• Just one petrol and one diesel available
• Petrol performance is good, but needs revs
• Diesel version is an excellent cruiser

Petrol engine

The GV70 has two engines: a 300hp 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol and a 210hp 2.2-litre diesel, both without any form of hybrid assistance – for now. Both have eight-speed autos and all-wheel drive, with off-road terrain modes as well as on-road ones.

The four-wheel drive system aids traction, which helps the weighty GV70 sprint from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds, which is quick for what is ostensibly a luxury SUV. However, it’s not all about the numbers as you need to work it hard to make real progress. At low and mid revs, it feels relaxed and refined, but slightly sluggish to respond. Sport mode wakes it up, and improves accelerator response.

However, if you work at it, there’s plenty of power – you just need to allow it to rev, and that means the car’s aura of refinement is eroded. The good news is that it settles down and cruises quietly on the motorway and covers long distances easily, as long as you don’t mind picking up a large fuel bill.

View full specs

24

Diesel engine

The 210hp diesel is impressively quick on paper and although its claimed 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds lags behind the petrol model, it’s not much slower in the give-and-take of real-world driving. The GV70 rolls along happily at motorway speeds, and it isn’t fazed by being loaded with people and luggage or hitting steep hills at low speeds.

What’s it like to drive?

• It’s best at motorway cruising
• However it handles reasonably… in Sport mode
• Refinement and comfort are a strong point

Once underway, there’s no getting away from how heavy it is – this one borders on around two tonnes, and you can feel it through the steering. However, it feels weighty enough to give you the impression that the GV70 is an assured, quality product. The same with the brakes.

The GV70 feels wide and that erodes your confidence in traffic. It is  around 20mm wider than a GLC or Q5 but, on the road, it feels like more. The 2.5-litre petrol is refined and you barely notice the eight-speed auto juggle its gears.

On the motorway, the GV70 comes into its own. Drive mode in Comfort, that road-scanning suspension works well. It handles big ruts unerringly successfully and only an air-sprung car would feel softer. Tyre noise is well damped (unlike the G70 saloon), too. It’s refined and relaxing in here.

Flick the drive mode into Sport and the engine responses sharpen, ready for action. It’s quick to react to your inputs, with a sporty soundtrack if you drive it hard. The body control is good – there’s just enough roll around corners to make you hold on but not throw you out your seat. It’s not as sharp or light on its feet as a Porsche Macan or BMW X3, though.