A few years back, Hyundai made the decision to launch Genesis as a stand-alone premium brand. The company made forays into the luxury segment with the Equus sedan. And it was quite good. However, Hyundai made the decision to dump that model nameplate and focus on an entire new Genesis lineup. The flagship of the Genesis lineup is the G90, with the medium-sized G80 coming in second, and the upcoming G70 rounding out line as the smaller, sporty product.
Hopping into the G90, you are immediately immersed in luxury. The driver’s seat has 22 individual adjustments. Only Lincoln can top that when it comes to finding your sweet spot (alas, the passenger’s seat only features 16 power adjustments, but I think they will still be able to get comfy). As you would expect, the seats are both heated and cooled. A Qi wireless charging pad is integrated into a neat storage pocket in the front of the center console. It makes the end user think twice about texting while driving since the device is tucked away while charging. A quality mobile electronics retailer can integrate the same feature into your current ride — and probably do as nice a job as the Genesis’ interior engineers did. However, Genesis took it a step further and integrated a notification system so users wouldn’t accidentally leave their devices behind. It eliminates that “Oh, snap!” moment. The Genesis interior guys also left two additional USB ports in the cubby for other devices. Another nice touch is the power door closure that “sucks” the doors into their portals if slightly ajar. A power rear sunshade and rear window sunshades class the place up to S-Class status. Just add tasteful window film to block the remainder of any damaging UV that can enter the vehicle and keep the paparazzi from taking your picture ….
One cool feature the G90 flaunts are the full LED headlights. They feature Dynamic Bending Light technology to swivel around a corner. You can use that extra lighting if you are hustling around backroads at night. The standard 3.3-liter twin turbo powerplant features 365 horsepower and is plenty quick. The upgraded 5.0L V8 has 420 horsepower. It also gets the customer into a package that delivers more rear seat entertainment options than the 3.3-liter. Since most core customers will pick the 3.3-liter, additional rear seat entertainment options can be scored in the aftermarket. Two rear seat entertainment monitors would fit the bill. All trim levels receive a standard CD/DVD player in the glovebox so the video signals can intercepted and wired into aftermarket monitor solutions.
The standard 12.3-inch high-definition navigation monitor is clear and concise to use. The audio system is provided by Lexicon. It features 17 speakers and a 10-inch subwoofer in the trunk. Harman’s ClariFi music technology is onboard. The system is supposed to help liven up older recordings with an extra shot of fidelity. The difference is subtle, which is the way HiFi us supposed to work. Lexicon also tunes a system well, and the sub-bass here is very good, even better than an OEM Bowers & Wilkins system I recently tried in a flagship Volvo.
The Genesis G90 has a full suite of safety features. We liked the full-color heads-up display. It worked well to help control the smart cruise control system, especially the trailing distance from the car keeping the pace. It will even work from a dead stop; however, it was more annoying pressing the button on the cruise control to make the car engage the system while standing still. Certain systems will automatically creep forward in traffic without having to press the cruise control button on the steering wheel or goose the gas pedal.
Overall the Genesis G90 has a lot going for it and compares nicely with the flagship Lexus LS. It does have the price advantage of coming in a few thousand dollars cheaper. However, once inside, no one will ever think Hyundai. Smart buyers can save some money and put it toward aftermarket upgrades unavailable from either manufacturer. This will set you apart from the pack!
