The GV70 has been a perennial favourite of ours pretty much since Day One. It made a great first impression that’s more than held up over the years, focusing on thoughtful design instead of gimmicky tech, style instead of fashion, and a straightforward, no-nonsense powertrain lineup—although admittedly, a plug-in hybrid would be nice. Now heading into its fifth year on the market, the 2026 Genesis GV70 receives a refresh, doubling down on taking a good thing and making almost everything better.
What’s new for 2025?
The outgoing GV70 stood the test of time by emphasizing the right stuff. It still turned heads, still felt punchy and refined regardless of your powertrain choice, and its sinuous and flowing lines aged extremely well in an era where everyone else seems to be chasing creases and folds, hard edges, and slab-sides. For 2026, the GV70 receives a subtle refresh that doesn’t change much, but that’s because not much needed changing. Genesis tweaked the front and rear fascias, gave it some new wheel designs depending on the trim level, supposedly retuned the GV70’s suspension and steering, and swapped in the also-recently-updated GV80’s sweeping 27-inch display, among other updates.
You probably won’t pick up the revised front and rear fascias right away, unless you’re parked next to a 2025 model at Whole Foods. The front fascia takes cues from the recently updated GV80, with a similar grille design and headlight treatment. A strip of chrome trim runs across the lower portion of the front bumper, flowing nicely into the side profile, which remains largely unchanged. That’s a very good thing; the swooping silhouette and flowing lines play into the coupe-ish motif without impinging on headroom and cargo space, and the C-pillar still gives us shades of Porsche 928. The updated rear end is equally subtle, with the only noteworthy change being the lower bumper and concealed exhaust-tip treatment. The base Advanced and top-trim Sport models roll on new wheel designs; our tester’s handsome-looking 20s are a carryover from last year.
How’s the updated 2026 GV70 inside?
Inside, the centrepiece to this updated 2026 GV70 is the new 27-inch display, but we’re a little conflicted. On one hand, the whole one-piece gauge-cluster-and-infotainment-touchscreen combo is a dime a dozen; how is this something to brag about when it’s the same basic look as a Kona? On the flip side, Genesis’ execution here is impeccable—you can often tell it’s two, sometimes three separate displays under one piece of glass, and once you see it in those cars, you can’t unsee it. But the GV70 uses an entire OLED display, resulting in a truly seamless look. It helps that the software you’re poking-and-prodding at is as crisp, responsive, and easy-to-use as it’s always been. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are now finally a thing, too.
The 2026 GV70 also now gets the same steering wheel as the updated GV80, as well as a redesigned centre console. We’re a little less fond of this one aspect of the update—the stretched-oval motif in the outgoing GV70 looked more interesting, but we’ll begrudgingly grant the new cupholder layout is more intuitive. And yes, we still caught ourselves scrolling through the infotainment instead of shifting into reverse while trying to back into a parking spot.
Otherwise, the 2026 GV70’s cabin remains impeccable. Everything you touch feels well-made; the stitching is tight and adds contrast in all the right areas; the ambient lighting looks slick at night; it’s an impeccably crafted space that flows so well without sacrificing basic ergonomics. It’s calming, being behind the wheel of this GV70 on a rainy drive home, cocooned by fuzzy Alcantara and buttery Nappa leather in the quiet din of a rainy highway.
Engine, powertrain, and driving impressions
The GV70 is arguably the only player in the segment that strikes the best balance between sporty and luxurious. For how striking its design is, for how impeccably crafted and calming its interior is, this thing drives really well. It takes aim primarily at the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, and to a lesser extent the four-cylinder Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Porsche Macan.
Since launch, you could choose between one of two gas powertrains. Obviously the one that gets the blood pumping is the range-topping GV70 Sport Plus and its 375-horsepower twin-turbo V6, but this one has the base 2.5-litre turbo-four under the hood. That’d normally be a letdown, but it isn’t. With 300 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque on tap through an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive, it feels surprisingly smooth, refined, and punchy. Genesis says they’ve made some suspension and chassis tweaks—namely new hydraulic bushings and the adaptive suspension now uses the car’s nav data and cameras to anticipate bumps and imperfections—but we’ll need a track day with the Sport Plus, the upcoming Magma, and a previous-model-year Sport Plus to really suss out those differences.
Road manners remain a highlight; the 2026 GV70 still makes absolutely everything effortless, ride quality still feels sublime, and the cabin is still well-hushed from the outside world. It returns surprisingly good fuel economy, too, settling at 10.4 L/100 km after a week of chill commuting and errands. Genesis still offers an electric powertrain, though a plug-in hybrid would be nice.
Final thoughts
Genesis’ refresh to the GV70 is a hit, even if we’ll miss some aspects of the old one. The subtly updated styling still looks great, the new widescreen inside is executed well, the cabin is still a wonderful environment, and even with the base engine under the hood, the 2026 Genesis GV70 drives great. Coming in at a nice-and-even $73,000 as-tested for this Prestige 2.5T model, it won’t break the bank, at least compared to other players in the luxury space. If you value style and good design, you should at least check out a GV70 on the way to the Volvo dealer.
