2019 Genesis G70
#392
Advanced
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I'm glad to see that this car seems to be the real deal. Good for Genesis! Hopefully all the models benefit from the G70's developments .For our family a G80 Sport taken up another notch or two would be a great family hauler.
#393
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
2019 Genesis G70 Review: The Best Sport Sedan Most People Have No Idea Exists
Hyundai's fledgling Genesis brand is putting itself on the luxury map, one winning model at a time.
Lawrence UlrichView Lawrence Ulrich's Articlestwitter.com/lawrenceulrich
If imitation is the sincerest flattery, then established luxury brands must be blushing over the new Genesis G70. The rookie sport sedan from Hyundai’s luxury division cribs shamelessly from the veterans: Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Jaguar. Yet if you’re going to steal, Genesis seems to be saying, at least steal the best parts from the best. That includes not just G70 design tropes—including what appears a precise replica of Audi’s knurled-aluminum, steering-wheel-mounted scroll wheels—but the pilfering of top talent. Readers who follow the industry may be aware of Hyundai and Kia’s busy HR department, whose recent coups include Albert Biermann, the former chief engineer of BMW’s storied M Division, and Luc Donckerwolke, the former Bentley, Lamborghini, and Volkswagen designer tapped to lead the Genesis and Hyundai styling studios.Fortunately, the G70 has also cribbed the chassis dynamics of some leading sport sedans. This is a legitimately fun-to-drive, handsome, and luxurious sedan. It's fast, too, especially with the 365-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 that escorts the G70 from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds when paired with optional all-wheel-drive and launch control. Underlining the bona fides is another option, a six-speed manual that’s only available on the lighter 2.0T G70 model with its 255-hp turbo four. (That engine makes 252 hp with the eight-speed automatic.) If all that’s not enough to make friends, the Genesis—like its critically lauded cousin, the Kia Stinger GT—will stuff a fat wad of savings into buyer’s pockets. With rear-wheel-drive and the paddle-shifted automatic, the 2.0T’s starting price of $35,895 undercuts a 240-hp BMW 330i by $5,350, and it's $4,280 cheaper than an Audi A4 Premium Plus 2.0.![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731431625-large-1472-2019genesisg701.jpg)
![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731756145-20181010_160034.jpg)
![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539730509847-large-1499-luxuriousandinvitingnew2019genesisg70interior..jpg)
![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731910854-large-1390-2019genesisg70.jpg)
![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731652220-large-1427-2019genesisg70.jpg)
![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731069087-large-1375-2019genesisg70.jpg)
![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731514113-large-1408-2019genesisg70.jpg)
![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731431625-large-1472-2019genesisg701.jpg)
GenesisGenesis G70 3.3T is the definition of an up-and-comer
Prices do jump sharply for a V-6-powered 3.3T, from $44,745 for a rear-drive Advanced model to $53,145 for the limited-edition 3.3T Dynamic AWD. But as with Kia’s Stinger, the G70 doesn’t play bait-and-switch pricing games. The German brands, on the other hand, are like Lucy screwing with poor Charlie Brown: Just when you're about to put your right foot into that “affordable” BMW, Audi, or Benz, the dealer yanks it away to show you what it really costs after options, leaving you flat on your back. A 320-hp BMW 340i xDrive—with 45 fewer horses than the Genesis G70 3.3T, and a few ticks slower to 60 mph—starts for $52,000, but costs about $61,000 comparably equipped. A 362-hp Mercedes-AMG C43 sedan starts at $54,395, but ends up closer to $64,000 once the goodies are added; it’s also a touch slower to 60 mph than a V-6 G70. The 354-horsepower Audi S4 equals the Genesis’s 4.4-second scamper to 60 mph, starts from $52,375, and tops $62,000 at similar equipment levels. But the G70 AWD 3.3T Prestige I drove cost $50,995, all-in. Its only extra-cost option was a $1,750 Elite package that includes a big sunroof, wireless phone charging, rain-sensing wipers, parking-distance sensors, and automated high beams.Genesis G70 design is elegant, if not all that original
Where the Stinger's exterior is a straight-up homage to the Audi A7 and A5/S5 Sportback, the Genesis fills its design basket from a longer aisle of luxury sedans: some Audi here and there; a touch of Jaguar in the crouched stance and finely-etched hood; a whole lot of BMW in the rearward silhouette. Genesis claims the lowest overall height and width in its class. It’s an appealing and straightforward design, if a bit anonymous, fronted by Genesis’s huge crosshatched grille. But someone has to say it: The Kia Stinger looks even better, with its stretched-GT hatchback design.![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731756145-20181010_160034.jpg)
