2024 Genesis GV70 vs 2023 Hyundai Palisade

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, as Hyundai's largest SUV, had a commanding presence on the road, further enhanced by its 2023 styling update. The new front fascia, with its bold strokes and squared-off grille, framed the new headlights, giving the SUV a stronger look. LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights were standard across the lineup, while LED taillights were standard on SEL and higher trims. The top Calligraphy trim was distinguished by premium rear accent lighting, body-color bumpers, a unique grille of glossy black and chrome, and a wider, body-color rear spoiler. The new XRT trim featured a dark grille, roof cross rails, body-color door handles, special accents on the bumpers and skid plates, and black 20-inch wheels. The interior of the Calligraphy-trim tester was stylish, with premium Nappa leather and a dual-pane sunroof brightening the space. The horizontal quilting and dash lines were reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz, and the materials used were of high quality.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 stood out within the Genesis lineup and its competitive set with its sleek design. It retained certain Genesis styling features, such as the split headlights and large shield-like grille, for brand recognition. The GV70 was sleeker than its larger sibling, the GV80, and avoided the quirkiness of the smaller GV60. It had standout details, including an almost hatchback-like rear window profile, large round exhaust outlets on the gasoline-powered Sport Prestige trim, and distinctive designs for the available 21-inch wheels. The GV70 struck a balance between SUV size and luxury-car style, with competitors like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 lacking the finesse of the GV70's styling. The Electrified GV70 maintained the same styling as the gasoline models, with a shiny grille housing the charge port, making it convenient for charging. The interior was distinctive, with traditional luxury touches like quilted Nappa leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof, but it was the details, such as the elliptical pod housing the climate controls and the rotary controller for the infotainment system, that made it memorable.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with a single powertrain option: a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This power output was competitive for its class, making the Palisade more powerful than the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas, slightly more so than the Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder, and just a bit less than the gas-powered Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer. The eight-speed automatic transmission could be manipulated with standard paddle shifters, and power was routed to the front wheels by default, with all-wheel drive (AWD) available as a $1,900 option. The Palisade offered a comfortable ride, with a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds and a dedicated Tow Mode for AWD-equipped models. Fuel economy for front-wheel-drive (FWD) models was 19 mpg city, 27 highway, and 22 combined, while AWD models achieved 19 city, 25 highway, and 21 combined.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 offered unchanged powertrain options, with the gasoline GV70 featuring a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel. A 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 was also available, delivering 375 hp and 391 lb-ft. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). The Electrified GV70 featured front and rear electric motors producing a combined 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a "Boost Mode" providing 483 hp for 10 seconds. While the GV70 offered vigorous straight-line acceleration, its chassis tuning was not as sporty as some rivals, feeling bigger and heavier through corners. The ride quality was reasonably comfortable, but the suspension tended to crash down on bumps. The Electrified GV70 had steering-wheel paddles to adjust regenerative braking, allowing for one-pedal driving, and offered an EPA-rated 236-mile range.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was a midsize SUV capable of comfortably seating seven or eight passengers. It offered 44.1 inches of legroom in the front row, 42.4 in the second, and 31.4 in the third, with a passenger volume of 155.3 cubic feet. The second-row seating facilitated easy access to the third row with a standard one-touch seat slide, and the 60/40-split seats folded completely flat. Cargo space totaled 18 cubic feet with all seats in place, 45.8 behind the second row, and 86.4 with all but the front-row seats folded flat. The Palisade featured HVAC vents in all three rows and provided two cupholders per person. The center console included a phone holder and space for a bag, with physical buttons and knobs laid out in a compact and intuitive manner.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 offered comparable interior space to its rivals, with slightly less headroom than the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It had a fraction more front-seat legroom than the BMW and Mercedes, and a fraction less than the Audi. The GV70 provided 28.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, better than the Mercedes and BMW but less than the Audi. Folding the rear seats offered 56.9 cubic feet of space. The Electrified GV70 had minimal impact on interior space, with slight reductions in legroom and headroom. The stylish interior design of the GV70 limited small-item storage, but it included a dedicated phone storage nook and rear-seat climate controls. The Electrified GV70 featured automatic side bolsters for the front seats, enhancing occupant security during strong acceleration or cornering.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade featured advanced technology, becoming the first Hyundai to offer WiFi hotspot capability as standard on every trim. A new 12.3-inch color touchscreen infotainment system was standard, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, HD Radio, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth connectivity. A premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system was available in SEL models and standard in Limited and Calligraphy. The Palisade offered a 4.2-inch color driver info display or a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in higher trims. An in-car intercom and rear-seat quiet mode were available, and Hyundai's Bluelink connected vehicle system was standard on all trims. The Palisade introduced Digital Key 2 Touch, compatible with Apple devices, allowing owners to use their iPhone, Apple Watch, or Samsung device to unlock, start, and drive the car.

The 2024 Genesis GV70's infotainment system borrowed from the Hyundai parts bin, offering a 14.5-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Lower trims had an 8-inch digital instrument cluster, while higher grades featured a 12.3-inch unit with a 3D effect. A 12-inch head-up display and a 16-speaker Lexicon audio system were available. The touchscreen had an intuitive layout, and a rotary controller on the center console provided an alternative control method. The GV70 included a fingerprint scanner for individual driver profiles and digital key functionality, allowing a phone to be used in place of the key fob.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2022 model, with improvements in safety features for 2023. It came with Hyundai's Smart Sense suite of safety features, including forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, high beam assist, and lane-keeping and lane-following assist. Blind-spot collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance were newly standard. The Palisade also featured navigation-based Smart Cruise Control, Highway Driving Assist, and a full-display digital rearview mirror. Safe exit warning and rear seat occupant alert were standard on most trims.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 received the IIHS's highest Top Safety Pick+ award for both gasoline and Electrified models. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published four-star frontal and rollover crash-test ratings for gasoline models, with the 2023 GV70 receiving a five-star overall safety rating. All GV70 models came with standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and Highway Driving Assist. A more sophisticated Highway Driving Assist 2 system was available, adding automated lane-change capability and blind-spot monitoring. Genesis offered high-tech safety features, such as safe exit assist and a radar-based rear occupant alert system.