It even looks like a BMW, with the size, stance and style of a compact German sedan and the same firepower as a top-of-the-range 3 Series: a 3.3-liter V6 with a turbocharger on each cylinder bank, tuned to 365 hp and 460 Nm of torque. The 8-speed automatic transmission, With Flappy paddle shifter, knows its job, as does the strut-and-multilink suspension, and yes, there is the mandatory Red Brembo brake calipers protrude from 19-inch alloy sport wheels. The available $4,400 Sport Prestige package includes a limited-slip rear differential and tuned suspension, both electronically controlled.
The harmony continues inside. The leather-lined four-seat, four-door cabin is elegant, comfortable (much more so in the front seats than the rear) and quiet, at least until the variable-flap exhaust system makes the engine audible as the revs rise. Materials, fit and finish are top-notch and chrome is almost non-existent. The equipage is also up to par: the sunroof, trunk lid, steering wheel and seat adjustment are all electric. (Select Sport mode and the driver’s seat side bolsters retract for a firmer fit.) Cruise control is adaptive, the climate control is thermostatically controlled and anything that comes into contact with hands or bum can be heated. The touchscreen offers the usual apps and there’s a wireless charger for phones.
There are also plenty of modern safety aids: front and rear collision avoidance assist, lane departure and lane following assist, rear cross-traffic and blind-spot alerts, a dual-view rear-view camera (open at the rear and top), and rear occupant alert so we don’t forget the child seat back there. Genesis even informs the driver whether it’s safe to open the door in traffic.
The G70 follows the classic formula of a sports sedan and everything is well done – carefully thought out, lovingly polished, classy and professional. Oddly, however, given the runaway success of many Genesis SUVs and large sedans (the G80 Electrified, the GV60 Performance, the GV80 3.5T, the GV70 3.5T, the G90 3.3T, et al.), the G70 Sport doesn’t work quite so perfectly. Perhaps this shows how difficult it is to mix cream and Tabasco into a dish. Or how difficult it is to program today’s drive-by-wire systems to behave as linearly and predictably as mechanical linkages and hydraulic servos that have been perfected over decades of development.
In short, this G70 has negligible electronic glitches – the occasional, ever so slight, hesitation when changing gear or going from stop to go. In a luxury sedan or SUV, it may be easier to iron out these issues than in a car that’s supposed to be particularly responsive, crisp and sporty; perhaps the nervousness is just a bit too nervous? In a lesser car, we’d probably overlook this, and on the highway, it disappears, where the G70 is quick, smooth and quiet.
In addition to all this virtuousness, the G70 also has an ace up its sleeve: price! For 2025, the 300-horsepower 3.5T’s entry-level price starts at $43,250, while our fully loaded 3.3T Sport Prestige (dubbed Sport Advanced Prestige for the 2025 model year) with optional all-wheel-drive stickers at $58,350. That’s thousands of dollars less than comparable cars from the Teutonic trio, and don’t overlook the Koreans’ longer warranties, either.
Next week: Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 6.2
