2023 Genesis G90 First Drive: Exemplary Audacity, Unburdened By Tradition

Korean automaker Genesis is in a very unique position. It lacks the many decades of legacy that other luxury automotive brands can stand behind and mine for inspiration, direction or nostalgia. But rather than viewing this as a negative, the people behind Genesis find it very freeing. “We’re not afraid to be bold,” Genesis COO Claudia Marquez told Forbes Wheels. 

Without the baggage of legacy, Genesis can be as audacious with its vehicles as it pleases, most evident in its flagship sedan, the G90. All new for 2023, the latest G90 is everything the luxury segment disruptor wants it to be: bold, luxurious and different. But even without a legacy, it’s burdened with an old-fashioned powertrain in an era where EVs are increasingly dominating top-tier automotive luxury. 

A Bigger, More Powerful G90

The 2023 Genesis G90 is an all-new iteration of the young company’s flagship sedan. It’s built on the brand’s “M3” platform which debuted on the G80 and GV80. This platform is designed to be used in a wide variety of applications, all focusing on maximizing interior luxury space while portraying a low, wide stance for an aggressive appearance. 

The all-wheel drive sedan is powered by the brand’s now-familiar 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, either with the stock 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque as in the G80 Sport or fitted with a 48V “e-supercharger.” This latter option (called the G90 3.5T E-SC AWD) gives the sedan mild hybrid characteristics and a slight boost in overall power output, specifically 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. 

Along with the extra juice, the e-supercharger is meant to fill in dips in power such as at a full-stop launch and between fuel-saving engine shut-off. This is powered solely through brake regeneration and energy is stored in a small battery housed in the front wheel well.

Whatever configuration, power ventures to all four wheels by way of an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The 3.5 E-SC AWD rides on an optional adaptive air suspension and as on the G80 Sport incorporates rear-wheel steering to shrink the big car’s turning circle and stabilize it at speed. 

Vivid Visuals

For its second generation, the G90 has been visually upgraded to be more in line with Genesis’ modern visual language. The car gains the distinct dual-lane headlamp stripes that extend to the turn signals, which also makes for the foundation of the rear lamps as well. Overall, the goal was to give the G90 an “athletically elegant” look that certainly sets it apart from its contemporaries.

 If the design isn’t enough to grab your attention, the G90 makes good on its promise to stand out with its very long and broad proportions, dwarfing most cars it parks next to. At 207.7 inches long, it’s bigger than the Lexus LS and about the same size as the Mercedes-Benz EQS. BMW’s new-for-2023 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class are a little bigger, but neither have the sinuous visuals of the Genesis.

As sleek as it is on the outside, the G90 showcases its best self on the inside. This is done with a swathe of premium materials, thoughtful design choices and an abundance of gadgetry for both drivers and passengers.

Starting in the front, passengers are treated to the simple yet elegant layout of the G90’s cockpit. Two 12.3-inch digital screens act as the gauge cluster and infotainment displays, supported by a touchscreen dedicated to comfort settings. These are intermixed with a wide array of physical buttons, switches and knobs that add a substantial amount of bling to the whole affair, but is overwhelming to sift through when on the move. 

Thankfully, most features can be accessed directly by rear passengers who have their own touchscreen interface for most comfort and entertainment functions. 

A soft microfiber suede headliner and Nappa leather seats are accented by wood inlays that sport a design technique called “Sanggam” which originated in Korean pottery. The wood is similarly inlaid with a contrasting metal design to further highlight Genesis’ connection to Korean culture. 

Tech Flex

Genesis is very much using technology as a flex in the G90 and it starts before drivers ever enter the car. A digital key connected to a profile can be assigned to an iPhone or Apple Watch, not only unlocking the car, but preloading seat, comfort and other settings. 

Making use of ultra wide-band chip technology, the G90 can detect the position of the user in relation to the car, unlock the correct door, open the trunk or even determine who among multiple users is the driver and load the correct profile. 

