Genesis G70 (2019-2026)

Great performance sedan with poor rear seat room – There’s a twin-turbocharged V6 under the bonnet, it’s rear wheel drive only, and it has a bi-modal exhaust. This seems very performance car-like to me, unlike the bigger G80 or GV80. Its main competitor is the BMW 340i XDrive, which is priced at only a few thousand dollars more. You could also look to buy a Kia Stinger for less money than this which is utilising the same motor but with a longer wheelbase.

What wowed me was the quality of the matte white paint, the accuracy of the stitching in the seats and the feel of most major touch points in this cabin.

I was blown away by the accuracy in construction for the G80 and GV80, however, the G70 seems to have sacrificed some of that accuracy which helped impress me with the Genesis brand.

There are large panel gaps at the boot opening, visible sound-deadening foam in the door jams, and a few noticeable rattles when driving.

Creaks and rattles were plentiful, emanating from the roof itself. These are noises that really would detract from the pleasure of spending a smidge under $100,000.

Priced from $94,460 drive away, our test model was priced out to $96,560, as it was dressed in the optional matte white paint.

The G70 at it’s top-end price doesn’t skimp on any features - it’s all here. A 3-D drivers display, heads up display, sports exhaust system, Brembo brakes, 360 degree parking camera, heated/cooled seats and a sunroof are all standout features at this price.

In all honesty, I would find it hard to choose the G70 over the BMW. Personally, the styling, versatility of the all-wheel drive system, characteristics of the inline six motor and the larger second row space take the win for me.

I think the standard G70 Sport at $83,960 is a far better option and a better bang for buck than the more expensive Luxury trim. This is because it gets all the performance hardware for $20,000 less than the BMW.

Genesis offers a 5 year warranty and service package which includes 5 years of complimentary services and door-to-door pick up/drop off service and complimentary service loan car. That pick up/drop off service is only available if you live within 70km of a Genesis Design Studio.

The Lexicon by Harman sound system is a crisp and powerful sound stage for all types of media you put through it.

Although not as impressive as the sound stage found in the BMW, it’s certainly quite close. A little more clarity in the top end and a little less bass distortion would carry it over the line to win in that comparison.

The louder exhaust, rev-happy V6 and tire noise was acceptable when warranted. What wasn’t warranted was the intrusion of whining from the limited-slip differential.

Although there are some low points for the price, the G70 has plenty of highlights to overshadow these flaws.

One of these highlights are the Brembo brakes. These large rotors do a fantastic job of complementing the power delivered by the thumping twin-turbo motor up front

A surprise for sure, was how engaging this gearbox was. It’s an 8-speed automatic, and it’s easy to throw into ‘D’ and get on with your day.

Shifts are smooth through the rev range, and downshifts are delightfully crisp, without an accompanying lurch.

Although the Genesis G70’s wheels might look large, they’re only 19-inch in diameter. That’s not excessive by any means, and an ideal size for daily driving.

The G70’s suspension is responsive to what’s happening on the road. These sporty models offer a firm and purposeful ride, but are far from back-breaking.

When you want to dial it up to 11, the G70 feels a whole lot lighter on its feet than the BMW. It’s chassis is a stand-out when it comes to performance driving.

The shorter wheel-base allows the G70 to feel more cohesive through corners, providing high accuracy when it comes to being predictable under high speed manoeuvres.

Steering feel is a little numb. However, the feel you get through the chassis of the car while under heavy braking/acceleration is 80% of what you need. It’s not the perfect steering experience, but it’s most of the way there.

At the end of the week of thoroughly enjoying myself being at the wheel of this performance sedan, I only saw figures averaging as high as 13L per 100km. Quoted combined consumption is 10.2L per 100km.

I hopped into the G70 Sport hoping for a miniaturised version of the G80’s interior. What I was greeted with was a design that felt a little more like an upmarket Kia Stinger. That’s not a bad thing, but it felt a little far from Genesis’s iconic interior designs in the G80 and GV80.

There’s limited boot space, as the hard boot parcel shelf and shorter wheelbase only allows for 330L of capacity. You can fold the second row in a 60/40 split for additional room, but it’s limited in its height access.

Second row space is limited, too. Legroom, feetroom and kneeroom will be tight, even for someone like myself at 5-foot 11. Additionally, the rear right passenger gets an unpleasant surprise of a complete oversight of the middle seat’s seat belt buckle. It’s placed squarely in the left lower back of the rear-right passenger. This is a little unacceptable in any car, let alone a near $100,000 car like this one.

The BMW 3 Series has a stranglehold on the medium sized sedan market, and continues to still. BMW resisted to raise prices north of $100,000 for the 340i XDrive, making it a potent contender against the G70.

Still, the looks of the G70 might catch your eye, and practicality may not be of utmost importance if you only travel alone or with only two more people at a time. If this is the case, certainly head to your nearest Genesis design-studio to check out a G70 Sport.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

Slightly more practical than the sedan, but misses out on that sweet 3.5L turbo V6 engine – For 2022 the European exclusive ‘Shooting Brake’ body style has launched here in Australia. US buyers have already voiced their jealousy over our social channels. The G70 Shooting Brake adds boot space and attention from bystanders. There’s one slight issue. This only comes with the more mild four cylinder engine, and is not delivered with the spicy twin turbocharged V6.

