For years, if you wanted a proper luxury flagship, you went to Germany. You bought a Mercedes S-Class if you were a dictator, a BMW 7 Series if you were a tech mogul, or an Audi A8 if you were… well, an Audi driver.
But then, along came Genesis. A brand that started as a Hyundai model and is now producing its own cars. This is their flagship, the 2026 Genesis G90. But is it actually any good, or is it just a very large, very shiny Hyundai?
Performance
Engine – Underneath the clamshell hood, the G90 doesn’t get a V8. Apparently that offends environmentalists or something. Anyway, it instead has a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 with a 48-Volt electric supercharger. The result is 409 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque (305 Kw & 549 Nm).
The electric supercharger’s job is to fill in the gap before the turbos wake up. In the real world, this means you don’t “accelerate.” You simply… proceed. It doesn’t kick you in the back; it just takes far away distances and brings them closer to you. It’s plenty fast with a 0-100 km/h time of around 5 seconds. But the purpose of this big car isn’t to be fast.
Fuel Economy – The 2026 Genesis G90 is rated for 13.6 L/100km (17.3 MPG) in a city and 9.6 L/100km (24.5 MPG) on a highway. During my time with the big sedan, I averaged 11.2 L/100km (21 MPG).
On highways I found it quite easy to get better than the claimed fuel economy figure. In Eco mode, the mild-hybrid system allows the car to coast when you lift your foot off the throttle pedal. It will keep the engine running but it will seamlessly put the transmission into neutral so that there isn’t any engine braking. This allows the car to travel for a few extra meters with very little loss of speed. The mild-hybrid system also shuts off the engine a bit before arriving at a complete stop, further saving a few drops of fuel.
Transmission – The V6 engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The shifts between gears are imperceivable and extremely smooth. Exactly what you want from a luxury flagship sedan. However, the programming of this transmission doesn’t allow for the most responsive shifts, even in Sport mode. There’s a slight delay when using the paddle shifters and as well when just putting your foot down on the throttle pedal. But as I said earlier, this is not a sporty car so I too would trade fast shifts for smooth shifts.
Braking – The G90 utilizes fixed piston calipers on the front axle to provide smooth and strong braking performance. However, the brake pedal feels a bit numb when first applying your foot on it. This is because the G90 uses brake-by-wire technology to better integrate the brake pedal with the adaptive cruise control as well as the automatic emergency braking features. Unfortunately the lack of brake feel when first applying your foot on the brake pedal is the drawback. It’s not as bad as in the Mercedes S-class but it’s noticeable. In the Chauffeur mode, it softens the initial bite of the brakes to ensure that the passengers don’t feel a neck snapping jolt under braking.
Handling – Dynamically, the 2026 Genesis G90 was never meant to be fast around corners. It’s much more at home on highways and city streets. In those environments, the car shines thanks to the adaptive dampers and air suspension. The car glides over bumps and uneven road surfaces. The air suspension can also raise the car, by a bit, when you’re on a gravel road driving towards your back-country estate.
In Sport mode, the same adaptive air suspension firms up and limits a bit more of the body roll. The engine response is sharpened and the transmission holds gears for longer. There’s also rear wheel steering to help with maneuverability especially when you try to park this behemoth.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – You can quote me on this; the 2026 Genesis G90 has a ride that is on par with the Mercedes-Benz S-class. The air suspension and adaptive dampers provide an unparalleled ride for the occupants. The G90 also uses the forward facing camera to scan the road ahead for any potholes and it will immediately adjust the dampers to absorb the shock if it detects a bump in the road. If you’re sitting in the back, the driver can select the Chauffeur drive mode which will adjust various parameters of the car to provide the smoothest possible ride for the VIP. Some of these parameters include turning off the auto start/stop system and setting the suspension to its softest setting.
Interior Space – The Genesis G90 is only available in one wheelbase configuration. Compared to other luxury sedans, it would be considered a long wheelbase configuration. This means that both front and rear occupants will have plenty of legroom. I’m 6’4” and I never felt as though my legs were being squished or cramped whether I was sitting in the front or in the back behind my driving position. Headroom is equally good across both rows of seats.
Behind the seats, the trunk is on the small size compared to the S-class or the new BMW 7-series. The G90 only has 300 L (10.6 cu-ft) of space. There is a passthrough in the middle for longer items such as skis.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – The engineers at Genesis went a long way to make sure that the 2026 G90 is as quiet as it can possibly be. The car has acoustic glass to reduce wind noise. There are microphones to pick up unwanted tire noise and then a canceling sound wave is played through the sound system to make the cabin quieter. And of course, there is a lot of sound insulating material used throughout the cabin of the car. All of these technologies give the car a quiet and serene interior space. The engine is a whisper, the wind is non-existent, and there’s hardly any tire noise.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – In the past, the G90 could have been looked at as a very budget friendly alternative to the established brands. Now, the 2026 Genesis G90 is not as inexpensive as it once was. However, at $121,500 CAD ($105,750 USD) for this Prestige Black version, it is still less expensive than a similarly equipped Mercedes-Benz S500 or a BMW 750e.
