Genesis G90 flagship makes North American debut

Having made its Korean debut in December 2015, the Genesis G90 has finally made it to North America. Launched at the Detroit Auto Show, the successor of the Hyundai Equus is the Genesis sub-brand’s first model out the door, with many more primed for later.

Make no mistake, the Genesis G90 arrives in the US to directly compete with premium limousines like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series. To do that, the Genesis flagship sedan has been loaded with advanced tech, premium features and two very capable petrol engines.

At the base level, the G90 offers a 3.3 litre twin-turbo V6 engine which delivers 365 hp at 6,000 rpm and 510 Nm of torque from 1,300 rpm to 4,500 rpm. There is also a bigger, but naturally-aspirated 5.0 litre V8 powerplant that dishes out 420 hp at 6,000 rpm and 520 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm.

No further powertrain details were revealed, apart from the fact that both engines in the US will be mated to an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but a H-TRAC all-wheel drive system with active torque control can be optionally specified.

Design-wise, the G90 appears identical to the Korean-market model, which is known there as the EQ900. The car wears the same front grille, headlamps, 19-inch turbine blade design alloy wheels and is also clearly badged as a “Genesis” model.

Additionally, the US press materials mention that full-LED lighting is available as standard on the V8 variant only. The rear features vertical full-LED tail lights, dual exhaust tips and a clean use of chrome accents.

Inside, the G90 isn’t short of luxurious appointments. The cabin features a Nappa leather-covered dashboard, wood accents, a 12.3-inch centre display screen, a 7.0-inch instrument panel display screen, head-up display, a 22-way powered driver’s seat and a 17-speaker Lexicon Premium Sound System with QuantumLogic Surround Sound, to name a few hot items.

The passenger seat behind the driver features 12-way electric-powered adjustability (14-way for the seat behind the front passenger) on the 5.0 V8 model. The seats were inspired by a “stressless” design, and offers the ability to recline as well as have shoulder-adjusters, rear lumbar support, four-way head restraints and a rear integrated memory system controlled by a dedicated rear console selector.

The V8 model also has an additional rear-seat entertainment system in the form of dual 9.2-inch high-definition screens that can be controlled from the rear seat Driver Information System controller. Passengers may also appreciate the G90’s Qi wireless charging standard, multiple USB ports and CO2-level sensor and Air Quality System (AQS) that can automatically manage the air quality in the vehicle.

For safety, the G90 gets an impressive array of active safety features, including Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with Pedestrian Detection, Smart Blind Spot Detection (SBSD), Lane Keep Assist, Rear Cross-traffic Alert, Driver Attention Alert, Dynamic Bending Light headlights with High Beam Assist and a 360-degree Multi-view Monitor. The G90 is also expected to receive a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Pricing for the US-market Genesis G90 hasn’t been revealed yet. However, while the G90 is here to challenge the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, reports suggest that it could be priced more similarly to an E-Class instead, given that Genesis may want to retain the outgoing Equus’ pricing point at around the USD$60,000 (RM265k) mark.

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