Luxury on the Move

Is anything missing in your relationship? Not that one — the one with the luxury sedan in your garage. 

Does it offer comfort on a rough day? Bring you joy on a down day? Does it delight when you crave it? And does it gently massage your aching muscles and joints with a soothing scented ambience?

Ok, that’s a lot to ask from a car, but there’s a large luxury sedan that claims to do it. It comes from the intriguing Mood Curator found in the redesigned, electrically-supercharged 2023 Genesis G90. This second-generation G90 debuted in Korea two years ago, but finally has reached U.S. shores. Hey Genesis, what took you so long?

The flagship of Hyundai’s luxury brand is literally reimagined, not redesigned, and the opulent cabin is focused on pampering its occupants. The mood gizmo has four modes: Vitality, Delight, Comfort and Care, and will combine soothing sounds and picturesque vistas on the large touchscreen, or adjust the ambient lighting, or automatically open/close the rear shades.

It can send tunes over the 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system to match your mood, release a calming fragrance through the air vents, or even initiate a bevy of massages: “Ergo Relaxing” seats have 10 air cells on the seat back and two on the seat cushion for distinctive massages: full body, half-body, waist or pelvis. 

The sleek and long (17 feet, 11 inches) G90 has striking looks, starting with its massive shield-shaped grille and smooth hood. Dual, thin strips of LED lights make up the headlamps, daytime running lights and turn signals. They wrap around the corners and pick up again aft of the wheel wells; the rear LEDs wrap around similarly. The steeply raked rear window flows smoothly into the trunk lid.

Door handles extend out to welcome passengers, then recede when doors are locked. From inside, open-close buttons on the door handles do the heavy lifting. It’s an elegant feature, but remember to get hands and arms out of the way quickly when you close — the closer wastes no time! A corner caught a passenger’s shoulder one time.

There are two versions of the G90. The base is powered by a 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 that has 375 ponies. An upgraded version uses the same engine but ups the performance with a 48-volt electric motor and an electric supercharger. The combined output in this mild-hybrid system is 409 hp and 405 pound-feet of torque. 

Both powertrains are linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission, which delivers power to all four wheels.

The ride feels strong: 0-60 mph comes in just 5.1 seconds, impressive for such a large sedan and similar to rivals. Smooth acceleration to the quarter-mile mark happens in 13.9 seconds at around 99 mph.

While no one would call the 5,000-pound G90 athletic, it handles corners admirably with assists from its responsive steering and multi-chamber adaptive air suspension that raises or lowers ride height. The system also enhances comfort by peering at the road ahead and adjusting the dampers.

The E-Supercharger version also is equipped with rear-wheel steering, which reduces the turning radius from 40 feet to 37 feet and helps with high-speed stability.

Drive modes include Comfort, Sport, Eco and Custom, but most will find Comfort the best spot. It exemplifies what the G90 is about. For the parking-anxious, a remote parking system can handle the parallel, perpendicular or diagonal spaces.

Now, this is a big boat so it lags behind rivals in fuel economy, with EPA figures at 17 mpg city, 24 highway for 20 mpg combined. But some buyers are claiming highway figures in the high 20s.

Inside the four-seat cabin, the ride (unsurprisingly) is quiet as a library. Electronic noise-canceling through the sound system is actually tailored to each individual seat. That’s in addition to sound-deadening materials inside and double-laminated glass.

In fact, most everything is designed with passenger comfort in mind. There’s even a chauffeur drive mode that specializes in rear comfort. Of course, rear passengers can take care of themselves: An 8-inch rear touchscreen enables control of their own climate, ambient lighting, massage and window shades. However, it can be frustrating to unlock and use. 

Rear seats recline, are power-adjustable, heated and cooled. The right seat is the VIP seat and has a foot rest for a power nap before the board meeting, or concert? It’s not for six-footers and above, though. 

Handsomely crafted front seats are trimmed in quilted Nappa leather and have power bolsters to keep you planted. They, too, are heated/cooled and have multiple adjustments for seating and massage functions. The cabin is accented in wood veneer, carbon fiber or satin-finished aluminum, the headliner done in microsuede.

For some, it’s the new technology that could steal the show. Gone are the analog gauges, replaced by a pair of 12.3-inch screens: one for the instrument display, the other houses the infotainment system. The latter can be controlled via buttons below or a center-console rotary knob, which is seated beside the gear-selector knob. 

The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it is not a wireless connection — puzzling for this luxury level. 

The driver has a broad digital gauge display with a programmable data center, plus a head-up display with current road details. A neat driver feature is the blind spot monitor that only sounds in the driver’s headrest — no need to concern or distract the passengers. Another one: Fingerprint ID which permits keyless driving.

Interior storage is acceptable, though cup holders are not placed well for large drinks. As for trunk space, it’s decent at 15.7 cubic feet and the trunk has a hands-free power lid. There is even a pass-through in the rear seat-back.

Hyundai’s Driving Assist II is standard on both G90s and offers a long list of features, including adaptive cruise with stop and go, lane keep assist, blind spot warning, forward collision warning parking sensors and rear cross-traffic warning. Add to that a 10-year 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and three years of complimentary maintenance.

The G90 sticker is up more than $13K this year, but it’s still a pretty good deal when you weigh the prices and standard features against top-level models from Mercedes and BMW. 

And who else is willing to deal with your mood swings? 

Barry Spyker was the automotive editor and columnist for the Miami Herald

2023 Genesis G90 3.5T with E-Supercharger

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