2026 Genesis GV70 Keeps The Good Times Rolling

Genesis has been on a roll lately. Its sales are up, everybody loves its products and it continues to eat into the market share of other, more established luxury automakers. The GV70 has been a huge part of that. It's been the company's best-selling vehicle since it went on sale for the 2022 model year, and it made up 35% of the Korean brand's U.S. sales in 2024. With numbers like that, the last thing you want to do is screw it up, and that's exactly what Genesis has avoided with the lightly refreshed GV70 for the 2026 model year.

Though there aren't many dramatic differences between the updated car and the one it replaces, the changes inside, outside and underneath are enough to make a very good compact crossover even better. Add that in with a couple of carry-over turbocharged motors, great looks and class-leading driving dynamics, and Genesis is teeing up the 2026 GV70 to be another big success.

Full Disclosure: Genesis flew me out to Houston, Texas, fed me and put me up in a very nice hotel all so I could drive the 2026 GV70.

On the outside of the 2026 GV70, Genesis gave its best-seller a subtle nip/tuck job and called it a day. Up front, the crossover has a revised logo, slight changes to the grille and front bumper, and new micro lens array headlights that both look cool and give you better visibility at night. Out back, Genesis has done away with the circular exhaust pipes in favor of a more trapezoidal-looking exhaust tip, and there's a different rear spoiler and a handful of new wheel designs. Genesis has also added a new color called Ceres Blue to its lineup of eight other paints you'd expect from a car like this. It's not exactly a daring refresh of the GV70, and the car is all the better for it. Since it came out, the GV70 has been one of — if not the — best-looking compact crossovers you can buy with its distinct front fascias, interesting shapes and strong body lines.

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The interior sees a slightly more substantial makeover. A 27-inch OLED display replaces the old gauge cluster and center screen. It's incredibly simple to use whether you interact with the touchscreen, iDrive-style control knob or steering wheel controls. I promise it will not be overwhelming to you if you're even slightly tech-savvy and have three minutes to spend getting acquainted with the system. Below the right part of the massive screen is a dedicated screen-based control panel for all of your HVAC controls. The updated interior also gets a new flat-bottom steering wheel, some different interior trim treatments, a redone alloy pedal design and a reworked ambient lighting setup that makes it far more prominent. The seats are largely the same, but they've now got bigger bolsters and a quilted pattern. They remain extremely comfy even after a long day of driving, and the driver's seat even comes with a massage function, which isn't something everyone else in this segment can say.

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All in all, the inside of the GV70 continues to be a very nice place to spend your time. Genesis took a lot of time to make sure the design looked like nothing else on the market, and I'd say it succeeded. An added bonus is that everything feels just as good as it looks, which isn't always the case. The crystal-like shifter doesn't just feel like a cheap piece of plastic. It's rather lovely, as is the 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

One area where the car is let down is the overall interior space. At 6-foot-1 I had some trouble fitting behind my driving position in the rear seat. I'm sure I could make it work, but it isn't exactly the most pleasant bench in the world. The sloping roofline also doesn't help matters. Cargo space is relatively good; with 28.9 cubic feet of space, it's on par with cars like the BMW X3 (31.5 cubic feet) and Mercedes-Benz GLC (21.9 cubic feet).

As I mentioned earlier, the 2026 GV70 keeps both the turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-4 (which makes 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque) and the very strong twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 (which puts out 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque) from the pre-facelifted car. Both are mated up to a Genesis-built eight-speed automatic transmission sending torque to a standard all-wheel-drive system. I cannot speak for the four-popper since I didn't drive it, but the V6 offered plenty of power and was maybe a bit more thirsty for premium fuel than I would have liked. EPA estimates are 18 mpg city, 25 highway and 21 combined. Not great, but the tradeoff is a boot-full of power. Genesis says the V6 GV70 will hustle from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds. That's not too shabby for a luxury-oriented crossover.

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Not too shabby is the name of the game when it comes to the handling capabilities of the GV70. It's apparent from the get-go that this car, even in its top-end Sport Prestige trim, is not much of a sports car. I didn't get the chance to take it down too many twisty roads, but it was relatively capable driving down the ones I did get to experience. In Sport and Sport+ modes the steering gets very heavy (a common theme among Hyundai/Kia/Genesis vehicles), the throttle response quickens, and the electronically controlled McPherson front and multi-link rear suspension stiffens to keep body roll under control. It does a reasonably good job of making a quick backroad spurt a bit more enjoyable.

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Where the GV70 really excels, though, is wafting you around in quiet comfort. That's very clearly what it's made for. Genesis did a wonderful job of isolating the passengers from the noise outside with lots of sound deadening and active noise cancellation. Its incredibly comfortable ride in non-Sport modes is also a real treat after driving for a long time, and the 21-inch wheels have enough sidewall to not be miserable. The car is aided by an extremely good suite of driver-assist technologies. Genesis's lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control systems do a great job of keeping you going down the road with minimal driver involvement if you find yourself on a good bit of highway.

For 2026, Genesis also added a Terrain mode to the GV70 in case you find yourself going down a muddy road or getting caught in the snow. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to test the system's capabilities, so I can't speak to how effective it actually is.

There's a pretty sizable delta between the lowest-end GV70 and fully loaded models. Prices for a base 2.5-liter model start at $49,435 (including destination). Buyers can also choose from the Select ($52,335), Advanced ($56,885) and Sport Prestige ($60,185). Obviously, as you go up in trim levels, you get more equipment and nicer materials. I'm not telling you anything you don't know. Still, even the most basic GV70 gets 19-inch wheels, heated front seats, wireless phone connectivity, leatherette seats, a panoramic sunroof and that 27-inch OLED display.

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If you want the twin-turbo V6 you're going to have to pay for it, but on the bright side, it comes rather well-equipped right from the get-go. Prices for a V6 Sport Advanced GV70 start at $64,865. It gets you things like that Bang & Olufsen sound system, heated and ventilated front seats with massage, real leather, a surround-view monitor and all sorts of park distance aids.

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If you want the big boy Sport Prestige, which is the car I tested, get ready to fork over at least $71,545 (The car I tested came in at $72,195.) That's a big chunk of change for a compact crossover, but you do get a hell of a lot of equipment. At that price, you're getting 21-inch wheels, Napa leather, a heads-up display, heated second-row seats, carbon-fiber trim, three-zone automatic climate control and an electronic limited-slip differential. While it might sound like a lot of money, the good news is that the GV70 feels like it's worth that much.

Luckily for buyers, the GV70 is built at the automaker's plant in Montgomery, Alabama, so tariffs shouldn't hit this car too badly, but with the way things are these days, it's hard to say exactly what pricing will look like in the next few months.

The 2026 GV70 is not a mold-breaker. It's not a ground-up redesign of the car it replaces, because it simply doesn't have to be. This car has been a runaway sales success for the nascent Korean luxury brand since it first went on sale. That's not something you mess with or change.

Instead, what Genesis did was make small alterations to an already good car, and by doing this, it took an already solid and made sure it stays class-leading. Sure, it's not cheap, but nothing really is these days. Like everything else Genesis makes, you get what you pay for and then some with the GV70.

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik