 | Positives: Distinct and beautiful exterior and interior, astounding levels of luxury and technology, powerful supercharged engine, whisper quiet, excellent four-wheel steering, standard all-wheel drive across the lineup, standard equipment means loaded to the eyeballs. |
 | Negatives: Mediocre fuel economy compared to the competition, could handle a bit better in the turns. |
 | Bottom Line: Genesis has finally made good on the G90 nameplate and created a supremely incredible luxury sedan that still undercuts the competition. It's amazing to sit in, good to drive, and offers special styling and high-end features. |
Driving Experience
The G90 no longer gets a V8, and that's ok. Its two iterations are a twin-turbo V6 with 375 horses, and our tester was the twin-turbocharged and e-supercharged (48-volt mild hybrid, electric supercharger) V6 good for 409 horses. Power is significant and immediate. Our tester came standard with the air suspension, which is very impressive. There's also a Chauffeur mode that smooths out the ride even more for passengers.
Ride Quality: The car is smooth and effortless over varying pavement quality, as well as over bumps and gaps. This car feels as good as, if not better than the Germans when it comes to ride quality without sacrificing connection to the road.
Acceleration: The top-tier powertrain results in a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds, righteously quick for a car of this size and weight. There's little to no lag when mashing the pedal, and gearshifts are decently quick.
Braking: The brakes are strong and progressive with good pedal feel. We were able to bring the G90 to a stop without drama.
Steering: We love the G90's four-wheel steering, which makes a huge difference maneuvering this long vehicle in tight spots. It's a game-changer for the G9. There's some effort to the wheel, and precision is very good despite the general lack of feedback.
Handling: The G90 does just fine in the turns, but it's not as taut as the 7-Series. There's some body roll, and you can't toss it hard, but it will suit most owners well. It's not meant to be a street carver, after all.
Technology
Step inside the G90, and you'll find what amounts to the most beautiful infotainment system in a luxury flagship sedan. It might not be as big as Merc's latest system, but it's easier to use and more aesthetically attractive than the competition's. The G90 also includes a crisp head-up display and a wireless smartphone charging pad. Rear occupants get their own high-res control screen that runs climate, seats, massage, and sunshades. It, too, looks phenomenal. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are, sadly, not wireless, which we don't get at all in this segment and price point. Heck, the G90 gets push-button soft open/close doors!
Infotainment System: Genesis' latest infotainment interface shows up on a vivid and stunning 12.3-inch display. Menus use high-res photos versus icons and are easy to navigate and wonderful to look at. The instrument cluster is, likewise, a crisp 12.3-inch that changes depending on the drive mode selected. All the relevant data is easy to read an not convoluted with too much distracting design.
Controls: Genesis really knocked it out of the park with making great physical controls that are lovely to look at and satisfying to touch and operate. From the glass rotary shift knob to the textured metallic finish of the buttons, switches, and knobs, the controls are masterful. Even the touchscreen controls for some of the climate functions are very easy to operate.
Styling
There really isn't a single angle from which the G90 doesn't look spectacular. From the parallel lighting signature to the lattice wheels and the perfectly executed creases that form the rear haunches, the G90 look like no other luxury flagship sedan, and it's all the better for it. Its elegance and beauty certainly upstage the garish BMW 7-Series styling, as well as the somewhat boring Mercedes S-Class. The interior is, likewise, beautiful to behold.
Front: The huge shield grille and the long quad headlights are a perfect match, capped off by a very Maserati-like clamshell hood.
Rear: The taillights that mimic the front headlights frame the "GENESIS" wording on the trunk lid perfectly. We absolutely love the convergence of the body creases, the upswept cutline in the rear quarter panels, and that ducktail spoiler that's integrated into the trunk lid. Wow. Just wow.
Profile: The silhouette is long and lean with the execution of the parallel lighting elements, but it's still nicely muscular thanks to the creases and the Bentley-esque tail section. The intricate lattice wheels are some of the most beautiful found on any modern car.
Cabin: We love the original styling elements like the lower framing of the center touchscreen, the pill-shaped climate controls, artfully engraved wood trim,
Comfort
Genesis' approach to the G90's interior is rife with high-grade materials, ample amounts of space, and creature comforts galore. There's a ton of space in both rows, Nappa leather seating in front and back with massage functionality, microfiber headliner and pillars, as well as niceties like a fragrance diffuser, an anti-microbial sanitation system that cleans the air and objects like smartphones, and active noise cancellation, to name a few.
Front Seats: Big, supportive, and very adjustable, the front seats are marvelous. Add in the massage feature, and it's heaven in the worst commuting traffic. The seating position is also very good.
Rear Seats: The rear seats ar sublime, and the right passenger gets limo-like treatment that sends the front passenger seat all the way forward and deploys the leg rests. Heated, ventilated, and massaging seats, power sunshades, and noise cancelling means you can get nothing done and love it.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): The interior is whisper quiet and sound deadening is top-notch. Wind noise is non-existent, and build quality is excellent.
Visibility: Aside from the thick and raked C-pillars, overall visibility is very good. The long but sloping hoodline allows good sightlines in tight spots.
Climate: The climate control system works flawlessly, and the G90 moved tons of cool air on warmer days. The heated and ventilated front and rear seats are also responsive and get to temp very quickly.
Safety
The G90 has not been crash/safety tested by either the IIHS or the NHTSA, but that doesn't mean it's not supremely safe. First of all, the 2022 G90 attained the Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, and the current 2023 G80 and G70 also won the award. The current G90 also benefits from a slew of standard safety features.
IIHS Rating: Not tested.
NHTSA Rating: Not tested.
Standard Tech: The G90 comes with a bevy of features including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist/Lane Following Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind-Spot View Monitor, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Highway Driving Assist II, Smart Cruise Control w/ Stop & Go, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist Driver Attention Warning, High Beam Assist Rearview Camera w/ Dynamic Guidelines, Surround View Monitor, Parking Distance Warning, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Remote Smart Parking Assist.
Optional Tech: None.
Storage/Cargo
It's hard for car brands to do luxury, style, and storage space all at once (unless it's a premium pickup truck, that is), but the G90 has a crap ton of interior storage choices
Storage Space: There's no shortage of space here including big door pockets, a large retractable door compartment, and great seatback pockets. The rear occupants also get a well-sized armrest compartment.
Cargo Room: The trunk isn't huge at about 11 cubic feet. It's actually smaller than the last G90 by a few cubes and smaller than the G80 by a couple. There's still plenty of room for golf bags and gear.
Fuel Economy
The most efficient G90 is the less-expensive 375-hp twin-turbo V6. The engine in our tester, the more powerful 409-hp V6 is less so, but we think it's worth the extra oomph. Anyone who expects a powerful, heavy luxury sedan to be fuel efficient is an idiot. Get the G80 Electrified if that's what you're looking for. Just keep it out of Sport mode and go easy on the throttle, the opposite of what we did.
Observed: 17.4 mpg.
Distance Driven: 177 miles.
Driving Factors: copy text
Audio
There's just about nothing that doesn't come standard on the G90 E-Supercharged model. Every G90 actually model comes with a premium Bang and Olufsen stereo system, but the E-supercharged elevates the sound experience with an even better 23-speaker system with concert hall acoustics. It's one of the best systems we've heard all year, if not THE best. Plus, you don't have to pay a dime extra to get it.
Final Thoughts
We appreciated the last-generation G90 for what it brought to the luxury sedan table, but it was missing something, namely a truly special look inside and out. This time around, the brand crushes it with style, tech, and comfort galore. We enjoyed driving it with four-wheel steering, immense luxury, and uniquely beautiful styling. We don't care if it doesn't have the brand cache of the Germans. This G90 is the luxury sedan to get, and it still undercuts the competition price-wise. This is the one we would buy for ourselves.