Lawrence Ulrich365-hp G70 3.3T takes curves in New York's Harriman State Park
The appealing cabin, with its authentic materials, quality switchgear (including milled aluminum controls), and clean layout, also delivers on the promise of luxury-for-less. It’s airy and spacious up front, but cramped in back, especially when it comes to knee room. The front seats are shapely and comfy, and I got a kick out of the controls that let a driver adjust the passenger seat without a straining reach, a feature usually reserved for top-end luxury models. The 8.0-inch touchscreen perched atop the center stack is another hat-tip to BMW and Mercedes, but Genesis does go its own way by eschewing the rotary-**** console controller found on every German competitor. (As a result, the G70's version can demand a bit of a stretch to poke the screen.) And the screen graphics are largely identical to those of lesser Hyundai models—something for Genesis to work on. Though I wasn’t mortally offended, because everything just works inside the G70, with no learning curve to speak of, a blessed change from the over-complicated likes of Lexus. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, and SiriusXM satellite radio are standard. An optional 15-speaker, 660-watt Lexicon audio system brings crisp music reproduction, thanks to Harman's ClariFi tech that spiffs up compressed audio sources and subwoofers mounted below front seats. ![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539730509847-large-1499-luxuriousandinvitingnew2019genesisg70interior..jpg)
GenesisWhoa, that's pretty fancy. What kind of car do you call that?
For all the interior’s fancy goodness, it still struck me as a bit Xeroxed, taking so much inspiration from other luxury makers—including optional, Audi-style quilted Nappa leather—that there’s little sense of a Genesis designer applying his or her distinctive stamp. Perhaps that’s a lot to ask from a fledgling brand that doesn't have a century of design history and familiarity behind it, as with Mercedes. I lodged similar criticisms of Lexus's original models that seemed blatant Mercedes reproductions, so let's give Genesis time to spread its wings to go along with its winged badge that looks just like Bentley's. And there’s something to be said for learning from your betters: Since Cadillac, for one, can’t seem to design an interior to save its struggling ***, maybe the company should also borrow from the Germans until it figures out how to do it on its own.![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731910854-large-1390-2019genesisg70.jpg)
GenesisGenesis starts from below $36,000
G70's performance leaves little to be desired
If the cabin doesn’t show many designer fingerprints, the fingerprints of Herr Biermann are all over the G70’s driving experience. That begins with a well-chosen balance between a quiet, comfortable ride and sporting performance, even on my 3.3T’s 19-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires. Its AWD system brought brake-based torque vectoring, along with an optional adaptive suspension. (All rear-drive models get a mechanical limited-slip differential.) Up to 20 percent of the power can be diverted to the front wheels, and a Drift mode lets you prioritize rear-driven torque to bust those sticky Michelins loose. My G70 did display some unwanted dive under hard braking, and an overly-soft brake pedal—though the Brembo brakes themselves are powerful, packing four-piston front calipers and 13.8-inch rotors.In sharp contrast to older Hyundais or the original Genesis G90, whose steering could be downright awful—lifeless, artificially heavy, just plain weird—this G70’s electric-assisted rack feels natural and sophisticated. The steering ratio isn’t super-quick, at 3.3 turns lock-to-lock, and the rack-mounted electric unit filters out a bit more of the road surface than I'd prefer. But this G70 carves as faithfully as Dad at the Thanksgiving table, tucking into fast corners with grace and confidence. It felt more a glider than a track-oriented fighter, responding best to smooth, precise inputs of power and steering angle. Chassis balance is a high point, though my AWD model evinced some telltale understeer near the limit, especially on the windiest roads through the boonies north of Manhattan. I’ll further suggest that the G70 feels mildly underdamped in some situations, especially when settling itself through high-speed curves over broken pavement. There is a Dynamic Edition with a sportier suspension tune, performance brake pads and some other extras, but it’s limited to a 400-unit run for the 2019 model year only. As for the adaptive suspension, I couldn’t suss out much difference in body roll or ride quality between Comfort and Sport models—though the throttle felt a bit jumpy in Sport, causing the G70 to lurch from stoplights. I also learned that my mega-powered G70 preferred to exit many corners in third gear rather than second, where there was still ample torque available, but not so much as to upset the chassis.![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731652220-large-1427-2019genesisg70.jpg)
