Genesis is the premium arm of Hyundai & as the first car I ever reviewed was a Hyundai Pony way back in 1988, it seems fitting to to see just how far the Hyundai brand has come in 30 years. Launched under the radar last year, Genesis like Infiniti before it, is already big in Asia & North America. The first European models are a mix of petrol & diesel saloons, SUV’s & Sportbrake’s, with all-electric model’s due in 2022.
What is it ?
The G70 is four door saloon car, powered by a 2 litre engine producing 245ps & 353Nm. It’s rear wheel drive set up compares favourably with the BMW 3 Series, a system that’s shared with the Kia Stinger & the Genesis GV70 2WD SUV.
Model range
You can choose from three models, all fitted with the same engine. Entry level Premium Line costs £33,400, Luxury Line £38,850 or Sport Line £40,480.
What’s different about Genesis ?
Customer service is at the forefront of the Genesis brand. So all buyers get Genesis Care Plan when they purchase their new car. Designed to take the stress out of ownership, the package includes your cars maintenance, servicing & even replacement wiper blades, are all included in the cars purchase price. You also get five years of software & navigation updates plus Genesis connected services for the duration of the Care Plan & Genesis will collect your car for servicing & leave you with a courtesy car.
The Care Plan covers the first five years or 50,000 miles of ownership, which ever comes first & that’s not forgetting the standard five-year warranty with five years breakdown cover.
Specification
All versions feature air con, cruise control, electric driver & front passenger seats, metallic paint, traction control, SatNav, DAB, Apple CarPay & Android Auto connectivity. All models are also fitted with front & rear parking sensors & a rear camera that projects images to the main touchscreen when reversing.
Our test car the Sport, takes things up a notch or two, with the inclusion of heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, plus a plethora of safety items such as Smart Cruise Control, Lane Following Assist, Blind-spot Collision Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, Pedestrian & Cyclist warning & Driver Attention Warning. It also sits on larger 19″ alloys & features Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres as standard. As an added bonus our Sport test car also offered adjustable suspension that you can soften or stiffen, Brembo brakes & limited-slip differential to boost traction.
Exterior
Genesis have done a great job of making the G70 look good. It’s low slung profile reminded me of the Alfa Giulia, which is a good thing. At the front, the twin wrap around light clusters are noticeably different to the competition, whilst the rear features a chunky boot spoiler & two chrome oval exhaust outlets. The GENESIS logo sits proudly at the front with the name across the rear.
Interior
The leather seats are finished with stitched red thread in a diamond pattern. The red also appears on the door panels & across the dash. Plenty of dark grey & black plastic mixed with chrome feature on the switches & on the dashboard front & top, as well as around the gear selector & automatic hand brake. The quality is very good & reminiscent of a Lexus.
Separate heating controls sit underneath the 10.5″ touchscreen which is centrally mounted & leans ever so slightly towards the driver. This looks good with sharp graphics & it’s intuitive to use. Apple CarPlay & Android Auto can be connected with both connecting wirelessly. Twin USB’s & a 12v socket are located in the centre console.
The set-up also features Genesis Connected Services, which is part of the company’s plan to offer a concierge service for all customers to help with servicing & assistance when travelling.
The multifunction steering wheel allows access to a number of functions, such as entertainment & cruise control. A 12.3″ digital instrument cluster sits in front of the driver & this can be configured with 3D-effect graphics. The dials in front of you also change appearance depending on driving mode; Eco, Comfort, Sport or Sport +.
Boot space & cabin practicality
You get a 330 litre boot with 60:40 split rear seats lowered via levers in the cabin. The roof line is low & headroom is tight in the rear & legrooms not brilliant either. The car’s transmission tunnel & rear air vents mean it’s really only a 4-seater. Those in the back get a fold out armrest with twin cup holders. Up front, passenger space is okay. However, the door pockets are small as is the glove box, but you do get good under armrest storage & twin central cup holders. The Sport also featured wireless phone charging.
Driving modes & fuel economy
Select from Eco, Comfort, Sport or Sport + with each doing exactly what they say on the tin. We tended to stick to Eco when driving along the motorway to conserve fuel, with the odd sojourn into Sport when overtaking. Sport + turns off the traction control & Comfort ever so slightly dampens the ride. Claimed economy is 31-35mpg with emissions of 181-281g/km. Top speed is 149mph with a 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds, so decent.
Driving & comfort
After testing a plethora of EV models, getting back into a powerful petrol engined saloon was always going to be fun & it was. In Sport trim you get adjustable suspension that you can soften or stiffen, Brembo brakes & a limited-slip differential to boost traction, so hurtling around Cheshire’s lanes at the speed limit was hugely enjoyable. The rear-wheel drive set-up gives the driver plenty of feel & if you go into Sport + & accelerate, the car does a great job of scaring the bejeevers out of you. The steering is well weighted, the 8-speed auto box is smooth, the car’s suspensions is compliant & the cabin is quiet, so motorway miles are comfortably driven.
There’s no dial to work on the infotainment choices, but the touchscreen is easy to reach from the driver’s seat & adjust accordingly. The adaptive cruise control is easy to access via the steering wheel controls. My only bugbear is the Lane Departure warning, which you have to turn off every time you re-start the engine. It works well, perhaps too well & drags the steering wheel hard if you forget to indicate after overtaking.
As far as real world economy goes, we averaged 28.9mpg, primarily because the G70 demands to be driven & it’s far too tempting to hear the 2 litre engine growl !
Pros
JD Power ranked Genesis number one as the most dependable automotive brand in the United States in 2020. All models are well built & well equipped. The Sport is great fun to drive. Genesis Care Plan & 5-year warranty are both excellent offerings. It’s a brand that’s not well known, so you also get for now anyway, a bit of exclusivity with the Genesis brand.
Cons
For company car drivers the car’s CO2 emissions equal high BIK, so if you like the idea of a Genesis, it might be best to wait until the full-electric Genesis model’s arrive in 2022 & 2023. Whilst the G70 is great to drive, it’s not quite as good as a BMW 3 Series.
Conclusion
Whilst you won’t see many Genesis models on the road, as the brand aren’t really looking at volume, if you choose one, you won’t be disappointed. The Genesis build quality is top-notch, it’s after sales care package is second to none & as a bonus, the Genesis logo is easily mistaken for Aston Martin. If you value Lexus-like qualities above flashier Merc’s or BMW’s, then Genesis might just be for you.
A lamb lies down on Broadway 3.75/5
