2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid vs 2023 Genesis GV70

The 2023 Genesis GV70 was a testament to the brand's commitment to luxury and style. Its design drew inspiration from the G70 compact luxury sedan, with split-bar headlights and a strong chrome line that elegantly curved from behind the rear window. This design element cleverly suggested a coupe-like SUV without sacrificing versatility. Inside, the GV70's cabin was a showcase of luxury, featuring top-notch materials and impeccable fit and finish. The interior design was both contemporary and classic, with climate controls integrated into a curving bezel and a touchscreen that seamlessly rose from the dash. The GV70's dash was equipped with a full touchscreen, complemented by a rotary dial and button controls, offering a user-friendly interface. The physical rollers on the center console and steering wheel were a nod to practicality, providing a tactile experience superior to touch capacitive controls.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid, with a base price of $33,700, was the most affordable electrified version of the SUV. Its exterior featured black 18-inch wheels and blacked-out trim, giving it a sporty appearance, though the interior was relatively basic. The Sport-L Hybrid offered an interior upgrade, while the Sport Touring Hybrid topped the lineup. The CR-V's styling was conservative, with a technical face resembling an angry robot, and it carried a bit too much visual weight over its front wheels. However, the rear quarter view was its best angle, with Volvo-adjacent taillights and a tidy design. Inside, the Sport Touring featured leather seats with orange contrast stitching and numerous quality details, such as a soft-touch upper dashboard pad and metal mesh hiding the air vents. The CR-V's cabin exuded sophistication, making it a standout in the compact SUV segment.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 offered a choice between two gas-powered engines and an electrified version. The 2.5T model was equipped with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The 3.5T variant featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The GV70's turbo-four engine provided ample power for most driving situations, while the V6 catered to performance enthusiasts with its extra grunt and throaty engine note. The GV70's driving experience was a refined blend of comfort and sharp handling, making it a well-rounded luxury SUV.

The electrified GV70 used a 77.4-kWh battery pack, powering two electric motors in an AWD setup, producing a combined 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration was smooth and confident, with a Boost button available for an extra surge of power, increasing output to 483 horsepower for up to 10 seconds. The electric GV70 had a range of 236 miles, which was on the shorter side for modern EVs, but it featured DC fast charging, allowing the battery to recharge from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. The GV70 Electrified maintained the well-rounded handling of its gas-powered counterparts, leaning slightly more towards comfort.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid featured a fourth-generation two-motor hybrid drive system, combining an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors. This setup delivered 204 horsepower to the front or all four wheels. The hybrid system worked transparently, with the gasoline engine sometimes acting as an onboard generator. The CR-V Hybrid was rated at 37 mpg in combined driving, but our test vehicle returned 32.4 mpg on a mountainous testing loop. The CR-V Hybrid provided a compliant ride quality with predictable handling traits, though the steering effort was unusually heavy even in Normal mode. Overall, the CR-V was easy to drive, with hints of fun, but it wasn't designed for off-road adventures or spirited driving.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 offered 56.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, which was about average for the compact luxury SUV segment. With the rear seats in use, it provided 28.9 cubic feet, which was above average. The GV70 came standard with a hands-free power liftgate. Up front, the GV70 featured decently large cupholders in the center console, though the in-door cupholders couldn't accommodate larger water bottles. The center console included a helpful tray with a retractable lid and a typical center console bin. While the front seats were comfortable and easy to adjust, the rear seats had tighter legroom, requiring front-row occupants to slide their seats forward. The rear bench did recline, offering some comfort adjustments.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid excelled in form and function, with quality materials, intuitive controls, and comfortable seats. All CR-V Hybrids included a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, offering excellent support. The front passenger seat had a similar design but lacked the same adjustment range. The test vehicle featured heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, enhancing comfort on chilly days. The CR-V's back seat was roomy and comfortable, with a high bottom cushion for excellent leg support and adjustable backrest angles. Legroom was generous, and the test vehicle included air conditioning vents and USB-C charging ports. The CR-V's cargo area varied by trim, with the Sport Touring offering 34.7 cubic feet, while the Sport and Sport-L provided 36.3 cubic feet. All CR-V Hybrid models offered a maximum of 76.5 cubic feet with the back seat folded down, making it one of the most spacious in its class.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 featured a standard 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The touchscreen was user-friendly, with large icons and logical menu navigation. Genesis also provided helpful buttons in the center console and a rotary dial for scrolling and selecting, though the dial was located adjacent to the vehicle's rotary shifter, which could cause confusion. The GV70 came equipped with four USB ports, wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a nine-speaker stereo system. Additional features included ambient lighting, a digital instrument panel, and the Genesis digital key.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid came with a 7-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The available 9-inch infotainment display wasn't much larger. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and a decent sound system were reserved for the Sport-L and Sport Touring trims. The Sport Touring trim included navigation and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. The voice recognition system was basic, with prompts appearing on the display. The CR-V Hybrid also featured a walk-away automatic locking feature, providing peace of mind by locking the SUV's doors as you walked away with the key fob.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 offered a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance technology, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The 2.5T's Advance Package added a blind-spot camera system, reverse automatic emergency braking, and a 360-degree parking camera system. On the 3.5T, these features were part of the Sport Advance package. The GV70 Electrified included most of these features as standard, with the head-up display available in the Prestige trim.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid came equipped with Honda Sensing, a collection of advanced driving assistance systems. This included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, and a driver monitoring system. Additional features included a rear-seat reminder, automatic high-beam headlights, and a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert. The Sport-L and Sport Touring added front and rear parking sensors and low-speed automatic braking control. The CR-V Hybrid performed well in safety tests, earning a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2023 calendar year.