Genesis build quality is a step above from what you can expect from a regular Hyundai. Leather seats, accenting trim pieces, headlights and the drivers display are all built to an obvious higher standard.

There are some hard plastics and panel gaps that show that the G70 isn’t built as well as the rest of the Genesis range. It feels disconnected from the quality standards that the GV70 SUV has to adhere to. It comes down to this interior feeling older than the rest of the Genesis line-up.

Landing in Australia at $79,000 before on road costs, this isn’t going to be the budget wagon alternative. Mercedes and Audi offer similar power outputs and body styles at this price point.

You’re getting a bunch of standard equipment, a sports-oriented drive and of course, the styling. A 15-speaker system and 16-way adjustable heated/cooled seats are some highlight inclusions.

The Genesis G70 Shooting Brake has a unique body-style. Although that comes at a cost when it comes to practicality. Thanks to that swooping roofline, you’re losing boot room when compared to a more squared off design (like the Volvo V60).

The G70 Shooting Brake comes with 5 years/50,000km complimentary servicing. That includes a ‘concierge’ pick-up and drop-off service and a service loan car. Warranty is an industry standard 5 year/unlimited kilometre coverage.

I got to experience the G70's sound isolation over 1000km of driving.

Sound isolation from the outside world is luxurious, achieving what Genesis as a brand is trying to do. There’s a distinct lack of wind noise, and hardly a roar or drone from its tires.

I loved experiencing the 15 Lexicon branded speakers placed throughout the cabin. You can switch between presets that include ‘Audience, Stage and Reference’, altering your listening experience.

Sound is rich and with substance when played through these speakers. Being picky, it lacks high end clarity compared to the likes of the Volvo V60’s Bowers/Wilkins system.

Compared to its competitors, the G70 will outshine them here.

These beefy Brembo brakes offer plenty of bite even when being pushed through fast-paced back roads. I found the tuning to suit a luxury driving experience, meaning these lacked a hefty initial engagement.

You have a pillow-like dead zone that allows for smooth deceleration. As you dip deeper into the pedal, those Brembos will do what Brembos do best, and anchor down hard.

The easiest way to criticise the new G70 Shooting Brake is that the Lambda-II twin-turbocharged V6 isn’t available here.

Instead, you’re only able to opt the 2.0L turbocharged petrol four cylinder with the Shooting Brake. It produces 179kW and 353Nm with power sent to the rear wheels.

A claimed acceleration time in the mid-7 second range didn’t feel all too slow in person. A dramatic start can be had with traction control turned off, as the rear wheels slip for grip thanks to a wave of torque.

It’s not as dramatic or intoxicating to drive as the V6 was in the sedan, but it’s still good for a bit of driving fun.

Mid-range acceleration is achieved for overtakes on high-speed sections of highway. Thanks to that large Garett turbo, this lack-lustre four cylinder has a little more play to it than the brochure suggests.

What came as a real surprise was the gearbox found in the G70. It’s a ZF sourced 8-speed transmission that has a Jekyll and Hyde type personality.

Around town, there are rapid shifts to avoid high revs. It’s an easy car to drive at low speeds and in traffic, making it a comfortable daily driver.

Move into Sport or Sport-Plus mode, and the gearbox evolves how this car drives.

A lower centre of gravity, combined with a rear wheel drive set-up is a driver's dream. The G70 Shooting Brake benefits by not being an SUV, rather, exploiting what makes wagons like this so great.

Steering feel, combined with a stiff yet supple ride makes cornering a lot of fun. The seating position offers an optimal view with both front wheel arches in sight. As this has power sent to the rear wheels, you can have a bit more fun with some slight power-oversteer too.

Once you’re done corner-carving, the around town ride is smooth, buttery and what you’d expect from a Genesis. It isn’t as plush as the GV70, G80 or GV80, but it avoids becoming upset over rough Sydney streets.

Claimed combined fuel consumption is 9.1L/100km. We saw figures as high as 13L//100km, and as low as 10L/100km after some extended highway driving.

There’s over 100L more boot space when you order the G70 in wagon form, resulting in a total of 465L of cargo space.

The automatic tailgate is a major plus, besides this being a hatch instead of a sedan trunk opening. Allowing for taller items to fit inside this boot.

I especially love the 40:20:40 split rear seats, meaning you can maximise the amount of boot space you have, and ensure up to 4 occupants are still somewhat comfortable.

I can’t recommend the G70 Shooting Brake as a one size fits all wagon solution. A limited back seat and boot and mediocre power outputs means that this is up against stiff competitors that will offer more of both on paper.

I would say the G70 would suit buyers who were in the market for a small SUV or hatchback, and desire the looks of an attractive wagon. For individuals, couples or a small family, it’s an ideal choice and will have enough space for these buyers.

Also, you have driving dynamics that won’t have you wishing you bought a more sporty car. Mix in the luxury appointments, and you have yourself a more affordable version of what Mercedes and Audi offer in their more driver-oriented wagons.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.