A new ute that Bond, James Bond, could love …

If James Bond were to drive a crossover/SUV (and I pray he doesn’t … ever) I’m convinced it would be a Genesis GV70, just for its looks.

This compact luxury SUV’s looks ooze confidence, sexiness and swagger, very Bondish. They seem to say to all other SUV buyers, “You made a mistake.” And they may have.

Genesis is all about luxury, but high-value luxury where you get more than you pay for or expect to pay. Here in the top-level GV70 Sport Prestige, the styling is fresh, the power raw, the cockpit elegant. One might expect the driver to wear a crisp white shirt with monogrammed cufflinks, a cummerbund and tux, and definitely a Rolex watch.

This athletic SUV is based on the spunky Genesis G70 sedan’s stiff platform, a good place to start if one enjoys frisky handling. There are electronically controlled multi-link suspensions front and rear with something Genesis calls Road Preview. It sees what’s coming and in milliseconds adjusts for it. That helps handling as you sweep through aggressive turns, but also creates a firm sports sedan ride. Some might prefer a little more cushion, but oh my, this was a hoot on twisting rural roads.

A silky 8-speed automatic linked with a throbbing twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 harnesses power, but with a smoothness reserved exclusively for the upper classes. Gun this baby for a highway jaunt and the V6 tells you it’s about to kick some bootie while pounding out 375 horsepower. Torque rating? 391 pound-feet, thank you.

Boom, 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds says Car and Driver. Who am I to quibble?

Five drive modes are standard and include Sport and an insane Sport+ that makes the GV70 feel like a twitchy thoroughbred being loaded into a starting gate, all its muscles tensed, ready to spring. Sport was enough to make the Genesis feel like it was ready to slice through the turns at Road America.

View Mark’s video review: Goose approved Genesis GV70 reviewed by Mark Savage – YouTube

I could easily see triple digits in Sport+ in a quick shot down an entry ramp. AWD also is standard with power being rear-wheel biased, but with 50% possibly being shifted to the front in slick conditions.

But this is no pretend powerhouse, those 375 horses make themselves known vocally through two gigantic exhaust outlets molded into the lower rear bumper’s fascia. Cannon ready to fire on the enemy often were of a smaller caliber.

If you’re crazy enough to race your GV70 or take it for spins at the drag strip, launch control is available in Sport and Sport+ mode. Be aware top speed is said to be 150 mph. You think You can beat that?

Yet performance is exactly what the exterior insinuates.

The test SUV’s matte gray (Melbourne Gray) paint scheme, a $1,500 extra, adds a sophisticated image more than a flashy paint job might. This shows subtle elegance goes with the impressive performance. Know that the matte finish shows dirt readily though and one must be careful when washing such a paint scheme. Some commercial car washes won’t do.

Inside, Genesis stylists created a quiet interior with flashy looks. Seats are a mix of leather and suede, the dash a dark brown up top with red stitching and red leather trim on the lower dash and extending into the door panels. Trim is carbon fiber on the console with matte chrome knobs and door releases along with a bevy of dash buttons.

A monster 14.5-inch touchscreen sits mid-dash and the instrument cluster is an impressive 3D display, managed by beaming slightly different digital images to each of the driver’s eyes, creating the illusion of depth. As cool as this looks, I’m old enough to remember analog gauges that were 3D, because they had actual depth. Just sayin’!

There’s also a sharp heads-up display along with heated and cooled seats up front and heated ones in back. The leather steering wheel also is heated with all those climate controls on a dash touchpad. Normally I’d prefer these controls on the console, but this was easy to see and was quick to function. Sadly the heated seat settings are not remembered once the ignition is turned off.

Genesis seats are well shaped and the driver’s seat highly adjustable, including side bolsters and a massaging feature. Put your hand near the massage button on the bottom cushion’s side and it lights up three settings for pelvic, lumbar and full-body stretching. This is a perfect example of Genesis delivering more than a buyer might expect at the list price. Such a feature is usually a pricey option on German and some Japanese makes.