GenesisQuilted, diamond-pattern Nappa leather doesn't reach Audi heights, but it's still nice
“Ample” definitely describes the twin-turbo V-6, offering a mesa-flat powerband and a lusty 376 pound-feet of peak torque. Engine sounds are piped into the cabin via the audio system, amping up as you dial toward the Sport setting; you can switch the subtle concert off if you prefer. Both the four- and six-cylinder engines are powerful workhorses that deliver the bottom-line acceleration specs that enthusiasts love to bandy about. But time for more perspective: Both powertrains come up a bit shy in the character department. The V-6, for all its might, doesn’t spin the silken magic of a BMW inline-six or Audi’s 3.0-liter V-6. (I haven’t sampled the four-banger in the Genesis, but I’ve driven the identical engine in the Stinger). And while the Genesis’s eight-speed automatic transmission is competent, it’s slow on the uptake compared with the Mercedes-AMG C43’s sparkling nine-speed, or BMW’s and Audi’s own eight-speed units. Sure, whether the Germans charge too much is a valid question, but you’re definitely getting something for the extra $5,000 to $12,000 they charge, and it’s more than a socially approved badge. I haven’t even brought up the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which remains the pure-performance benchmark among every one of these compact sport sedans. It also starts from nearly $75,000 in 505-hp Quadrifoglio form, though you can get a solid lease deal on the four-cylinder version. ![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731069087-large-1375-2019genesisg70.jpg)
GenesisAn honest-to-goodness manual transmission, available on the four-cylinder G70.
Hard to beat this Genesis in terms of value
None of this is to diminish the achievement of the G70 in terms of bang-for-the-buck design, performance, and luxury. The price of that Alfa, along with high-powered Deutsche cars, underlines the difference—for many, many consumers—between the fantasy sedans you read and dream about, and the sedan you can actually afford. I can’t wait to drive the even-more-affordable, rear-drive Genesis 2.0T version; naturally, I'd prefer it with the stick shift you can’t get in most competitors, including the all-new 2020 BMW 3 Series that goes on sale in spring. I sure as hell can’t afford a $63,000 Audi S4, but I could afford a four-cylinder G70, and I’m sure I’m not the only sedan enthusiast in that position.![](http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1539731514113-large-1408-2019genesisg70.jpg)
GenesisFlush oval exhaust tips are a luxury touch
The idea of Hyundai luxury cars, followed by this stand-alone luxury brand, elicited plenty of snickers just a few years ago. No one’s laughing now, as Genesis has delivered three worthy sedans, each in my mind better than the last: The full-size G90, the midsize G80, and now the compact G70. The brand remains an underdog, and sales are modest as Genesis makes the difficult transition to that stand-alone status, including creating new Genesis showrooms separate from existing Hyundai stores. At a recent lunch in Brooklyn’s fashionable Dumbo neighborhood (another underdog success story), Erwin Raphael, Genesis’s straight-talking North American brand manager—an Army veteran who’s also been an environmental engineer and Chrysler plant manager in Detroit—acknowledged the heavy lifting ahead. But the brand seems to be making all the right moves, including a focus on reliability and top-flight customer service, such as picking up your Genesis for service and returning it when it’s done. It’s a familiar template that helped launched Lexus to luxury heights beginning in the early Nineties. The only head-scratcher may be that product rollout, with three traditional luxury sedans back-to-back, but nary a crossover SUV. Executives say the brand wanted establish itself in manageable, lower-volume segments—beginning with that flagship G90—before expanding, to the point that Genesis stopped importing sedans here from Korea for a chunk of 2018 as it readied new showrooms for Genesis customers. Still, those Genesis crossovers are in the pipeline, with one scheduled for 2020 and another in 2021. I’m not sure what shape they’ll take, but on the evidence of cars like the G70, I’ll hazard a guess: They’ll be well-built, fully competitive in performance, appealingly loaded, and smartly priced. Now, Genesis, bring just a bit skosh more daring, distinction, and personality on the design front, and I’ll be fully sold.