Once inside, passengers are then treated to a number of gadgets meant to enhance the experience such as an armrest-integrated UV sanitation chamber for phones, massage seating, a 26-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system, customizable ambient lighting and climate control infused with three different fragrances to release into the cabin. All four functions are combined in the “mood curator,” which influences the cabin’s environment to make passengers feel calmer, more revitalized or just plain happy. 

More Quiet, Less Storm

Sitting behind the wheel of the G90 is very commanding. It’s very easy to be dazzled by the array of functions at the driver’s disposal, though many are buried in touchscreen menus and not wholly usable while in motion. Selectable drive modes influence throttle and brake response, the adjustable air suspension and the rear-axle steering. 

In comfort by default, the G90 puts its best designer-sneaker-shod foot forward, creating a smooth, comfortable environment for all. Much like the new Audi S8, forward cameras scan the road surface ahead and the air suspension adjusts in response. This all but eliminates small bumps and highly mitigates the bigger, pothole-caused dips. 

Given its role as an executive shuttle, the G90 has a “Chauffeur” mode that shifts all of the comfort settings as far to the rear as possible, prioritizing back seat passenger comfort overall. Handy for those who tend to get green around the gills while being driven around. 

The G90 is most aggressive in Sport mode, but even there the aggression doesn’t amount to much more of a raised voice. Sport mode or not, even the e-supercharged G90 is hesitant to lay the power down, wholly discouraging any real sporty driving as it hefts the over 5,000-pound luxury land schooner from the board room to the club. 

Its controls and handling make cruising a very pleasurable experience, but any dynamic driving experiences take a back seat to its luxury focus, which is the best place to sit in the G90 anyway. 

Style, Flair And Savoir Faire

There’s so much going on with the Genesis G90 that it can’t be fully explored in just a few days with it, but it argues its case as a disruptor in the luxury automotive space loud and clear, just as the original Lexus LS400 did in the nineties. But while that car has blended into the background in recent years as a budget alternative to the Germans, the G90’s striking design and nods to the Korean culture that manifested it help it stand out in all the right ways.

Better still, it is still less expensive than mainstays like the S-Class, but it doesn’t look or feel that way. G90s will start arriving this fall at $89,495 for the G90 3.5T and $99,795 for the G90 3.5T E-SC. (Both prices include a $1,095 destination fee), where the Mercedes starts at $112,150.

Despite its overwhelming amount of features, the G90 also avoids the feature bloat that’s long-since been de rigueur for the legacy brands fighting to maintain their relevance. There are a trunk-load of goodies, but it’s all in service to the passenger’s experience, and most of it is quite streamlined. 

That said, the lackluster dynamic performance and average 20-21 combined MPG is a sharp reminder of how electric vehicles are quickly becoming segment front-runners. Top-tier EVs bring the luxury toys, experience and style while also providing new levels of power and performance. It’s something newcomers like Lucid are running with and legacy manufacturers like Mercedes are chasing. 

The G90 may be meant to be a calming executive cruiser rather than a luxury performance car, but its EV competition doesn’t have much trouble doing both, though the Lucid Air, BMW i7 and EQS all cost more. In some cases, much more.

Though there aren’t any current plans for an electric G90, Genesis has already released its first EV, the GV60 crossover, and an electrified G80 goes on sale this fall. Since the brand has said it won’t launch any new combustion-powered vehicles after 2025 and it aims to go all-EV by 2030, the future is an open book.

In the meantime, without the burden of needing to look like an A8, S-Class or 7 Series, the Genesis ends up looking more exciting than any of them, from the curb or the cabin. In that regard, the G90 is a stellar foundation for the future of a brand with very little hindsight to concern itself with as it springs forward to a luxurious future.

Genesis provided lodging and meals to enable Forbes Wheels to bring you this first-person drive report. Although Forbes Wheels sometimes participates in manufacturer-hosted events, our coverage is independent, unbiased and aimed at offering consumers an objective view of every vehicle we test.