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Auto review: The Genesis G90 is cool just sitting in your driveway

Henry Payne, The Detroit News on

Published in Automotive News

Feeling sleepy? A center screen of controls is at your disposal so you can 1) close the rear sunroof (did I mention there are separate sunroofs for the front and rear passengers?), 2) cover the rear windows with blinds, 3) activate a massage, 4) heat/cool your seats, and 5) put on your favorite tunes (assuming the driver doesn’t mind).

Oh, yes, the driver.

The front thrones are not only beautifully designed (check out the concave steering wheel, flying buttresses bracketing the instrument display and butterfly console doors), but the cockpit can also be customized to your liking. Choose your graphic themes, font size, screen color, head-up display content. Three buttons on the steering wheel can be programmed with shortcuts to your most-used features — I performed mine for preset radio stations, audio mute and AM radio.

While Genesis has come into it own on interior/exterior design, the brand seems determined to give you feature options you might find on other premium brands. The center console screen can be controlled by touch (like an Audi) or by remote rotary dial (like a Bimmer). Radio presets can be swiped though via a Mercedes-like steering-wheel touchpad. And volume and adaptive cruise speed controls are easily manipulated via raised toggles like a Cadillac or GMC.

Speaking of speed, you’ll eventually want to drive the Genesis after ogling its blizzard of features. The experience doesn’t disappoint.

Mash the pedal and the 409-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 responds with a mighty roar — thrusting you into traffic with impressive velocity (a 48-volt battery provides extra oomph) despite the yacht’s 5,156-pound curb weight. Sixty mph blows by just 5.1 seconds while the all-wheel-drive system provides welcome stability. A SPORT mode is on offer — tightening the seat bolsters around you — but this is no sportscar.

 

More enjoyable is adaptive cruise control, which automatically changes lanes on interstates. Parent Hyundai has been at the forefront of usable ACC systems, and the Genesis is no exception with lane-keep assist that is excellent for long drives.

I especially appreciated that Genesis had located the rotary shifter to the left of the rotary infotainment controller in the center console. Other Genesis models stack them, which can bring confusion — I’ve been caught out shifting the sister GV80 SUV into neutral, for example, when I though I was rotating between radio stations. Ugh.

Other ergonomics still need tidying, however. For all its technical wizardry, G90 still requires a cable to operate Apple CarPlay and Android auto — cluttering the console. The dreaded STOP-START switch is in the nether regions of the left dash rather than right next to the ignition button as in BMW and Mercedes.

It's hard to be mad, though, when you have so many goodies at your fingertips.

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