Genesis G70 2019 Review

A rear-drive, turbo-six sports sedan with luxury appointments for under $80K … Has Korea outplayed the German triumvirate at its own game?

It seems unlikely, yes, but the new Genesis G70’s biggest selling point may not be value after all.

Arriving in Australia alongside the bigger but ageing Genesis G80 this week, the C-Class rival’s performance creates a true point of difference in the Australian mid-size luxury sedan segment, at least under $80,000.

The line-up is anchored by an 180kW/353Nm 2.0-litre turbo-four priced from under $60K, but makes a bigger mark with a 272kW/510Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 from the Kia Stinger. Both are tied solely to eight-speed automatic transmissions driving the rear wheels.

Pricing for the Genesis G70 range kicks off at $59,300 for the four, moves up to $72,450 for the entry turbo-six and tops out at $79,950 (plus on-road costs) for the G70 Ultimate Sport.

That positions the four-cylinder G70 around $5000 below the entry-level 3 Series and C-Class, but in a pound-for-pound kiloWatt comparison, the $72K turbo-six appears strong against the 287kW/520Nm C 43 AMG ($108,600) and 285kW/500Nm M340i ($99,900).

Standard equipment on G70 entry models comprises 18-inch alloy wheels with Continental tyres, genuine leather-appointed interior with quilting, aluminium trim inserts, an 8.0-inch touch-screen navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker sound system and wireless smartphone charging.

Safety is likewise well sorted with seven airbags, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision assist (autonomous emergency braking or AEB) with pedestrian detection and lane-change oncoming function, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, reversing camera and tyre pressure monitoring.

Each Genesis G70 is offered with the marque’s connected services app, which enables smartphone-activated functions such as remote engine start, scheduling services, location data for accidents and breakdowns, and key driving data.

Genesis raises the stakes in aftersales provisions, too. A five-year warranty, five-year roadside assist and five-year inclusive servicing is packaged into the new vehicle price.

If you live within 70km of your local Genesis ‘studio’ (read: dealership), the manufacturer will arrange pick-up and delivery for your G80 and also supply a courtesy vehicle during the transaction.

The caveat here is that there is currently one solitary studio in Australia, in Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall.

However, plans are afoot for upwards of 10 studios, and Genesis insists it will do the legwork to assist early adopters with logistics and aftersales – potentially flying technicians to locations.

However, an unknown quantity for the Genesis G70 remains resale value.

The Genesis G70 shares its origins with the Kia Stinger, including its platform and drivetrains. Overall, the G70 is 145mm shorter and more compact in every other key dimension including wheelbase.

Officially, the G70 tips the scales between 1604kg and 1762kg depending on variant and engine choice, while 0-100km/h acceleration is rated at 5.9 seconds in four-cylinder guise and 4.7 seconds in twin-turbo V6 form.

And, just like the Stinger, the G70 is the recipient of its own Australian tuning program, which includes suspension and steering settings derived from extensive testing on local roads.

A caveat exists around both Euro 5 emission-compliant engines, however. Unlike the Stinger, which runs on regular 91-octane unleaded petrol, Genesis says both G70 engines require a minimum of 95 RON premium.

Notwithstanding that, the performance equipment in Genesis G70 3.3T variants plays nicely into the sporty positioning of the car, extending to adaptive suspension, 350mm Brembo front brakes, a mechanical limited-slip differential, G-force meter and lap timer, and launch control.

The Genesis G70’s circa-$75,000 price tag for the more enviable twin-turbo six begins to make sense upon looking around the cabin.

Settling into the low-slung, comfortable driver’s chair, there are quality materials at all touchpoints and a contemporary feel to the buttons and switchgear – at least in the company of the ageing G80.

The centre fascia in particular is topped by an 8.0-inch touch-screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, underslung by hard-wired buttons that are presented cleanly, even if the set-up is a little bit off the pace of Europe’s latest and greatest.

