Yahoo Autos 2023 Genesis G90 First Drive Review: No more compromises
Reviewing the Genesis G90 in the past has always been a game of qualifiers. It drives really well (for the money). The interior is a massive step in the right direction (for a Genesis). That tech sure is snazzy (but not as good as the German stuff). And so on. In a way, these are all backhanded compliments. Ask someone to put their money on a single flagship luxury sedan, and even though the G90 is really good, most buyers in this class are still plunking down the big bucks for a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series.
The 2023 Genesis G90 faces this uphill battle against German prestige once more, but as a fully revamped model that is far better equipped to take on the best in the world. To see if it’s strong enough to land any punches against the best, a road trip and plentiful seat time is in order. There’s nothing a big, long sedan excels at better than scarfing up highway miles, but is the new G90 the one you want for this task?
If catching eyes and attention on the road is a desired outcome, then the G90 aces this test. There isn’t a subtle angle to the G90, from the impossibly thin “Micro Lens Array” headlights up front to the width-stretching LED taillights out back. Its proportions and general design need no highlighting — the car is a stunner. But the details deserve to be highlighted. Elements like the elongated lights that stretch into the front fenders, the bronze-painted brake calipers and the trapezoidal exhaust tips are all examples of Genesis letting its designers loose to make something genuinely unique.
The powertrain under the G90’s clamshell hood — it combines the hood and fenders to provide a panel gap-less look — keeps up with the Joneses if you spec the upgraded model dubbed “E-Supercharger.” In this as-tested spec, the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 is supplemented by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that brings an electrically-driven supercharger into the fold to both smooth accelerative responses and provide a boost in power. Total system output is 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque, which is 34 hp and 14 lb-ft of torque more than the base G90 without the mild-hybrid system. Even if you skip the E-Supercharger, the base G90’s engine is an upgrade over the smaller 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 it made do with before — there is no more V8 for 2023.
This engine, while not as mighty as the boosted V8 options you’ll find in a Mercedes-Benz S 580 or BMW 760i, is an ideal unit for a sedan such as this one. The start/stop system allows for seamless coasting to a halt and natural initial acceleration. Plus, the supercharged boost from the get-go negates any lag from the engine before the turbos spin up, ultimately providing that oh-so-desired effortless glide from light-to-light. The melt-into-the-background eight-speed transmission does fine work of not getting in the way of this engine’s smoothness, too. When you do call upon all 409 ponies, the G90 leaps to action with a firm shove into the seat — 0-60 mph feels like it arrives in just over 5 seconds. The muted rush of the V6 is amplified in the G90’s Sport driving mode, but it’s never intrusive or unrefined, maintaining a quiet sense of luxury at all times.
Fuel economy may not be a buyer’s concern at the price point of full-size executive sedans (and if it was, they’d probably go all-electric), but over a long highway road trip, we handily bested the G90’s 24 mpg highway rating, coming in with a final average of 29 mpg. The electric supercharger doesn’t improve EPA fuel economy ratings — it’s 1 mpg down in the city and 2 mpg down on the highway versus the gas-only model — but the G90 proved shockingly efficient in real-world driving.
In addition to the “E” boost, the mild-hybrid G90 is treated to other niceties that improve how it drives over the standard G90. The big one is the multi-chamber air suspension combined with the “Preview-Electronic Control Suspension” (PECS) we’ve seen previously in various Genesis models. The PECS system functions how we’re accustomed to seeing it work in other Genesis models, as it uses cameras and sensors to detect what’s coming up in the road ahead, then optimizes the electronically-controlled dampers to offer the best-possible ride over the obstruction. Adding the air suspension element, however, is new for the G90 to enhance the ride even further.
The S-Class and 7 Series feature air suspensions that can be raised or lowered as necessary at the touch of a button, but neither go so far as to automatically do so on slopes/steep drop-offs like the G90 does. Of course, an S-Class can be had with Mercedes’ innovative E-Active Body Control suspension that has exclusive tricks of its own, so two can play at that game.
The last big drive-related bonus for the mild-hybrid G90 is the addition of rear-wheel steering, allowing for four-degrees of opposite lock at low speeds and 2 degrees of turn in the same direction as the front wheels. It’s not as impressive as the S-Class’ maximum of 10 degrees, but the feature still greatly enhances this big sedan’s maneuverability in every situation.
Stability and ride comfort both get the highest marks possible. You can’t do any better than this lest you buy something as expensive as a Mercedes-Maybach or Bentley. The big, intricate 21-inch wheels don’t seem to hurt the G90’s composure. No matter the road quality over a 500-plus-mile road trip, the serenity of comfort and silence could not be broken.
