2021 GENESIS G70 3.3T Prestige AWD

Genesis is Hyundai's luxury sub-brand; they focus on building premium products at a reasonable price that stand out from the German and Japanese competition. The Genesis G70 has a colossal task ahead; it competes with such titans as the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-class, and Lexus IS. All are well-known cars with a long-standing heritage; compare this to the fact that the Genesis G70 has only been around for 3 years, and you can see it still needs to make its mark.

On the outside, the G70 is well-balanced. The front bumper has a large pentagon-like shape but not morbidly or obscenely big as some other German brands. It brings more air inside the engine and has a nice luxury styling to it, maybe a bit too much chrome; otherwise, it is appropriate on a car like this. The big red Brembo brakes are always cool on any vehicle, and the Genesis is no exception. The 19-inch charcoal wheels aren't that stylish, yet they were a nice contrast to the car's Savile silver color. The rear is wildly similar to the 2014 M3. This isn't a bad thing; they could have done a better job to let stand out from the crowd.

Inside, even though the Genesis G70 is pretty long, the cabin is quite compact, and if you're a taller person, you might feel cramped. The seats are bolstered on the sides to provide support while cornering. They look fantastic with the combination of black and red stitching. The rear passengers don't have that much room in the back; it's a shame as the car silhouette gives the impression of being roomier; this, unfortunately, affects trunk space too. We also found disappointing the access to the ISOFIX ports; they were really hard to reach since they are positioned far back inside the seats. As a result, the hooks are hard to attach and detach.

Now to the technology component, you will find some of the latest driver assistance technology. In our top trim, we got the adaptive cruise control, which was efficient in real-life conditions. The Lane Keep Assist was average; the snow on the road might explain why. Other features, such as the Forward Collision Avoidance-Assist, worked seamlessly. The infotainment is the main setback; the G70 uses an earlier version found on older Hyundai products. It doesn't have wireless Apple Carplay. The center screen offers little room for customization; the list could go on.

Luckily, the infotainment will be refreshed in 2022. Hopefully, the sound system is updated at the same time because the optional Lexicon sound system is not good enough for a luxury vehicle. We did appreciate the climate control knobs; they look sturdy and durable. We always appreciate manual controls since they are easier to use with gloves, a must in colder climates.

Under the hood, you will find a 3.3 litre twin-turbo V6, which produces a healthy 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque; it will propel the car to 100kph in around 4.5 seconds. Our test vehicle was equipped with winter tires and returned a health acceleration on 100kph in the snow. Under heavy acceleration, you may feel a little oversteer initially since most of the power is pushed to the rear wheels. The all-wheel-drive system does manage to compose the handling characteristic. The 8-speed automatic does a great job, and if you feel like the paddle shifters mounted on the steering column can emulate shifts almost as good as a manual. The steering is very sharp in corners; the turning radius is a bit wide, making it a bit hard to park the car sometimes. Brembo brakes usually are very helpful to stop a vehicle, they were impeccable here too, and the shocks were adequate for a car this size. The G70 brings the best performance for the money; the Genesis is up there with the very best.

Talking about the pricing, they range between $43000 and $58000. The version we had is the Prestige one, so the top trim, at $58000. As we said earlier, this vehicle lacked some key features; we would recommend the 2.0L turbo engine with the Elite trim, which results in a saving of $11000, and still get you most of the features found on our test vehicle. It might be less powerful with the turbo four; however, you will save at the pump and still retain your smile while driving it and still get to enjoy many features like rear heated seats, ventilated front seats and a full range of safety features. A quick word on the fuel consumption of the V6, it is announced 11.6L/100km on combined driving, a hefty and optimistic figure, especially since the car requires premium fuel. We did achieve 9.2L/100km on the Hwy while exterior temperatures oscillated between -5 and -15c.

The Genesis G70, as we tested, will be phased out at the end of the year. It's a good thing since the competition is too far ahead. You have to start somewhere, and from now, the only way is up.

Genesis has loaned us this vehicle to facilitate this review. We have no affiliation with Genesis Canada. The above is a recollection of our personal opinion of the car referred above.