10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Genesis GV70 Foiled by Ford Escape PHEV, F-150
When Hyundai spun off the Genesis name into a stand-alone luxury brand six-ish years ago, it debuted its G70, G80 and G90 sedans right about the time the dominance of SUV popularity over cars was reaching critical mass. Not until the 2021 model year did Genesis finally get in the SUV game with the mid-size GV80. But with so many of the top-selling vehicles being small SUVs, Genesis needed a small crossover to cross over big as a viable brand. Does the new-for-2022 Genesis GV70 cement its success? You can check out one of Cars.com’s most popular articles of the past month to find out.
- ${price_badge()}
- ${battery_badge()}${ev_report_link()}
- ${hot_car_badge()}
- ${award_badge()}
- ${cpo_badge()}
${price_badge_description}
The EV Battery Rating is based on this vehicle's current expected range relative to the vehicles expected range when new. ${battery_badge_text}
Certified cars are manufacturer warrantied and typically go through a rigorous multi-point inspection.
This car is likely to sell soon based on the price, features, and condition.
${award_blurb}
${award_two_blurb}
Shop the 2022 Genesis GV70 near you
In reviewer Brian Normile’s comprehensive critique of the GV70, which lands in fifth place on our monthly countdown of reader favorites, he commends the new compact luxury SUV on its competitive drivability, comfort and style. And while the GV70 doesn’t quite clear the bar set by German standard-bearers, Normile acknowledges it as the South Korean brand’s best attempt yet.
“In terms of driving performance, the GV70 is certainly a luxury compact SUV, and the interior mimics the good (quality and style) and bad (questionable design and user interface choices) of many of its rivals,” Normile writes in his review, noting multimedia usability among the model’s shortcomings. “It should absolutely be on every luxury compact SUV shopper’s list, but whether it does enough to convince those who care what name is on their car remains to be seen.”
For our full take on the 2022 Genesis GV70, follow the link below to December’s No. 5 article.
Much of the balance of the month’s top five is dominated by Ford, starting with Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman’s comprehensive critique of the 2021 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid, finding its way efficiently to first place on our countdown. Bragman generally liked the plug-in Escape but ultimately couldn’t get past an unforgivable fail: its hair-trigger tendency to pop out of electric-only mode and kick on the gas engine.
“For people looking for a fuel-efficient, comfortable, well-appointed compact SUV that’s easy to use and pleasant to drive in various conditions, the Escape Plug-In Hybrid is a decent choice,” Bragman writes. “For buyers expecting it to be essentially a range-extending electric vehicle — as many PHEVs are — there will be disappointment regarding how Ford has engineered it to work.”
For Bragman’s full review, follow the link below to Cars.com’s No. 1 article from the past month.
Elsewhere on the Ford front, the F-150 pickup truck occupies the next two spots on the countdown. Taking second place is a head-to-head comparison of the range-topping Limited trims of both the 2021 F-150 and archrival Ram 1500 as they fight for the title of most luxurious truck (spoiler: the Ram retains its belt). And in third place is Cars.com’s expert review of the 2021 F-150 Raptor, which concludes that the off-road-amped variant of Ford’s half-ton truck outdoes its former self well but underwhelms compared to — curses! Ram, again? — its Ram 1500 nemesis, the supercharged TRX.
Follow the links below to our No. 2 and No. 3 articles of the month for the full stories on the F-150 Limited and Raptor, respectively.
Beyond that, we have headlines on the Toyota Tacoma, Lexus ES 350, Hyundai Kona and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past month:
1. 2021 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid Review: Infuriating Efficiency
2. 2021 Ford F-150 Limited Vs. 2022 Ram 1500 Limited: Which Truck Has the Nicer Interior?
3. 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor Review: Better, But With a Big Problem
4. What’s New for Toyota in 2022?
5. 2022 Genesis GV70 Review: Has Genesis Finally Nailed It?
6. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for December 2021?
7. 2021 Toyota Tacoma Review: Over the Hill We Go
8. 2022 Lexus ES 350 Review: Now More Reasons to Buy
9. What’s New With Lexus for 2022?
10. 2022 Hyundai Kona: 4 Things We Like and 4 We Don’t
Related Video:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
