2020 G90

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

"An unexpected entry that makes a good impression."

The Genesis name dates back to 2011 when Hyundai introduced the successful Genesis, spawning it later into a coupe variant, then entering the large luxury market with the Equus. In 2017, Hyundai let the Genesis name spin off from Hyundai into it's own brand, and then they released the G90 flagship luxury sedan with the quality and fit and finish of many established German luxury players, but for much less than all of its rivals. A refresh was quite a distance in the horizon, but for 2020, Genesis stepped up their game and gave us a refreshed G90 which highlights the design direction of the Genesis brand. Does an underdog with barely any experience in the segment have the power to take the crown from the Germans? I think it does.

Trim Levels

Trim levels and pricing applies to 2020 model year G90.

3.3T Premium

MSRP $72,200

(AWD +$2,500)

5.0 Ultimate

MSRP $75,700

(AWD +$2,500)

Exterior Design

The front end of the G90 is anything but the least bit controversial. The Genesis's crest grille is big, proud, and clear on the G90, and it really gives the G90 a wide and mean presence. Full LED headlights are standard equipment, which I would expect with a car that costs over $70,000. There's nothing too much to go over, other than the 2020 G90 looks a bit more recognizable as a Genesis than the previous G90.

At 205 inches long, the G90 is very solidly in line in terms of size with the German stalwarts, especially the Mercedes S-Class. This is very much a large luxury sedan. But here's where I have to really pick my negative point. THE WHEELS. MY GOD THE WHEELS. Genesis really overdid it with these wheels. And I thought Mercedes' "monoblock" wheels were ugly? These are worse. They're 19-inch multi-million spoke (I'm over-exaggerating) chrome-plated aluminum wheels riding on massive 275mm wide tires. I will say though that I like how the G90's turn signal extends into the front fender like it got neatly tucked under the wheel arch, instead of them being on the door mirror, which is odd, but a quirky and quite handsome touch.

The G90 is still very restrained and elegant when you look at the behind. LED taillights are standard, but this time, the taillights are in a full split design, with GENESIS spelled prominently above the light bar. To release the trunk, there's a small cutout in which you push to activate the power trunk. You can also use the Hands-Free Smart Trunk and open the trunk without you waving your foot under the bumper or fumbling in your pockets to find your key. Oh, and the exhausts are semi-real. The ends you see are just finishers... and they are shaped in the crest grille design. QUIRKY.

Interior Design

I would've never knew this interior came from a Hyundai.

The G90's interior steps just shy of some of the cheaper large luxury sedans in the segment, but the fit and finish is second to only the S-Class, and a very CLOSE second.

I struggled to find really any hard-touch plastic, only finding one area below the knee pad, but the graining felt nice and it wasn't super cheap-feeling like the hard plastics in my Tucson.

The front seats are supremely comfortable, as they have 22 different ways of adjustment, and you can even tighten up the bolstering in the sides to grip you in place very well. They also tighten up when you put the G90 into Sport mode. The seats are a little too firm for my tastes, but they are soft and supportive.

Personally in the back is where Hyundai could've spent slightly more time and money into making the back seats better. They're excessively comfortable, I'll give it that, but only on the 5.0 Ultimate do you get a power-adjustable rear seat, 16-way on the passenger side and 12 on the drivers side. 3.3T trims don't get it at all. Not even a single adjustment. All you can really do is adjust the head restraint up and down. But the back seats still have a great (and maybe annoying) feature to annoy the heck out of your passenger because you can control the front passenger seat! Power sunshades are all on the G90, side windows and rear, and boy does it get dark! Soft touch materials are everywhere, and I never found any cheap plastic anywhere in the back, excluding the cupholders. Also, the G90 can actually seat five, something not many competitors can say.

Safety & Technology

For 2020, the G90 earns an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ award for 2020.

All the expected driver assist technology is standard across the board. Lane Keeping Assist with Lane Following Assist, Blind-Spot View Monitor, Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse, and Safe Exit Assist round out the impressive safety suite.

