2022 Genesis GV70 is a Curvy Compact SUV

Genesis is keeping momentum going with our first official look at the GV70 compact SUV, unveiled late Wednesday. Right as the brand’s first SUV, the GV80, is starting to find its way to dealers, now we know what its little brother will look like inside and out.

From its quad-lamp face, the GV70 is immediately identifiable as a Genesis. That doesn’t mean the Korean luxury brand has simply set the office copier to 80-percent and scanned the GV80, however. The headlights point towards the crest grille, like the facelifted G70 sport sedan, and more aggressive intakes flank the lower bumper. It’s when we move around the GV70 that it really begins to set its own tone. A body-color C-pillar breaks up the crescent shape of the side glass.

A more pronounced shoulder than the statelier GV80 flows into smooth tail section. Here, Genesis’ signature twin-bar taillamps are longer and thinner, stretching nearly to the “Genesis” badging on the tailgate. There’s no concave surface like the 80-series vehicles either, lending the GV70 a sportier look. Below the taillights, Genesis has rotated its shield-shaped exhaust outlets 90 degrees. Overall it’s a striking design, especially in the pale purple Genesis has debuted it in.

Heading inside, and on the non-Sport model, the purple theme continues in a big way. There’s a lot of ovals in here, but don’t worry, it’s no 1996 Ford Taurus. Instead of the big, flowing center console of the GV80, the GV70 houses most of its controls in an elongated oval running across over half the dash face. The space to the left of the two-spoke steering wheel houses a handful of controls like the start-stop and instrument brightness, while the central section features climate controls and infotainment menu buttons. Lower down we find two rotary dials, for the transmission as well as the infotainment. The latter is different than the new system in the 80-series cars however, missing the iPod-style click wheel. Genesis’ 14.5-inch touchscreen sits atop the whole thing.

In the GV70 Sport, the steering wheel swaps out for a three-piece item. Gone are the quilted leather seats, with contrast-stitched, microfiber-insert buckets in their place. The patterned door inserts of the regular model—looking a bit like a mountain range—are also swapped for carbonfiber-like trim.

We’ll reserve judgment until we see the whole thing in person, but from these initial pictures, this looks like a serious contender for the BMW ( X3), Mercedes ( GLC), and Audi ( Q5) competition. We were impressed with the GV80’s fit and finish in our hands-on preview of it earlier this year.

As for what powers the GV70, Genesis isn’t saying. We’d be surprised if it isn’t the two-engine turbocharged lineup of its big brother however: a 300-horsepower 2.5-liter inline-four, and a 375-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. Rear-wheel drive will likely be standard, with all-wheel drive optional. An eight-speed auto handles shifting duties.

The GV70 will go on sale before the end of 2020 in its native Korea. US sales will likely begin in mid-2021. As for price tag, we expect the littlest Genesis crossover to kick off right around $40,000, and rise to roughly $55,000 for a loaded 3.5T.

Also, stay tuned for our first drive of the GV80 very soon!

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