“$100,000 doesn’t go as far as it used to, does it?” asked the wealthy gentleman to his well-coiffed companion while pointing at the latest executive luxury sedan to cruise through the valet lane. Au contraire mon frère. Yes, it’s true that many brands have crashed through the $100,000 ceiling of late, Jeep for one, Ford for another. Genesis, freshly armed with bespoke dealerships, is ready to make their 6-figure debut with the all-new G90 sedan and show the world that there is such thing as value in the upper car stratosphere.
The leap from the 2017 G90 to the 2023 is something that resembles two to three product generations at other automakers. Where the 2017 generation was happy to play to value card and bring a surprisingly well-sorted chassis and multiple powertrains to the table, it didn’t really cause anyone to take notice, except perhaps Lexus as the G90 briefly outsold the outgoing Lexus LS460 of the era.
While the G90 has been relatively invisible here in the States, it clogs most of rush hour in Seoul as one of the most common chauffeur-driven black cars of choice for Korean executives, which is why the brand can continue to find the means with which to push the model forward and upward. Part of that invisibility was also due to the rather nondescript design (inside and out) of the first generation G90, despite a heavier than normal mid cycle facelift to quickly graft on the 2-lines brand design theme.
With the 2023, there is no grafting. The design is cohesive and distinctive inside and out, oozing with elegance and threading a delicate balance of modern and sophisticated without being gaudy. That’s easier said than done. Outside, a new clamshell hood minimizes visual panel gaps up front while semi-gimmicky flush pop out door handles keep the sides clean and sleek. Maybe that’s intentional to help make the stunning 21″ wheels stand out. The two-lines theme stretches across the full-width taillights as well for a killer signature design element at night.
Inside, when everything else seems to be screen this and screen that, Genesis relies on some tactile goodness with buttons and knobs to go with their dual 12.3″ screens. Design and materials make no excuses with every surface covered in stitched/sueded/softed/plushed/genuine niceties. There is a touchscreen for the infotainment system to go along with the jog dial interface on the center armrest. And yes there is another screen that houses some of the ventilation and temperature controls – but there it has persistent touch buttons versus having to dig through menus for certain features. The steering wheel itself isn’t spared from design here, with 3-dimensional effects for the center airbag/horn hub and the control pods at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. One touchy area was the singular touch sensitive thumbpad button on the steering wheel that does tend to get triggered/actuated inadvertently.
While you’re inside, be sure to enjoy not one, not two, not three, but four potential seats with massage action! The rear seats can recline, push the front passenger seat forward and prop up a leg rest for full relaxation. On top of that, you can close the doors with via buttons and the driver door can also be closed when you step on the brake pedal. This resulted in hours of entertainment for our 4-year old and it was the hit of the school drop-off/pickup line for the week. Rear seat room is also plentiful, as it should be, but without completely relegating design to a 3-box sedan look.
Immense and thoughtful luxury including the prerequisite scented fragrances, soft multi-colored ambient lighting and a Bang & Olufsen 3D premium audio system with motorized speakers are all present and accounted for. Some unique touches include a UV-light powered phone disinfecting box in the back seat and just superb design without overwhelmingly throwing occupants off the technological deep end.
But what about for those of us that aren’t being chauffeured around Seoul, or to preschool? Those behind the wheel are treated to a wonderful balance of ride and power. Genesis calls our particular setup the 3.5T E-Supercharger, boosting the 3.5L V6 turbo with a 48V electric mild hybrid system to lift power from the standard 375 horses to 409 while torque sees a smaller lift from 391 lb-ft to 405. No matter the engine, it all gets down to the ground through an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. This is without a doubt the best gas interpretation of the Genesis ethos to date. Although part of my brain did wonder what the Genesis Electrified treatment could do here to sweeten the deal even more.
Where our previous short-term GV80 suffered from a less than stellar ride quality due in part to massive wheels, the G90 brings the first air suspension to the luxury marque and it truly makes all the difference. The ride is soft and controlled despite having its own design-specced wheels. As a bonus the suspension can do a quick lift to help with angled driveway entrances or to help people get in and out. Our tester’s rear wheel steering, while not as dramatic as some of the German rivals, did help to shrink the G90 around curves and in the parking lot. There are even some of the flappy paddles behind the steering wheel should you want to take shifting into your own hands. While it can definitely hold its own on the backroads, that’s really not its core purpose in life.
There is still room for improvement though. Genesis and its suppliers still haven’t cracked the code on offering wireless CarPlay/Android Auto. This is a fairly glaring omission for a new flagship sedan in this day. The wired phone connection also doesn’t play nice with the onboard systems, as using your phone’s navigation doesn’t integrate with the digital cluster or the head-up display as we see in many other cars. The native tech system also can’t show a message overlaid on the CarPlay images, meaning vehicle messages and popups may go unseen. And then for a small luxury nitpick, no heated armrests. Yes, I said it was a nitpick, but where the rest of the cabin is so coddling and thoughtful (4 massage seats!) this seems like an odd miss.
Genesis seems to have a particular confidence in what they’re trying to achieve. Design, luxury and elegance, packed with features and value – yes, you can still call a $100,000 car a value. They have resisted the urge to chase the over the top power M/AMG/RS’s of the luxury set. The GV80 Coupe Concept could signal an awakening of that giant thought, and they definitely have the personnel and resources to make it happen. As it stands, the new G90 firmly establishes that Genesis can make an absolutely desirable $100,000 luxury experience, even in sedan form. Welcome to the 6-figure club Genesis, I hope your stay is long and fruitful.