#394
Lexus Test Driver
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I mean, for a full breakdown: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...70-price-msrp/
There's a nice table toward the end, which I'll copy-paste here for convenience.
There's a nice table toward the end, which I'll copy-paste here for convenience.
Personal opinion: I think the 52.2K for the Dynamic Genesis G70 3.3T is too much for what it is. You can have slightly more equipment Audi S4 and it'll only set you back 56-57K. For roughly at most a 5K difference, it makes the Genesis a G70 a hard sell compared to the Audi S4.
Note: If you set the Audi S4 to about only a 5K or less difference then the Dynamic G70 3.3T, the G70 only has the following features that the S4 don't have: power tilt wheel, nappa leather, rear heated seats, and vent seats.
While the S4 has the following the G70 don't have: Virtual Cockpit, rear LED turn signals, sequential turn signals, massage seat function, Quattro (better AWD system), 3-zone climate control, "Prestige" (if you count that).
The key here is - are you willing to pay 5K more for the Audi badge plus those S4 features and lose those G70 features. Or would you save 5K and lose S4 features and gain G70 features. This is something the consumer has to decide. For me personally, I would bite on the S4 rather than the G70.
Last edited by BippuLexus; 10-17-18 at 04:04 PM.
#395
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Good post on the table, Arentz!
Personal opinion: I think the 52.2K for the Dynamic Genesis G70 3.3T is too much for what it is. You can have slightly more equipment Audi S4 and it'll only set you back 56-57K. For roughly at most a 5K difference, it makes the Genesis a G70 a hard sell compared to the Audi S4.
Note: If you set the Audi S4 to about only a 5K or less difference then the Dynamic G70 3.3T, the G70 only has the following features that the S4 don't have: power tilt wheel, nappa leather, rear heated seats, and vent seats.
While the S4 has the following the G70 don't have: Virtual Cockpit, rear LED turn signals, sequential turn signals, massage seat function, Quattro (better AWD system), 3-zone climate control, "Prestige" (if you count that).
The key here is - are you willing to pay 5K more for the Audi badge plus those S4 features and lose those G70 features. Or would you save 5K and lose S4 features and gain G70 features. This is something the consumer has to decide. For me personally, I would bite on the S4 rather than the G70.
Personal opinion: I think the 52.2K for the Dynamic Genesis G70 3.3T is too much for what it is. You can have slightly more equipment Audi S4 and it'll only set you back 56-57K. For roughly at most a 5K difference, it makes the Genesis a G70 a hard sell compared to the Audi S4.
Note: If you set the Audi S4 to about only a 5K or less difference then the Dynamic G70 3.3T, the G70 only has the following features that the S4 don't have: power tilt wheel, nappa leather, rear heated seats, and vent seats.
While the S4 has the following the G70 don't have: Virtual Cockpit, rear LED turn signals, sequential turn signals, massage seat function, Quattro (better AWD system), 3-zone climate control, "Prestige" (if you count that).
