There’s so many features to cover in new cars that it can be overwhelming.
For the past 13 years, I’ve specialized as a car reviewer in focusing on one outstanding feature, usually tech-related, that gives readers a taste of what is remarkable and worth knowing when it comes to the latest models.
I figure covering one impressive feature is a good way to describe the innovation on display in the car without covering every detail — most of which are already explained on the product pages for the car anyway.
With the 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70, it was hard to pick just one outstanding feature, but then I realized it was staring at me everytime I drove around.
This is an all-electric, and as you drive, the center display — which is massive and colorful — changes to reflect the current weather. The image is fairly static — it’s not like it changes every few minutes — but each time I jumped into driving the GV70, I noticed a different screen showing weather in the background.
For example, on one cloudy day, I noticed the display showed massive rolling clouds on an overcast day. On another drive, the display showed bright sunshine.
At night, the screen shows darker clouds rolling in. It’s a brilliant idea because, at a glance, you can see what you will be dealing with for weather, without having to look up any forecasts, use your phone, or tap any buttons at all.
It helps that the screen is 14.5-inches wide, bigger than just about anything I’ve seen in recent cars. It’s one thing to show some cool cloud formations rolling over the planet, but on a bigger screen in a widescreen orientation, it’s even cooler and helpful.
Of course, you can get way more detail. I usually connect up my iPhone and use Apple CarPlay, so it’s easy to do that in the GV70 and then ask Siri for a weather report. The car itself has some weather info as well, showing what to expect not just on that drive but for the next few days.
Weather actually plays a crucial role when you are driving an all-electric car. For one thing, if you see that there will be snow or cold temps, it means you won’t have as much range, because using the heaters and other climate control in the vehicle will reduce your range considerably.
On one drive, I noticed some snow coming in my area and adjusted my plans a bit. I experimented with turning the climate control off, and noticed the vehicle estimated about 10 miles of extra range. That’s enough to make you consider cold weather driving, especially if you haven’t mapped out your next charge quite yet.
Overall, the 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70 is fast and sporty, fun to drive, and has a luxurious interior — but that display was a big highlight for me.