For 2020, the G90 earns good ratings in every IIHS crash test, a Good rating for the only headlight combination, and it has a Superior-rated front crash prevention system if you happen to have a sudden stop in front of you, and if a pedestrian walks in front of you, know that the pedestrian detection system is rated Advanced, and avoided most collisions with pedestrians. The crossing child and crossing adult 25 mph tests both had speed reductions of 19 and 23 mph respectively, whereas the parallel adult test done at 37 mph should a reduction of 32 mph. Still respectable numbers! For more on the in-depth ratings, click here to see the ratings.

Driving Impressions

The G90 is meant to gobble up long road trips in comfort and style. And the G90 does that, but not particularly remarkably.

The G90 doesn't have air suspension, but it is adaptive and it does ride pretty smoothly. It is tuned to be as comfortable as possible, but it isn't as smooth-riding as the recent Hyundai Palisade I reviewed. It's still got a very nice ride, though.

Available in both a 3.3L twin-turbo V6 and the upper-level 5.0L "Tau" V8, the G90 has both spectrums covered, whether sportiness and power is your taste or buttery smooth forward movement. We tested the 3.3L twin-turbo V6.

The 3.3L twin-turbo V6 comes right from the G70, G80 Sport, and Kia Stinger GT and makes the same 365 horsepower and 376 lb/ft of torque. It is also hooked up to the same in-house designed 8-speed automatic as many of those in Hyundai's lineup. But I noticed the transmission is tuned just the bare minimum differently than I originally thought it would. It seems to have a slightly sportier setup, but is still extremely composed. The 3.3T has a bit of turbo lag when you floor it from a stop, then it picks up speed very fast, shoving you back into the seat pretty aggressively. The 3.3T is a very torque-rich engine, and there's absolutely no doubt it has the passing power if you suddenly need to pass a plebeian Toyota Prius.

The engine and transmission are both very refined, and they are very much focused on comfort. I do think that some of the rivals ride better, but the G90 does pretty good.

The G90 is no doubt a BIG car, but driving this 205-inch slab of metal is actually not that bad, as you definitely feel its size, but it drives very nicely, and the surround view camera that you can turn on when you are moving at under 5 mph is a big help for a big car.

Performance

The G90 carries over with the 3.3L twin-turbo V6 and the 5.0L V8. The G90 remains as the only Hyundai product to get the 5.0L V8, the K900 dropped it for the 2018 redesign. The 5.0L "Tau" (pronounced T-ow) has been remarkably praised for its buttery smooth power delivery and driving characteristics.

The 3.3L twin-turbo V6 is straight from the G70, G80 Sport, and Kia Stinger GT and makes the same 365 horsepower and 376 lb/ft of torque. It's hooked up to a silky smooth 8-speed automatic. 0-60 should occur in the high 6-second range.

Out of the two engine options in the G90, I'd prefer the 5.0L V8. It makes a strong 420 horsepower and 383 lb/ft of torque, again with the same 8-speed automatic. The V8 has a very strong and deep sound to it, and it is as smooth and refined as a Rolls Royce.

Performance Figures

3.3L twin-turbo V6

Horsepower (hp @ RPM)

365 @ 6000

Torque (lb/ft @ RPM)

376 @ 1300

Transmission(s)

8-speed automatic

Drivetrain

All-wheel-drive

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy)

17 / 25

0-60 Time* estimated

5.5 seconds*

1/4-mile (sec @ mph)

N/A

Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score

The G90 is a solid large luxury sedan, but it doesn't have the experience and the marque of it's German rivals, but the G90 does a pretty darn good job of showing the Germans what Korea can do.

2020 G90

"An unexpected entry that makes a good impression."

Trim Levels

3.3T Premium

MSRP $72,200

5.0 Ultimate

MSRP $75,700

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

Performance Figures

365 @ 6000

376 @ 1300

8-speed automatic

All-wheel-drive

17 / 25

5.5 seconds*

N/A

Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score

The G90 is a solid large luxury sedan, but it doesn't have the experience and the marque of it's German rivals, but the G90 does a pretty darn good job of showing the Germans what Korea can do.

76/85 | Accumulated Score

09 | Reliability

09 | Ergonomics

10 | Value

10 | Innovation

09 | Electronics

09 | Wow factor

10 | Safety

66/70 | Subtotal Score

10/15 | Subjective Category

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