2026 Genesis GV70 Gets a Tech Savvy Facelift

Genesis Best Selling SUV

I recently had the opportunity to try out the newly updated 2026 Genesis GV70. This compact luxury crossover SUV received its first generational update since its debut in 2020.

The GV70 is the smallest, gas-powered SUV in the Genesis lineup, representing the brand as an introductory model. Yet, it accounted for 35 percent of Genesis’s total sales in 2024, making it their most popular model. 

The demand for these SUVs is so great that the Alabama-based production plant can’t produce them fast enough. To make up the difference, about 30 percent of GV70’s production is imported from a secondary plant in South Korea.  

This prompts the question of why. Is it because it has a relatively low starting MSRP compared to the larger GV80? Or is this vehicle’s profitable popularity the result of a well-designed style, performance, and luxury?

I wanted to find out, and Genesis provided me with the key fob to a top-spec GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige and a planned route through the Sam Houston National Forest to conduct research one mile marker at a time. 

Why Houston?

Genesis picked the city of Houston, Texas, to host this press first-drive event because they felt H-Town is a good representation of the brand.

Like the 10-year-old automaker, Houston is on the cusp of what’s happening in the world of fashion and style, with the traffic to prove its popularity. Furthermore, while Houston’s downtown can offer the latest in hip and trendy, the lush wooden areas surrounding it offer scenic peace and tranquility.

After spending a day with the 2026 Genesis GV70, the symbolic logic of the terrain makes total sense.

Athletic Exterior Design  

To the untrained eye, comparing the redesigned 2026 GV70 to the outgoing model can be like spotting the difference between two identical pictures in a child’s activity book. The fun is scanning the fine details before giving up and looking at the answer key at the back of the book. 

Changes to the SUV’s already stellar-looking exterior include new MLA (Micro Lens Array) quad headlamps with the brand’s signature crest front grille ordained as part of a redesigned, bolder front fascia. Larger front air intakes on its new front bumper and a more aerodynamic hood emblem dressed in chrome, or dark chrome on Sport trim models, dazzle the eye when reflecting light. 

The GV70’s profile emphasizes flowing lines to symbolize athleticism in performance. It made me think of the waving effect of an Olympic swimmer slicing through the water just above the surface without breaking the threshold.

These smooth but agile body lines continue until the SUV reaches the curved tailgate, which features a set of quad taillights, a new roof spoiler, and dual exhaust ports hidden behind new trapezoid-shaped vents embedded into the bumper. 

The new dress color code for 2026 is Ceres Blue, named after the first dwarf planet discovered by humanity. It comes across as a grey but dances in shades of blue under different lighting, like an ocean reflecting an overcast sky. 

Superfly Interior with a High Regard for Style

I’ve said it many times already, but Genesis makes some of the best car interiors in this era of automobiles. The level of comfort and style in this 10-year-old car maker can go door-to-door with luxury brands nine times their senior.

Sitting inside the GV70 shown, with its quilted pattern Nappa leather upholstery in Ultramarine blue with orange stitching and carbon fiber trim, listening to the tranquility of silence thanks to the cabin’s active noise cancelling technology, I thought, “Why would I pay half a million for a Rolls-Royce?”

Changes to the interior include the vibrant 27-inch OLED screen placed horizontally across the dashboard. The center console features a new push button to switch between drive modes and the newly added Terrain Modes: Snow, Sand, and Mud.

These modes will come in handy for navigating less-than-ideal weather conditions by utilizing the SUV’s all-wheel drive (AWD) system to maximum effect. 

How Do You Take Your Genesis? With One or Two Turbos?

Moving on to performance, the GV70 comes in six different trim levels, motivated by the same drivetrains featured in the larger Genesis GV80. Four of the six trim levels are powered by a 2.5L single turbocharged four-cylinder engine, providing a satisfactory 300 horsepower with available AWD.

The remaining two top-tier Sport trim levels feature the brawnier 3.5L V6 with a matching set of turbochargers, delivering 375 horsepower with AWD as standard. The model shown was powered by the latter, much to my delight. 

The funny thing about Genesis products is that I’m usually too comfortable cruising to think about going fast.

But in those rare moments when the red mist descends while trying to merge onto one of Houston’s lovely, chaotic highways, these engines respond like a K-9-trained German Shepherd hearing the command to attack. The rapid response helps ensure you won’t need to keep your foot pressed down on the gas for too long.

New Hydro Bushings and Sophisticated Suspension

Another piece of hardware you’ll never see but appreciate is the new hydro bushings, which replace traditional rubber suspension bushings with ones filled with fluid. These bushings, along with shock absorbers also filled with fluid, work together to actively reduce vibrations and the harshness of the road before reaching the leather seats. 

The SUV also has the technological ability to scan the road ahead using cameras and sensors to adjust its suspension before hitting speed bumps, potholes, or ruts.

The goal of this system is to reduce the severity of the jolt you’d feel driving over these pavement imperfections, which would otherwise ruin the ride quality. 

The Volume of Silence

To give you an idea of how focused Genesis is on delivering the absolute best ride quality. The GV70 features acoustic laminated glass to reduce outside noise. The steering wheel has a built-in damper to reduce vibrations and provide a silky feel at the wheel.

Even the 21-inch wheels shown in photos, a new design for 2026, are constructed with hollow resonators inside the rim to reduce road noise. The result of all this engineering effort is an interior space you could meditate in while stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 

I drove from Houston’s crowded downtown streets to the scenic two-lane highway in the Sam Houston National Forest and back through afternoon rush hour. The entire trip, I never felt the urge to turn on the Bang & Olufsen 16-speaker sound system. I was perfectly content enjoying the smooth ride and hushed, library-like silence around me.

When I finally finished the day-long road test, I didn’t feel exhausted as one typically does driving through hot and humid rush hour traffic. 

Pricing

The 2026 model of the GV70 should arrive at local Genesis dealerships later this year. According to Genesis, pricing for this SUV starts at $48,000 and continues upwards to $59,000 for the 2.5T engine variants. The higher-spec 3.5T models start at $63,000 and $70,000 before adding options. 

Engine: 3.5L Twin-turbo V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

0 to 60: 5.0 seconds (estimated)

Starting Price: $47,985 (AWD)

Price as Shown: $72,225 (3.5T Sport Prestige)