Rather than the highly immersive and tech-savvy digital instrument clusters of target competitors, the G70 makes do with two simple analogue gauges separated by a digital readout.

Storage is well considered throughout the cabin, with bottle-friendly door pockets, open cubbies and bins throughout the two rows. The boot, meanwhile, measures 330 litres and has a space-saver tyre underneath. It’s not the biggest area, but will squeeze your golf clubs or a couple of overnight bags on a trip away.

The Genesis G70 plays to a broader prestige theme, with quilted leather denoting the luxury variants and darker materials with brushed silver highlights occupying sportier models.

All cars offer a five-star ANCAP safety rating under the latest 2018 testing guidelines, along with three child anchorage points, the two outboard seats with ISOFIX capability.

But enough of the preamble: how does it drive?

Our test drive of the new Genesis G70 took in about 500km worth of breathtaking roads in and around the Victorian High Country. Across a combination of highway, around-town doodling and at-times challenging B-roads, the newcomer impresses with a strong level of balance, surety and composure.

In regular conveyance, the Genesis G70 enamours with excellent sound insulation and a feeling of solidity afforded by a lack of squeaks or rattles and a planted feel on the road.

Light steering at carpark speeds and moderate visibility segues into appropriate levels of feel and engagement through the corners. In the same vein, both engines make light work of ordinary driving, offering accessible levels of power and torque and working well with the eight-speed automatic. The V6 is truly unfussed when building speed.

All Genesis G70 models employ MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, V6 models employing adaptive damping offering a greater degree of adjustability when scrolling through its five driving modes.

The V6 flagship is incredibly confident at speed, sitting flat through long, fast corners and controlling its weight admirably during faster changes in direction. The car’s circa-1750kg kerb weight is always of consequence, but the Australian ride and handling tune has encouraged admirable levels of usability, aided by quality Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber.

The flagship’s limited-slip differential is a key facilitator here, aiding cornering stability and allowing the car to ply its power cleanly.

In fact, across our entire schlep on mostly greasy early morning backroads, the stability control light flickered just once, and even then the system’s intervention was measured and unobtrusive.

Steering is likewise well sorted, with adequate levels of feel and feedback. It ultimately doesn’t have the weighted, nuanced feel of a 3 Series, but it is accurate and well suited to the car’s sporty positioning.

In terms of engines, the twin-turbo six feels immediately better suited to the G70’s sporty premise. Finding peak power from 6000rpm, the V6 clearly likes to rev, doling out impressive levels of grunt through the middling and upper ranges.

But forget the 4.7-second 0-100km/h claim. Perhaps a better barometer for the G70’s go-forward is a 3.1sec dash between 80 and 120km/h. It is simply unrelenting on a quality twisting road.

The V6 works effectively with the eight-speed auto to place itself within the fat torque curve; to the point where you rarely need to use the paddle shifters. One potential downside is that the gearbox won’t relinquish full control to the driver unless stability control is turned off – though this would only really be an issue on a circuit.

Another bone of contention is the exhaust note, which is dull and muted even with the sportiest sound symposer setting activated, in which exhaust note is piped artificially through the speakers.

The four-cylinder ultimately struggles to reach the same heady dynamics of the V6. Though still spritely with a 5.9sec 0-100km/h claim and more feel from the front wheels due to less weight over them, the four-pot struggles for enthusiasm out of tighter corners and needs to rev to really hit its straps.

Is the Genesis G70 likely to steal sales en masse from the German triumvirate? By virtue of its relatively unknown badge, we’d suggest not.

But don’t discount the Korean contender from the European executive sedan sales race entirely. What we have here is a genuinely fun, outside-the-box luxury proposition that drives as well as it pampers.

In many respects, the Genesis G70 feels like the compact German sedan of old.

How much does the 2019 Genesis G70 cost?
Price: $59,300-$79,950 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol, 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol
Output: 179kW/353Nm, 272kW/510Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.7L/100km, 10.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 199g/km, 238g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP