2024 Genesis GV70 vs 2025 Subaru Forester

The 2024 Genesis GV70 was a standout in the Genesis lineup, offering a sleek design that balanced luxury and SUV presence. Its styling featured split headlights and a large shield-like grille for brand recognition, while maintaining a sleeker profile than its larger sibling, the GV80. The GV70's design included unique elements like a hatchback-like rear window profile and distinctive wheel designs. It managed to blend luxury-car style with SUV proportions better than competitors like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3, which lacked finesse, and the Porsche Macan, which struggled with SUV styling. The Electrified GV70 retained the same styling as the gasoline model, with a shiny grille housing the charge port, making it convenient for charging. Inside, the GV70's interior was distinctive, with quilted Nappa leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and unique design elements like an elliptical pod for climate controls and a rotary infotainment controller.

The 2025 Subaru Forester, traditionally known for its practicality over aesthetics, received notable styling updates. It featured standard roof rails and 17-inch alloy wheels, with a more generic look that smoothed out its previous design. The Forester Sport trim introduced bronze accents, replacing the previous red, and 19-inch wheels. The Limited and Touring trims offered different wheel sizes and additional features like a low-profile roof rack and chrome badging. The Forester maintained its large-greenhouse shape with geometric wheel arches and a more decisive side window design. Inside, the Forester offered cloth upholstery with blue contrast stitching, while the Sport trim featured StarTex material with brown stitching. Limited and Touring trims provided genuine leather seating surfaces. The interior had a more intentional design, with structural dash elements that felt premium.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 offered two gasoline powertrain options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, and a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 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 delivering a combined 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack. A "Boost Mode" provided 483 hp for short bursts. While the GV70 offered strong straight-line acceleration, its chassis tuning didn't match its sporty rivals, feeling heavier and less agile through corners. The ride quality was reasonable but not exceptional, with the suspension tending to crash over bumps. The Electrified GV70 maintained similar driving characteristics, with the added benefit of adjustable regenerative braking for one-pedal driving. Its EPA-rated range was 236 miles.

The 2025 Subaru Forester featured a 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, paired with a Lineartonic continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD). The Forester's engine was quieter than previous models, with reduced noise at cruising speeds. Subaru's X-Mode system, standard from the Premium trim, enhanced stability and traction on challenging terrain. The Forester Sport and higher trims offered a dual-function version of X-Mode. The Forester's acceleration was modest, but it excelled in off-road conditions, providing stability on various surfaces. The standard AWD system impacted fuel economy, with the EPA rating the Forester at 26 mpg city, 33 highway, and 29 combined. A hybrid version was expected to follow.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 offered competitive interior space compared to its rivals, with slightly less headroom but more front-seat legroom than the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It provided 28.9 cubic feet of cargo space with rear seats in place, better than the Mercedes but slightly less than the Audi Q5. Folding the rear seats expanded cargo space to 56.9 cubic feet. The Electrified GV70 had minimal impact on interior space, with slight reductions in legroom and headroom. The GV70's stylish interior design limited small-item storage, but it included features like automatic side bolsters for the front seats in Sport mode.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced a hands-free power liftgate, powered on the Sport trim and foot-activated on Limited. The more vertical rear glass increased cargo space to 29.6 cubic feet with rear seats in place and 74.4 cubic feet with them folded. The cargo area featured eight heavy-duty hooks. The Forester's roomy second row impacted cargo space compared to competitors like the Toyota RAV4. The interior included a dark headliner, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat on the Premium trim, and additional features on higher trims like seat ventilation and heated back seats.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 featured 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 offered 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 infotainment system was user-friendly, with a rotary controller on the center console. Genesis included a fingerprint scanner for driver profiles and digital key functionality, allowing a phone to replace the key fob.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced an 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus infotainment system, standard on all but the base trim, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base Forester had two 7-inch touchscreens with wired smartphone projection. Premium and higher trims included dual USB-A and USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad, and Wi-Fi hotspot capability. A navigation system was standard on the Touring trim, along with an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Subaru's Starlink connected services suite offered additional capabilities for 2025.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 received the IIHS's highest Top Safety Pick+ award for gasoline models, while the Electrified GV70 received the same award as a 2023 model. NHTSA ratings for 2024 were incomplete, but the 2023 GV70 received a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and Highway Driving Assist. A more advanced Highway Driving Assist 2 system was available, adding automated lane-change capability and blind-spot monitoring. Genesis also offered high-tech safety features like safe exit assist and a radar-based rear occupant alert system.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced Emergency Stop Assist, available on Touring trim with the driver distraction-mitigation system. This feature slowed the vehicle to a stop if the driver became unresponsive. The Forester came standard with Subaru's EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technology, enhanced for 2025 with a wider field of view and an electric brake booster. The 2025 Forester had not yet been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but the 2024 model received a Top Safety Pick award and a five-star rating.