Cargazing
By Derek Price
I used to think that if I ever achieved wild financial success, I’d write a check for a Mercedes-Benz S-Class so I could waft over the road in sumptuous, silent, supple luxury.
This year, my fantasy changed. I’d rather write that check for a Genesis G90.
After a complete overhaul for 2023, Genesis’ flagship sedan is not only better than it was, but perhaps the best mass-market luxury car the world has ever seen. Despite having humble connections to Hyundai, it manages to out-lavish some of Mercedes’ best work.
Driving the new G90 for a week made me feel pampered in ways no other car has before. The best way to describe it is effortless, having to put in zero work at driving, right down to opening its doors.
A standard feature on every G90 is doors that open and close electronically. All four doors have buttons to engage their motorized function, as if pushed by an invisible butler so you can save your muscles for more important things, like climbing onto your yacht or counting your money.
Once the doors are sealed shut, it feels like you’re wrapped in a leather-and-wood cocoon where nothing offensive is allowed to enter — no smells, no sounds and no unpleasant jostling from the road. It’s pure isolation, the feeling that you’re separated from reality and watching the world go by on a movie screen on your windshield, not actually something you’re a part of.
To keep the smells out, the G90 filters the outside air and also lets you choose between different fragrances that are diffused into the cabin with delightfully vague names: The Driver’s Awakening, My Favorite Place and The Great Outdoors. The scents they created in my tester were subtle, not overpowering, even on their strongest setting.
Genesis redesigned its G90 flagship sedan for 2023 to create one of the world’s best luxury cars. With electric doors, a Mood Curator, massaging seats and countless features to pamper passengers, it’s a spectacular way to travel for people who can afford it.
To keep the sounds out, Genesis fits the G90 with laminated glass all around and special noise-absorbing materials in key spots. Engineers also measured the noise at each seating position and customized the active sound cancellation system accordingly, making each seat as silent as possible.
Meshing with that goal is a speaker in the driver’s headrest that emits sounds specifically intended for the driver, such as turn signal clicks and warning beeps because, seriously, why should passengers have to be bothered with those things?
To keep the bumps out, the G90 uses an air suspension that feels like riding on a magic carpet. Part of the smoothness comes from the design of the suspension itself, using different pressures inside the air springs to respond to varying driving conditions, Genesis claims.
Some clever technology helps with the ride, too. The G90 uses a front-mounted camera to monitor the road conditions before the tires roll over them, then prepares the suspension to deal with whatever the camera sees coming.
To me, that kind of detailed, out-of-the-box thinking is emblematic of what makes the G90 a great luxury car — and one that is bound to be making its German and Japanese competitors nervous.
My tester with the “E-Supercharger” is the more expensive of two powertrain choices for the G90. A twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 delivers a muscular 375 horsepower in the base model, while an electric supercharger in the higher grade bumps the horsepower up to 409.
On both versions, power is routed to all four wheels via a smooth-as-butter eight-speed automatic transmission.
In addition to its ramped-up power, the supercharged version comes with ventilated and massaging seats in back and a spectacular sound system with 23 speakers.
During my weeklong test, I was enamored with a lot of things about the G90.
The G90’s cabin is designed for quiet isolation and supreme comfort. Materials, layout and technology work together to make the experience effortless for the lucky people inside it.
I loved its Mood Curator that uses different massages, music, pictures and climate settings to create various emotions in the car.
I liked the automated driving features that made long road trips easy. I giggled at the way the door handles all go flush with the body when you walk away, then pop back out when you get close.
More than anything, I especially enjoyed the deep, soft massaging seats that made me want to spend all day and night inside this car.
The only downside is the price. It starts at $88,400, which keeps it deep in fantasy territory for many people.
On the flip side, it also feels like a fantastic bargain compared to an S-Class, which starts at $114,500. I like the G90 more than the S-Class, even if they had the same price tag.
The only question is whether Genesis can convince buyers to cough up that much money for a car that, just a few years ago, would have been called a Hyundai.
Will the G90 go the route of the wildly popular Lexus LS, which changed the luxury-car market forever? Or will it go the route of the Volkswagen Phaeton, an embarrassing sales dud despite its mind-blowing tech and performance?
Personally, I think the G90 will do for Genesis what the LS did for Lexus. Assuming Genesis can get enough shoppers into the car to see for themselves, there’s no way a sedan this innovative and impressive can’t leave a big dent in the car universe.
At A Glance
What was tested? 2023 Genesis G90 3.5T E-Supercharger AWD ($98,700). Options: Premium paint ($575). Price as tested (including $1,095 destination charge): $100,370
Wheelbase: 125.2 in.
Length: 207.7 in.
Width: 76 in.
Height: 58.7 in.
Powertrain: 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 with electronic supercharger (409 hp, 405 f.t lbs.)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 17 city, 24 highway
RATINGS
Style: 10
Performance: 10
Price: 7
Handling: 5
Ride: 10
Comfort: 10
Quality: 8
Overall: 9
Why buy it?
Newly redesigned for 2023, the G90 aims — and succeeds — at being one of the world’s best luxury cars. It’s one of the most comfortable, pampering vehicles money can buy.