Genesis EV is packed with perks and luxury, for less

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- As Genesis continues to assert its commanding presence in the luxury automotive world, here comes an all-electric compact SUV that probably should cost between $90,000 and $100,000.

That was my take after having some seat time in the 2023 Electrified GV70 AWD Prestige, wearing a sticker showing $74,350 on the bottom line.  Granted, price is a relative thing in this world, and your views are likely influenced by your bank account.

But at the luxury level, this GV70 is a bargain.  I was treated to state-of-the-art electric technology, outstanding fit and finish, and a $6,800 Prestige Package that included Nappa leather seating surfaces, a 12.3-inch/3D digital instrument cluster, a head-up display and heated second-row seats.

Riding on 20-inch alloy wheels, the tester had a smooth profile and just enough SUV sculpting to keep the neighbors guessing: Is that a sport-ute or something else.  Either way, it's a sharp, elegant-looking machine.

The electric advantages are evident on the sticker -- a 98 miles per gallon equivalent in the city and 83 mpg on the highway. Range checks in at 236 miles.

A standard panoramic sunroof and an incredibly long list of standard safety technology features are nice, but the star of the show is performance.  The tested CV70 was so aggressive off the line and such a blur in tight spots that I found myself relentlessly darting it around, seemingly oblivious to the battery miles remaining readout in the dash.

All that oomph comes courtesy of an electric powertrain generating the equivalent of 429 horsepower and 516 foot-pounds of torque.  Numbers to respect?  Without question.  But wait, there's more.

You've heard of Beast Mode?  The GV70 comes with "Boost Mode," which enables the driver to experience a 483 horsepower rush for 10 seconds.

Sometimes, I can get so hung up on performance that I fail to appreciate all the technical sophistication that goes into a vehicle like the GV70, which is packed with impressive perks.

And really, one should be impressed with things like this (in the words of Genesis): "For added driving comfort, the Electrified GV70 also comes equipped with Active Noise Control-Road (ANC-R) that significantly reduces the level of noise by measuring and analyzing road noises and simultaneously creating sound waves at opposite frequencies."

Got that? Not the kind of thing you think about when you're zipping along at 70 miles per hour. But yeah, I'm impressed.

Come to think of it, I'm impressed by just about everything this EV has to offer.