WORTHY CHALLENGER

Genesis is new to the local market but looks poised to make a dent in the sales of the established luxury brands

VALUE

The GV70 range starts at about $73,000 driveaway for the rear-drive version with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo.

All-wheel-drive adds about $3200, while a 2.2-litre diesel all-wheel-drive costs about $6400 more than the entry level model.

The more powerful 3.5-litre turbo, all-wheeldrive is a big step up again to roughly $92,000 drive-away.

That sounds like a lot of money, but the GV70 3.5T is thousands of dollars cheaper than its German luxury rivals, despite offering more equipment and similar power.

The standard equipment list is long, even on the cheapest model, which has genuine leather trim, a full-length sunroof, ambient lighting, hands-free auto tailgate and wireless phone charging.

Our 3.5T model had a luxury pack and matt paint, which took the drive-away price just past $100,000.

Genesis also trumps rivals with a five-year warranty and five years of free servicing and roadside assistance. Cars are picked up and delivered for services and warranty repairs.

COMFORT

Genesis has gone all out to match the cabin ambience of the established luxury players. The comfy and supportive Nappa leather seats are heated and ventilated at the front, with a massaging function for the driver. The soft leather extends to most of the touchpoints in the car and the ambient lighting gives off a relaxing glow at night.

Rear passengers have their own temperature controls, sunblinds and USB ports but there’s not a huge amount of legroom. The big centre touchscreen is a little bit of a stretch from the driver’s seat, although there’s a handy dial in the centre console for navigating the menus and the car responds well to voice commands.

The big 21-inch wheels on the top-spec model look awesome, but deliver a less than cushy ride on pockmarked city backstreets.

SAFETY

All the expected safety bases are covered. Standard fare includes an advanced version of blind-spot monitoring that will spot and avoid potential collisions when merging.

There are also two cameras mounted in the side mirrors that are linked to video feeds in the driver display to give a wide view of the road behind. Lane-keep assist will pull you back into your lane if you drift, but you have to pay extra for a heads-up display.

There are eight airbags, including one between the driver and passenger to stop them bumping heads in a crash.

DRIVING

The twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 doesn’t lack punch, pumping out 279kW and 530Nm and reaching 100km/h in a claimed 5.1 seconds. It’s reasonably quiet and refined on the freeway and has a sporty growl when pushed. In sport mode, the throttle becomes more sensitive and the gears are held longer to extract maximum performance.

Sport also adds weight to the steering and stiffens the suspension for more cornering control but it doesn’t elevate performance and precision to the level of a BMW.

It feels a little nose-heavy on tighter bends and you can feel its weight and size when changing direction.

The ride is comfortable and responses to driver inputs are predictable, though. The 3.5litre requires premium fuel and uses a claimed 11.3L/100km. On the freeway consumption dipped below 9L/100km but around town it was well into double figures.

ALTERNATIVES BMW X3 M40I, ABOUT $124,500 DRIVE-AWAY

More efficient engine, despite delivering slightly more power and better performance. Sweet to drive but significantly more expensive with stingy three-year warranty. MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 43, ABOUT $141,400 DRIVEAWAY

AMG-fettled Benz has slightly more power and better performance, plus a stylish, wellexecuted cabin, but as with the BMW, it is a lot more money. Five-year warranty.

AUDI SQ5, $117,414 DRIVE-AWAY

Same performance, but from a more efficient, if less engaging, diesel engine. Sporty looks and impressive standard inclusions but sub-par three-year warranty.

VERDICT hhhjk

The GV70 is a worthy challenger to the luxury SUV establishment, with its classy tech-laden cabin and compelling ownership benefits. It’s thirsty, though.