As crazy as it may sound, it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to a new car considering that I’ve driven so many vehicles in the past, both good and bad. On my latest adventure in test driving a new vehicle, Genesis sent me their North American Car of the Year winner, the G70. I went into the test drive of the all-new G70 with some doubt and a personal thought that somehow Genesis and the board of judges for the car of the year award were somehow bribed. In knowing such a case isn’t possible, I still was hard-headed to the point of thinking that there were other cars out there more deserving of the award than the G70. Boy, was I wrong.
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Genesis has set a new tone in the automotive market taking a gamble to offer the masses with three cars initially, all sedans in a current atmosphere that is thriving on the American lust for crossovers and SUVs. With the precedent of the luxury branding of Hyundai coming out of the newly-branded Genesis G80, once the Hyundai Genesis, the full-size luxury G90 has been added to the line as well as the all-new G70, which is a new compact luxury sports sedan poised and eager to take on the juggernaut likings of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class.
In my opinion, after spending a week with the all-new Genesis G70, it appears to embody more of a foundation for the Genesis brand than the G80. While the G80 got things started, I want to think of the new G70 as a stable foundation and the G80 being the framing while the G90 is the roofing. The building blocks of Genesis have had their stumbles, but things are looking up after getting to experience all that the G70 has to offer in a surprisingly affordable package.
To start things off, the Genesis G70 gets a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, which is the same powermill that can be had in the G80, G90, and G70’s distant cousin, the Kia Stinger GT. Genesis may not like me comparing the G70 to the Kia Stinger or relating the two, keep with facts, the two vehicles do share a drivetrain. Interestingly enough, the 365 horsepower and 376 ft-lbs. of torque from the force-fed V6 does more justice in the G70 than it does in the Kia Stinger GT. Simply put, the G70 3.3T Sport is more planted and compliant, and overall more capable than the Stinger GT.
Performance is excellent and many times surprising. The turn-in is sharp and the vehicle’s balance is near perfection. Braking is strong initially thanks to the Brembo brakes but there’s a slight bit of fade after pushing the vehicle hard on a closed course with repeated braking turns. Having the ability to bang through gears on the 8-speed automatic transmission with authority affords a 0-60 mph time of just 4.5 seconds through use of the launch control. Yes, the Genesis G70 3.3T Sport does have launch control – simply put it into the Sport drive mode to firm up the adaptive dampers, add weight to the steering effort, remap shift points, and advance the throttle position slightly, press the brake pedal firmly, stomp the gas and then release the brake and you’re off. Bottom line, the new G70 3.3T Sport will give the BMW 340i with the M-goodies a literal run for its money. Other than the slight turbo lag out of the hole and the not-so-impressive EPA fuel economy estimates of 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, the G70 is the best of its kind at its price point.
When not comparing the G70 to the Stinger and consider the pricing of BMW and Benz competitors, things tend to get even more interesting considering the many features that the G70 offers along with the proper luxury appointments and materials that you expect from a mainstream luxury car brand. My guess is that the G70 won many over when selecting it for the North American Car of the Year when looking at the collective of parts that it offers. In its upper trim levels, such as my loaded-up RWD 3.3T Sport test vehicle, the G70 doesn’t skimp on features and even titillates your senses with decoratively stitched quilted leather seating surfaces and door trim areas, power-adjustable front seat bolsters, plentiful soft-touch surfaces throughout the interior, and pleasant trim pieces to balance out the interior’s theme.
The interior of the G70 is nicely done making wise use of its space up front. However, out back, the rear seats become quickly cramped with limited legroom due to the aft adjustments of the front seats, which offer a large amount of travel. Overall, the G70 is noticeably smaller than the BMW 3 Series, a car that has grown in size significantly over the past several years. Mostly all aspects of the Interior are from a luxurious theme with the exception of its infotainment system and touchscreen, which doesn’t depart far from its Hyundai brethren. While the infotainment system is good and proves to be very responsive and user-friendly, it’s an area left untouched when everything else is reworked to fit the Genesis luxury mold. Though, there’s still Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, standard lane departure and lane-keeping assist, standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and standard automatic high-beam LED headlights. As part of the few option packages offered, the G70 can be equipped with the highlighted options of wireless phone charging, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear outboard seats, an oversized sunroof with power sunshade, rain-sensing wipers, low beam assist headlights, and a color heads-up display that can relay your blind-spot monitors.
Genesis has a long way to go but I get a confirmation that they are on the right path after experiencing the new G70. Adding to such a notion is the as-tested price of my loaded-up G70 RWD 3.3T Sport test vehicle at $50,495 out the door. The G70 may add a grand or so when opting for the optional all-wheel-drive system, but the pricing well undercuts a comparable BMW 3 Series.
>> Get the best price on the Genesis G70 from a network of local dealers now. <<
