Genesis G70 manual firms

Keen drivers could have a special reason to welcome the Genesis G70 in November.

Plans are underway to bring the mid-size luxury sports sedan to Australia with a six-speed manual gearbox, reversing the current trend by many car-makers to auto-only showrooms.

Genesis sees an opportunity to position itself as a proper sports brand with the manual shift and, although the manual plan is not yet confirmed, the brand’s global boss is keen and working to make it happen.

“I think there is a market in Australia,” Manfred Fitzgerald told motoring.com.au during Monterey Car Week in the USA.

“That is what we’re working on right now. Australians love cars and they also want to feel [the connection with the car}.

“I took that as homework and we can deliver that answer in a short time … if we can do that for the Australian market.”

The plan would see the Genesis Australia line-up open with the G70 manual powered by a 179kW/353Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder from the Hyundai i30 N.

Fitted with a manual transmission, the G70 manual should undercut key rivals like the Audi A4 (from $56,100), BMW 3 Series (from $63,400) and Mercedes-Benz C-Class (from $61,900).

While the larger Genesis G80 flagship sedan will be available in Australia only with a 3.8-litre petrol V6 automatic powertrain, the smaller (and also rear-wheel drive) G70 is also expected to come here in ‘Sport’ guise fitted with the 272kW/510Nm twin-turbo 3.3-litre V6 and eight-speed auto from the Kia Stinger.

Genesis Australia is already promoting the G70 Sport on its public website, which lists features including Genesis Adaptive Control Suspension, Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control, Brembo brakes, launch control, limited-slip differential, five drive modes, turbo boost gauge, lap timer, G-force meter and 18-inch Continental or 19-inch Michelin tyres.

However, at the moment Australia’s Genesis G70 is only confirmed with an automatic four-cylinder launch package and, despite enthusiasm for manuals, Fitzgerald is ruling out any N-style performance division at Genesis to take on Audi Sport, BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.

“I don’t see that right now as a discussion point for us,” he said.

But Fitzgerald can see a motorsport plan in the future for Genesis, which will launch as a standalone premium brand here for the first time outside Korea.

“I think motorsport is definitely an activity which we will be looking at, and are looking at right now. But give us some time.”

“We have to get the foundations right — the base right — then we can take it to the next level.

“Motorsport is definitely a valid activity that has a lot of things where we can see a very credible link to our brand.”