Genesis is moving into the full-size luxury SUV class with the GV90, a large three-row electric vehicle designed to serve as the brand’s new flagship. Unveiled in San Francisco, the GV90 will sit above the GV80 and expand Genesis’ U.S. lineup to seven models when it reaches American dealerships.
This is not simply a larger version of the GV80. The GV90 rides on a new electric platform developed specifically for Genesis flagships and measures nearly 208 inches long, making it almost as long as a standard Cadillac Escalade and about eight inches longer than the electric Kia EV9. Its 127.8-inch wheelbase and flat floor are intended to provide the passenger space expected in a true three-row luxury SUV.
Every GV90 uses a 123.5-kilowatt-hour battery, the largest yet installed in an electric vehicle from Hyundai Motor Group. Genesis estimates the seven-passenger version will travel approximately 310 miles on a charge, although that figure is based on the company’s internal testing and is not yet an official EPA rating. Genesis says the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in about 22 minutes when connected to a 350-kilowatt DC fast charger.
Front and rear motors provide all-wheel drive and a combined 490 kilowatts, equivalent to roughly 657 horsepower, along with about 590 pound-feet of torque. Genesis has not released acceleration times. The GV90 also includes front and rear electronic limited-slip differentials, a multi-chamber air suspension and rear-wheel steering that can turn the rear wheels up to five degrees, helping a very large SUV maneuver more like something smaller.
Photo: Genesis.
The GV90 will be offered in standard and Neolun versions, and the Neolun is clearly the headliner. Its front and rear coach doors open in opposite directions without a conventional fixed center pillar, creating an exceptionally wide passenger opening. Genesis says it maintained structural strength by placing high-strength steel beams inside the doors and reinforcing the passenger compartment with a concealed roll-cage structure. The company says the design can provide crash protection comparable to a conventional body with a fixed center pillar.
Safety equipment includes 12 airbags and what Genesis describes as the world’s first roof airbag. In a serious rollover, the airbag is designed to deploy beneath the panoramic glass roof to help prevent occupants from being ejected or striking the glass. An interior monitoring system can identify passenger position and seatbelt use, while the battery includes technology designed to limit the spread of heat between cells.
The cabin is where Genesis makes its strongest luxury statement. A 23.6-inch OLED display can rise and expand to 24.6 inches while the vehicle is parked, and a 25-inch head-up display replaces a conventional driver information screen. The GV90 also receives Hyundai Motor Group’s new Pleos Connect infotainment system, a generative artificial-intelligence assistant and a 25-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.
In the Neolun, the front seats can rotate 180 degrees while parked, allowing passengers to face the second row. A four-seat Executive Suite goes considerably further with reclining rear seating, privacy blinds, a refrigerator, folding tables and a genuine wood floor with radiant heating inspired by Korea’s traditional ondol heated floors. Genesis will also offer a limited Neolun First Edition with special two-tone colors and additional interior trim.
Photo: Genesis.
The exterior follows Genesis’ familiar two-line lighting theme but applies it to a much larger body with available 24-inch wheels. Designers say the rounded, uncluttered shape was influenced by traditional Korean moon jars, giving the GV90 a cleaner appearance than many aggressively styled luxury SUVs.
Genesis has not announced U.S. pricing. However, the GV90’s size, technology and elaborate Neolun version make clear that it will enter territory well above the GV80 and compete with six-figure electric SUVs. For a luxury brand that began selling vehicles in the United States only a decade ago, the GV90 is its most serious attempt yet to compete at the very top of the market.
This may or may not be a hit, we’ll see. But it is another example of an SUV that could be a huge hit if offered in a gas version as well.
Photo: Genesis.
.jpg?width=150&name=jerry-headshot.jpg%20(1).jpg)
