SPY PICS: Genesis G70 hots up

Hyundai's disruptive luxury car brand Genesis is close to revealing its all-important mid-size luxury sedan, G70, as these spy shots from Dubai show.

Developed to rival the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Genesis G70 will arrive in Australia late in 2017, and can be yours for around $55,000, give or take.

The slinky new executive sedan will be the Hyundai luxury brand's most affordable – and important – model.

Although the headlights have been thoroughly disguised, along with the cars' rumps, these photos show the G70's profile very clearly, revealing long bonnets and sloping rear windscreens culminating in a sporty stance.

These photos were taken by motoring.com.au near the Jebel Jais mountain, a thrilling 20km stretch of twisting, undulating road.

Two versions of the Genesis G70 were spotted undergoing hot-weather performance testing, identified by differing exhaust outlets. We know that Genesis G70 models will be offered with 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 power in Australia, the latter pumping out 270kW and 510Nm.

There's also red brake calipers on the sporty V6 model, which Genesis executives say will be faster, lighter and more agile than the Kia Stinger GT that arrives in Australia in September 2017, a few months before the Genesis G70.

Based on a new rear-drive platform, the pair of Genesis G70 vehicles was being benchmarked against a BMW 3 Series, making it clear the Korean luxury brand is unlikely to cut any corners with the new model, so to speak.

While the G90 limousine won't make it Down Under, the Genesis G70 will be joined by the larger G80 sedan here this year, followed by GV70 and GV80 SUVs and a grand touring sports coupe. Manfred Fitzgerald, Genesis global brand chief, reckons his company will have the six-model range on sale by 2020.

Unlike the all-new G70, the bigger G80 will not be available in lusty twin-turbo V6 'Sport' form, instead soldiering along with the less powerful and thirstier 3.8-litre non-turbo V6.

Currently known as the Hyundai Genesis, the facelifted and renamed G80 has touched down in Australia ahead of its local release around the same time as the G70 later this year (pictured).

That V6 will be phased out eventually and more powertrains will emerge down the track, including hybrid and fully electric powertrains for all Genesis models, said Fitzgerald last month at the New York motor show.

"Alternative propulsion systems are at the core of this brand. We truly believe in that."

Hyundai has completed an extensive Australian chassis tuning program for the G80, and the G70 is about to undergo steering and suspension localisation in readiness for Hyundai Australia's twin-pronged Genesis brand launch in the final quarter of this year.