2026 Genesis G90 3.5T E-SC MHEV Prestige Black AWD - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

It’s Chi-Chi, Prestigeous, and Sybaritic, but watch out for the doors!

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

If you're looking for the most sybaritic driving experience you can buy for $107,895, then proceed directly to your nearest Genesis showroom to purchase the revised and refined G90 sedan. The top of the pecking order G90 I just tested sets a new record for complexity of model designation, but here's your cheat sheet: "G90" is Genesis's full-size, 4-door luxury sedan, powered by a beefy 3.5-liter V6 engine. Its turbocharged all aluminum motor is so complex it merits a special underhood badge indicating it utilizes twin turbochargers ("3.5T") plus an electric supercharger ("E-SC") to produce 409hp and 405 lb.-ft. of torque. So swing open the counterweighted hood and admire this crown jewel of a motor, framed by a brace of aluminum shock tower reinforcement struts.

"MHEV" indicates that the top G90 is a Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle since it's fitted with a 48 volt electric system to feed the e-supercharger. The MHEV system is also regenerative, recovering energy to power on-board electrical needs. After all, the Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Audio sucks up a lot of energy. The e-system also reduces power demands on the gasoline-fueled V6. But lest you get the idea that this mild EV is a mileage champion, disabuse yourself of that notion. The Genesis posts an overall EPA rating of 20MPG, rated just 17 MPG City and 24MPG Highway. Accordingly, you will spend $7,000 more than the average new vehicle over 5 years. That supercharged twin turbo uses 5 gallons for every 100 miles of driving. Our experience confirmed that number.

The next specificity hurdle is identifying just what "Prestige" means. In this case, it's an ultra chi-chi trim level that wraps every corner of the cabin in sumptuous semi-aniline leather or black ash wood. There are only four chairs available for any ride in the G90, and all offer massaging, multi-adjustability, and lumbar fine-tuning. Also present are a bevy of chair-side accoutrements you would expect to find in a members-only London club. Storage spaces galore, ditto for lighting sources, privacy screens, and temperature and stereo control panels. In fact there's so much screen-communicated information to process that you would be remiss in not having a co-pilot on duty to carry out your ventilation/music/navigation needs and commands. There's virtually nothing the infotainment and HVAC systems won't do here, but the problem is you need someone who's not driving to do it.

And finally we come to the word "Black." Every bit of this car is ensconced in a funereal shroud that would make it the perfect "professional" carriage for graveside services. Inside the spacious cabin, you'll marvel at layers of black on black, some shiny, some matte, but all meshing in a choreographed harmonic dirge. Prestige Black features" include " 21-inch Black Alloy Wheels with Floating Center Caps." What, you might ask, are floating caps? I will report that these little beauties made my job as photographer blissfully easier because the center cap logo is always oriented correctly - right side up. From the bottom of my Nikon heart I congratulate Genesis for this triumph of visual rectitude. In addition to the quilted black leather seats, the final inky touch is the inclusion of "dark headlamp bezels, exterior trim and badging." Finally, the shroud is sealed with a shimmering coat of "Vik Black" paint ($650), a mesmerizing shade meant to evoke the black volcanic sand covering moonlit beaches near Vik, Iceland. The Prestige Black G90 is the perfect Film Noir getaway car.

Now that we've forensically decoded the G90's attributes, let's examine how it all works in practice. On the freeway, it's the perfect fast lane cruiser. It loafs along silently and stealthily, its 8-speed automatic transmission ready to drop down a gear or two should the need arise to perform a lane change or passing maneuver. With all the hybrid voodoo going on under the hood, the G90 proved dauntingly quick when I floored the gas pedal. Tests reveal it scats from 0- 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and covers the standing start quarter mile in 13.7 seconds at 104mph, with a governed top speed of 132mph. Despite its ponderous 5,156lb curb weight, the G90's handling is predictable. Helping augment road grip are standard all-wheel-drive, standard rear-wheel steering, air suspension, and a set of beefy Michelin Primacy A/S radials (245/40R21 F/275/35R21 R).

The complaint department is limited to the imbecility of door operation. Like Tesla, Genesis is enamored of flush, auto-projecting/retracting door handles. These sometimes pop out, sometimes don't, seemingly without rhyme or reason. The inside door face is fitted with an auto-open/close button which doesn't pop the door ajar but fails to open it fully. If you try to push it manually, the door physically resists your shove. If you're outside the vehicle and lean in to press the auto-close button, the front door's sharp upper corner threatens to poke your eye out before you can recoil. Hyundai has devised illogical protocols that prevent you from unlatching the rear doors while the engine is idling. That's where things get dangerous for occupants who cannot escape. The door deal is pretty much the only blot on this car's copybook, but it leaves a big stain.

2026 HYUNDAI G90 3.5T E-SC MHEV PRESTIGE BLACK AWD

• ENGINE: twin turbocharged, supercharged and intercooled 3.5 liter V6, 24-valve DOHC
• HORSEPOWER: 409hp@580
• TORQUE: 405lb.-ft.@1300rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 17MPG City/24MPG Highway/20MPG Combined
• PRICE AS TESTED: $107,895

HYPES: Massage Chairs, Thumping Thrust

GRIPES: Perplexing Door Operation

STAR RATING: 8.5 Stars out of 10

©2026 David E Colman

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