Genesis G70 Petrol 3.3T RWD (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.