Genesis G90 struts with luxury cabin, E-supercharged V6

Genesis introduces its second-generation G90 as a 2023 sedan. Offering handsome exterior styling, supercharged performance, and all the luxury accouterments in the cabin that a flagship luxury sedan could offer, the G90 remains a value among the competition.

At a base price of $88,400, the Genesis G90 is a true value, giving you more standard technology, upscale materials, and overall refinement for the dollar. My G90 tester added an upgraded Hallasan Green paint treatment, all-wheel drive, a supercharged engine, and several other safety and convenience features that maxed it out at $98,700.

Learning from the best

As the new kid in town when it comes to world-class luxury the likes of Mercedes, Audi, and BMW, Genesis has had to do more to try to break into the circle. While the Gen-1 G90 was not quite up to all of the German competition’s standards, those days are over, and this Korean auto manufacturer has learned a lot about appealing to the upper crust of vehicle consumers.

Exterior exclusivity

The G90 is long and lean, and its elegance is never understated. Upfront the G90′s grille is massive, setting a tone for the big-ness of every aspect of the flagship sedan for Genesis. I really loved the horizontal twin headlight and taillight design that is a signature for all Genesis sedans.

Huge 21-inch alloy rims are handsome and help plant the G90 to the pavement with authority. The arc of the sedan’s profile is simply a statement of class and athleticism. Nothing looks like the G90 – which may be the very best selling point of all.

Lush cabin

The G90 is a masterpiece of combining wood, leather, and other high-quality materials into an all-encompassing interior that spans a cavernous cabin. Leather is supple with incredible attention to detail in the stitching for the seats, console, and dash. The microfiber suede headliner and pillars are soft to the touch and gorgeous.

This G90 is very much a car, not unlike a Maybach, that really must be experienced from the rear seats. It can accommodate five passengers, but my tester featured the impressive control console dividing the rear pair of seats.

Look for heated, ventilated, power-adjustable, and massage seating that reclines and has a perfect position for whatever task, including relaxing, you may want to achieve. Make no mistake, this sedan is designed to be chauffeur driven. Featuring an actual chauffeur drive mode with sound-insulated glass stretching across the rear quarter panel, this is the level of luxury we are talking about.

There are two sunroofs overhead, one normal size and a smaller one in the back, with its own power sunshade. The rear side door windows also host power sunshades and there’s another for the rear window, which either the driver or rear passengers can deploy.

The G90 features pop-out handles and a push-button entry-exit system that I never really got used to. It almost felt counterintuitive to press the button to open and close the same door. My least-favorite feature for sure.

The dash is an amazing stroke of an artistic blend between tech and visual flair. Easily reached by the driver, the dash can also be controlled via the steering wheel. The intuitive use of the touch screen and metal knobs is really appreciated (and attractive). I really liked the wireless charger that is easily reached in the console where your phone inserts almost vertically.

Like most things on Genesis models, but especially on the G90, you get pretty much everything as standard, there are virtually no add-ons. Look for smart cruise, lane-keeping, blind-spot, collision avoidance, and even Remote Smart Parking to squeeze the massive G90 into a tight spot.

Performance

While the new G90 has dropped the V8 engine for a new e-supercharged V6, there’s little-to-no issue when you need to get up and go. I found the 3.5-liter V6 in my tester, and its 409 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque, to be quite capable of snapping to attention upon demand. Highway speeds were achieved in seconds, and it rolls quietly and comfortably on the road.

The G90 features an e-supercharged 3.5-liter V6 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. G90s can be had with rear-wheel drive or, in the case of my tester, all-wheel drive.

The only real downside to the G90 is the fuel economy rating of 17 mpg city, and 24 mpg highway. These full-size luxury sedans are massive cruisers, so there’s probably little expectation for fuel economy to be anything more than adequate.

Finding the value

The G90 starts at $88,300; going supercharged is an additional $10,000. Both trims come pretty much fully loaded. My tester, with the added $575 for Saville Silver paint, came out to $100,370 with freight and handling. Sure, it’s a lot of money, but in the context of the segment, it’s at a minimum $10,000 cheaper than the competition.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.