At a clean $100,000 the 2023 Genesis G90 E-Supercharger sits comfortably at the top of Hyundai’s luxury liner brand. And a luxury liner it is. Just rolling down the street, it presents an attitude and swagger that gets noticed, but after spending a week with it we can say there is far more than meets the eyes.

At 207.7-inches long with a 125-inch wheelbase it’s positively a huge boat of a luxury car – its footprint nearly identical to that of a Mecedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series. Styling and fashion here is something far more unique and unexpected, like Lady Gaga showing up next to Lauren Bacall and Robert De Niro.

It’s distinctive crest grille and two-line LED headlamps are striking. It’s large chrome 21-inch wheels setting a planted stance even for this large sedan. In silhouette it’s clearly stately yet with the angular kick-up of lines at the rear deck is playful and confident in the face of formality.

Driving it brings the classic heavy-weight feel of a luxury flagship. Weighing in at 5,200 pounds it feels substantial and rides as if on a puffy padded cloud. It’s four wheel steering cuts its turning circle by some 3-feet which allowed me a complete and surprisingly nimble turnaround in one sweep on my neighborhood street.

It’s soft and cushy yes but it has a well-balanced and adaptive air chamber suspension that reads the road ahead with a camera – ready to pounce on road irregularities and tighten up when needed to give you the deft hand you need when things starting getting more aggressive.

And aggressive it can be. The top-line G90 features a 3.5-liter twin turbocharged V6 along with a 48-volt electric supercharger that enable 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. The electric supercharger fills in where the turbochargers lack, which means no lag from start to finish.

It’s 8-speed automatic transmission steps off its shifts sharp and precise too. It all works well to move the G90 around town and onto the freeway with the kind of authority it looks like it has. The only complaint is that the powertrain just isn’t as smooth and velvety as the previous generation V8. Progress I guess. It did however beat out the old V8 in fuel efficiency, achieving a 23 mpg average in my week. Not bad.

Sitting behind the wheel is another area where this car is a distinctive experience. Rich materials and mid-century design are combined with a symphony of high-tech lighting, audio, climate control and comfort altering features.

Designed to be for the driver or the chauffered passengers, it brings a lot of tricks to the party. Push buttons open and close the doors both front and rear. Flush door handles sense your presence and pop out for you to grab them.

Seats offer a myriad of power adjustments, heating, ventilation and massage functions front and rear. There are two panoramic sunroofs that can be separately controlled. Then the power rear sunshades that don’t require you to break your nails. Inhale, you will like the scent as the G90 features not one but two selectrable fragrances that can be pumped through the cabin through the HVAC system.

2023-Genesis-G90-6

Then there are the screens with some of the most amazing graphic user experience design I have seen both front and rear. The cockpit features a well laid out combination of two screens, the rear passengers get their own as well. Top it all off with switchgear made of top quality materials throughout and is just the right balance of quality and quantity for easy learning and daily use.

And it’s so quiet in here. Oh so quiet. That is except when you have the theatrical sound of its Bang & Olufsen Home 23-speaker system 3D sound system cranked up and letting you have it. It’s like sex for the ears, a session you will want over and over again.

After spending time with it, I would say that this class of car at its outset isn’t for everyone. It takes a special buyer to appreciate a large luxury car that spends it time and energies coddling its passengers and wowing onlookers alike. It is a level of excess.

In the case of the G90, at $100,370 fully loaded it’s the least excessive of its peers in terms of price and it also comes with a warranty they could only dream of. While you would never consider keeping one of the Germans past it’s warranty or it’s lease term, this is a luxury car you might feel comfortable actually buying and keeping for a while.

Category:

Drives, Luxury

Tags:

, , , ,