2019 Genesis G90 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Two short years have passed since Hyundai broke its luxury models off into their own brand called Genesis. That’s also the length of time...

Two short years have passed since Hyundai broke its luxury models off into their own brand called Genesis. That’s also the length of time for which we’ve had the G90, a full-size sedan that’s the automaker’s nicest, largest, and priciest model. While offerings like the new Lexus LS and Porsche Panamera offer ostentatious and polarizing personalities, the G90 aims for the heart of the market. It offers the same limousine-like accommodations as the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The handsome luxury sedan slides into 2019 with no changes.

The G90’s design is both traditional and dignified. The brand’s hexagonal grille sits proudly at the front, flanked by expensive headlights and a simple lower fascia. An elegant shoulder line stretches from bow to stern, and tasteful touches of chrome give it a sense of occasion. Inside, things are traditional, with acres of genuine wood, leather, and silver trim. The G90 provides plenty of space for all occupants, especially in regards to legroom and headroom. Best of all, the controls are intuitive and easy to understand.

Much like its competitors, the G90 includes both 6- and 8-cylinder options. The basic setup incorporates a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with 365 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque. Should you want more power, there’s a 5.0-liter V8 that bumps things up to 420 hp and 383 lb-ft. With either choice, the sole transmission is an 8-speed automatic unit with paddle shifters. Both configurations feature standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). Finally, Genesis paid a great deal of attention to the sedan’s driving feel, offering an adaptive suspension and four drive modes: Smart, Eco, Sport, and Individual. When paired with AWD or RWD, the 3.3-liter engine returns 17 city, 24 highway, and 20 combined. The larger engine returns 16, 24, and 19 with RWD and 15, 23, and 18 with AWD.

The G90 comes in two trims, 3.3T Premium and 5.0 Ultimate. The base 3.3T Premium trim bundles the V6 engine, 19-inch chrome alloy wheels, an electronic parking brake, adaptive LED headlights with LED daytime-running lights, a 22-way power driver seat, a 16-way power passenger seat, soft-closing doors, a hands-free power trunk, power-folding side mirrors with approach lights, keyless access and start, high-quality Nappa leather, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, memory settings, a 7-inch color instrument panel LCD, a 12.3-inch infotainment system with navigation, a 17-speaker audio system, wireless phone charging, power rear-side sunshades, and tri-zone climate control.

The 5.0 Ultimate package provides a worthy set of upgrades. You’ll get the larger V8 engine, rear bucket seats with 12-way adjustment on the left and 14-way on the right, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats.

Genesis doesn’t charge extra for safety options. The kit includes driver-attention alert, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic detection, lane-changing assist, adaptive cruise control with traffic crawl, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and a panoramic camera. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the model perfect safety scores and its highest distinction: the Top Safety Pick + award.

The Genesis G90 stands out due to its adherence to soothing, traditional luxury. If you liked Lexus’ previous LS or earlier iterations of the Jaguar XJ, the Genesis may be just the ticket.