As much as I liked the seat’s support I did note the bottom cushion seemed a bit hard after an hour of seat time. Some say the rear seat legroom is a bit tight too for a luxury vehicle. It’s not generous, but four or five average sized adults will easily fit.

On the up side Genesis delivers oodles of cargo space behind that second row seat, a bit of storage under the floor, and a power hatch. Overhead is a panoramic sunroof, which is standard as is a wireless charger. That’s tucked inside a small covered container at the front of the console. It looks a bit like a cupholder, but is easy to use and lets the driver know if a device has been left in the charger once the ignition is turned off.

A full load of safety equipment comes on the GV70 including smart cruise control and all the usual automatic warning systems and braking features, plus semiautonomous driving aids.

One item that caused some concern was the rotating dial for shifting gears. It’s right behind a similar, but slightly larger, rotating dial used for info screen and radio station selection. I mistook the radio dial for the shifter several times, until I noticed the shifter has a more textured ring. It’s also lighted at night.

Gas mileage is nothing special, but when performance is a key SUV selling point, fuel economy usually suffers. I managed just 17.5 mpg in a fairly even mix of city and highway driving while the EPA rates the GV70 with the twin-turbo V6 at 19 mpg city and 25 highway.

For better mileage consider the lower level GV70 2.5T models that feature a 2.5-liter single turbo I4 that delivers 300 hp and 22 mpg city and 28 highway.

Those more efficient models also have the benefit of looking just as sexy and bold as this one, but start at just $42,045, including delivery. Again, all models feature AWD.

A base GV70 3.5T lists at $52,600 including delivery or you can move up to the Sport Advanced model at $57,600 or the tested Sport Prestige model that includes both the Advanced and Prestige trim packages. While the Sport lists at $53,645 with delivery, adding those two packages pushes it to $63,545. With its special color this one was $65,045.

Other makes are easily that, if not $10,000 or more higher.

Genesis also has the warranty advantage on most competitors with a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and three years or 36,000 miles of free maintenance. Again, more than one might expect, even for a luxury make.

You can check out the attached stat box for all the goodies in those Advanced and Prestige packages, but if you want the full luxury feel, those likely are add-ons you’ll want.

One final note, the 21-inch alloy wheels on this GV70 were spectacular, garnering comments from folks at the gas station (had to stop a couple times) and friends who thought them a terrific final touch.

FAST STATS: 2022 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport

Hits: Stellar looks, excellent power, sporty handling, 5 drive modes, and AWD. Stylish, quiet interior, with heated/cooled seats, heated wheel, panoramic sunroof, wireless charger, full load of safety equipment, massaging driver’s seat, carbon fiber trim, 3D instrument cluster, giant info screen and great warranty.

Misses: Firm ride, somewhat hard driver’s seat bottom cushion, rear seat short of legroom, round shifter dial same shape as info screen adjustment dial and too close to it.

Made in: Ulsan, So. Korea

Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, 375 hp

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Weight: 4,584 lbs.*

Wheelbase: 113.2 in.

Length: 185.6 in.

Cargo: 28.9.-56.9 cu.ft.

Tow: 3,500 lbs.

MPG: 19/25

MPG: 17.5 (tested)

Base Price: $53,645 (includes delivery)

Invoice: $50,777

Major Options: Melbourne gray paint, $1,500

Sport Advanced package (Nappa leather seats w/sport pattern quilting, layered edge backlight trim, leatherette upper instrument panel and door panel trim, suede headliner, heated steering wheel, digital key, surround view mirror/blind-spot view monitor, remote smart parking assist, parking distance warning front/rear, parking collision avoidance assist, Lexicon premium audio w/16 speakers), $5,000

Sport Prestige package (21-inch sport alloy wheels, electronic limited slip differential, Nappa leather seats w/suede inserts, carbon fiber trim, 3-zone climate controls, heated second row seats, manual rear side sunshades, 12.3-inch 3D digital cluster, heads up display), $4,900

Test vehicle: $65,045

Sources: Genesis, www.kbb.com

Photos: Mark Savage

*Car and Driver magazine