Gadgets – For the 6-figure price tag, the G90 has the usual luxury features such as soft leather upholstery, heated & ventilated seats all round, a dual pane sunroof, a power operated trunk, three zone automatic climate control, a head-up display, surround view cameras, and so on.
In my opinion, it’s the more unique gadgets that are worth noting. On the outside, the door handles pop in and out as they are used. Unfortunately, sometimes they will freeze shut when the temperatures dip below freezing. It’s not a problem that is only evident on the G90 as I noticed this on the S-class as well. Inside the doors, there are small hidden compartments in the armrests for loose change. Unfortunately the G90 does not have heated armrests like other luxury sedans. But what others rarely have equipped are power closing doors. At the push of a button, the door can close all on its own. This is a cool feature to show to your friends.
Inside the car, the G90 has a 23 speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system. I’m not a connoisseur of audio systems but this system sounds good to my ears. The front seats are massaging with a few different massage programs to select. There’s a fragrance system with two different fragrances to choose from. Like other Genesis vehicles, there is a fingerprint scanner to load your specific vehicle profile. Additionally the G90 has Highway Driving Assist 2 which allows for a semi-handsfree driving aid on certain freeways and highways. The car will notify the driver to put their hands back on the steering wheel after a few minutes so do not expect this to be similar to GM’s Super Cruise system but you don’t have to hold on firmly to the steering wheel. Just lightly touching it is enough. As well, HDA 2 is smart enough to change lanes on its own. Though, you do need to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel for the maneuver to perform. The car also has Remote Smart Parking Assist 2. This can detect perpendicular or parallel parking spots, even by looking for the lines on the road, and then it’ll park itself. But the clever bit is that once it detects a spot, you can get out of the car and use the remote to complete the parking maneuver.
In the back seats there are vanity mirrors in the roof, power sun shades for the rear windows, warm or cool reading lights, a wireless phone charging pad, and a small compartment in the center armrest that uses UV light to disinfect cell phones or reading glasses. Both outer seats are power operated with multiple adjustments, they’re also heated, ventilated and massaging with the same programs as the front. Additionally, the seat behind the front passenger can recline for added comfort.
Interior Design – While most luxury cars move away from physical controls in favor of touchscreens, the Genesis G90 does things a bit differently. It has a 12.3” touchscreen to control the infotainment system but there’s also a rotary knob to control it as well. There’s a touchscreen to control certain aspects of the climate control but there are physical toggles to either side for the temperature. The G90 has a perfect blend of physical controls for the most commonly used items and touchscreen controls for others.
As for the materials and looks, the Genesis is on par with the German rivals. The leather is soft, the open pore wood trim looks phenomenal, the ambient lighting is subtle but eye-catching, and the microfiber headliner looks and feels premium. Overall, the 2026 Genesis G90 has a very nice cabin that you’d want to spend a lot of time in.
Exterior Design – The G90 has a presence that some of its rivals have lost. It is a big sedan and it looks like a luxury car even if you don’t know anything about the Genesis brand. I noticed a lot of people taking long looks at this car in amazement. For 2026, the Black edition banishes all chrome and polished trim to the phantom zone. The badges, the trim, even the 21-inch wheels — it’s all blacker than the heart of a tax inspector.
Safety – As standard, the 2026 Genesis G90 is equipped with every safety feature that is available from the Genesis brand. Additionally, the G90 received a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS with Good ratings for crash tests and Acceptable ratings for the advanced driver and safety aids.
Warranty – Unlike the German rivals, the 2026 Genesis G90 is covered by a 5 year / 100,000 km new vehicle and powertrain warranty in Canada. In the United States, new vehicle warranty is the same at 5 years / 60,000 miles but the powertrain warranty is 10 years / 100,000 miles. Better yet, Genesis vehicles come with a valet service. So when it’s time to take the car for a service, Genesis will pick it up for you and provide a vehicle for you until your car has had its service done. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For information on USA warranty, click here.
Conclusion – So, the Genesis G90 is smarter than all of us, it offers more comfort than a business class seat, it’s quiet, it’s well put together and it makes you feel as though you’re more important than you really are. It’s not just a good alternative anymore. This might be the best luxury sedan on sale right now.
Thank you to Genesis Canada for providing the 2026 G90. www.Genesis.com
2026 Genesis G90 Gallery
