its ease-of-ownership promise.