The key here is - are you willing to pay 5K more for the Audi badge plus those S4 features and lose those G70 features. Or would you save 5K and lose S4 features and gain G70 features. This is something the consumer has to decide. For me personally, I would bite on the S4 rather than the G70.
#396
Speaks French in Russian
![](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/ranks/rank-smod2.gif)
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I think the idea is that there won't be any options, just the various trim levels. That way you don't have to ask about obscure options, for instance: "Hey, did your G70 3.3T Dynamic come with the ventilated seats?" You already know it did, since it's the Dynamic. But then, there are many trim levels, so it's still a bit "much".
#397
Lexus Test Driver
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The Audi does not necessarily have a better AWD system, apparently there are different versions of Quattro depending on which model of car you get. I think they are moving toward more of a haldex system which would be closer to X Drive. The X Drive in a 3 Series and the awd in a G70 are made by the same manufacturer (if I'm not mistaken) and gives you a more of a RWD bias. The G70 also comes with a mechanical limited slip rear differential.
#398
Lexus Test Driver
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The Audi does not necessarily have a better AWD system, apparently there are different versions of Quattro depending on which model of car you get. I think they are moving toward more of a haldex system which would be closer to X Drive. The X Drive in a 3 Series and the awd in a G70 are made by the same manufacturer (if I'm not mistaken) and gives you a more of a RWD bias. The G70 also comes with a mechanical limited slip rear differential.
The S4 comes with a torsion Quattro that is split 40:60 front to rear. The Haldex is found in other applications like the A3 series but all other Audis get the torsion which is the best system out there. I'd easily pay $5k for the Audi interior over the G70...i think the S4 is the best car in its class overall.
Agreed with you on the last part as well. The S4 is definitely the better car compared to the S4 and C43 AMG, in my opinion. It offers similar performance figures for cheaper and having an amazing interior. The only reason I went with the C43 AMG is because of the AMG sound.
![Big Grin](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
#399
Lexus Champion
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The S4 comes with a torsion Quattro that is split 40:60 front to rear. The Haldex is found in other applications like the A3 series but all other Audis get the torsion which is the best system out there. I'd easily pay $5k for the Audi interior over the G70...i think the S4 is the best car in its class overall.
#402
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The locking differentials can hinder a Quattro car in very specific situations however. Quattro in its basic form cannot fully lock an axle like the BMW can, with always some torque output reaching both. The mechanical nature of the Torsen differential means that if zero traction is found on an axle, it has zero resistance to send to the other side of the vehicle. The centre diff is essentially a torque multiplying device so if complete traction is lost at an axle, things can get very tricky for quattro.
#403
Lexus Test Driver
#404
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
BMW xDrive VS. Audi Quattro: Which AWD System Is The Best?
When it comes to all-wheel-drive traction in German luxury cars, Audi’s legendary Quattro system has been proven itself by dominating rally circuits. Meanwhile, BMW’s xDrive has become a worthy challenger and a very popular option. But which system is better?While practically every Audi on the market can be had with “quattro” AWD, not all Quattro systems are created equal. The model you choose will determine the type of AWD system you get. Audi has recently been criticized for shifting their Torsen based Quattro system to the new electronically controlled Ultra-Quattro. The reason for the switch may have come from the success of BMW’s xDrive.A lot of BMW purists may look down on an all-wheel-drive car that purports to be the “ultimate driving machine.” But like it or not, AWD BMWs have been around for a long time and are here to stay and once you understand the details behind how xDrive works, you will see that it is a great solution for buyers who want that rear-drive BMW feel, with all-weather-traction.The folks at CarThrottle have put together an excellent video that not only breaks down the mechanical details and differences between each system, but also come to some interesting conclusions as to who makes the superior system for everyday driving.
#405
drives cars
![](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/ranks/rank-mod2.gif)
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Its only extra-cost option was a $1,750 Elite package that includes a big sunroof, wireless phone charging, rain-sensing wipers, parking-distance sensors, and automated high beams.
For me it's not really a big deal. I refuse to buy a car until I know exactly what I am getting. Whether the long list of trims complicates inventory remains to be seen.