- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.3TT, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
274kW, 510Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 10.2L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2018)
Unfairly underrated? Why this car is more than a ‘high-end Hyundai’ – Genesis G70 review
A properly premium rival for the likes of Mercedes and BMW, this striking sedan delivers value and performance. Is it time for the Genesis G70 to ditch its underdog status for good?
- Serious performance for your spend
- Packed with safety and driver tech
- Lovely and smooth on the road
- Big, thirsty engine means higher fuel costs
- Back-seat space is limited
- Infotainment system is not up to the same level as rivals
2024 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport Luxury sedan
In the deluge of large SUVs and utes, the luxury passenger car is fast becoming a niche offering. That could explain why Genesis recently cut its G70 line-up from eight models to just two.
The South Korean car maker now only offers its rear-wheel-drive tourer as either a 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘Shooting Brake’ wagon or a 3.3-litre V6 sedan.
I was tasked with reviewing the latter, marking my first time behind the wheel of a Genesis – Hyundai’s upmarket sibling.
As a result, Genesis is often described as 'a fancy Hyundai', a comment that often feels more derogatory than complimentary.
Case in point – this comment from a passer-by admiring my car: “Is that a Genesis? It doesn’t look too bad!”.
However, given Hyundai ranked as the fifth most successful car brand in Australia last year, is a luxury, performance-focussed version such a crazy idea?
After one week with the Genesis G70, I happen to think it makes perfect sense.
How much is a Genesis G70?
That 'high-end Hyundai' reputation meant I was anticipating prices that sat somewhere between, well, a Hyundai and a BMW. Although I'd argue Genesis pricing is closer to the latter than the former.
As part of its recent revisions to the G70 line-up, Genesis cut the lower-spec variants from the range and raised the cost of entry by roughly $18,000… not exactly pocket change, even for the luxury buyer.
The wagon variant is the entry-level option, priced from $81,000 plus on-road costs, while the V6-powered sedan I'm testing here is the flagship, kicking off from $88,000 plus on-road costs.
Factor in the $2000 matte paint in Makalu Grey and the on-road costs in Victoria, and the Genesis G70 I drove was priced at $99,903 drive-away.
Still, it’s actually one of the more affordable Genesis models available in Australia – with the GV80 large SUV and GV60 and GV70 electric SUVs all priced in excess of $100,000 before on-road costs.
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The G70 is also well equipped for that price, without any overpriced options packages to bump the cost up even further.
All the gloss paint colours are no-cost options, but matte-ifying your paint will cost an extra $2000 and, my goodness, it's worth it. Yes, it didn’t look particularly great after Melbourne’s mud-rain scourge, but it looks sensational when it’s clean.
A nappa leather interior is standard – mine was finished in bold red – as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear outboard seats, a hands-free power boot lid, and a 15-speaker premium sound system.
Interestingly, the more affordable Shooting Brake variant shares almost identical kit – so you’re paying a premium for the extra performance alone.
That performance is courtesy of a 3.3-litre, six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol engine capable of a hearty 274kW of peak power and 510Nm of torque, driving the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Meanwhile, the G70 Shooting Brake has a less potent 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine producing 179kW and 353Nm.
The G70 competes against some distinguished rivals, including the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4, and Volvo S60. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the first two are what most people will be cross-shopping.
The BMW 3 Series M340i xDrive boasts a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine (although it’s delivered in an inline configuration, not V6) capable of 285kW and 500Nm, but it is all-wheel drive and priced much higher than the Genesis at $106,200 plus on-road costs.
To get that much performance in the C-Class range, you have to spend big – opting for the C43 AMG, which is priced from $138,900 plus on-road costs and features a 300kW/500Nm 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine and all-wheel drive.
Once you take those rivals into account, the G70 starts looking pretty affordable – at roughly $321 per kilowatt, while the 3 Series is $372 per kilowatt and the C43 is $463 per kilowatt.
Key details | 2024 Genesis G70 Sport Luxury sedan |
Price | $88,000 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Makalu Grey |
Options | Matte paint – $2000 |
Price as tested | $90,000 plus on-road costs |
Drive-away price | $99,903 (Melbourne) |
Rivals | BMW 3 Series | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | Audi A4 |
How big is a Genesis G70?
The Genesis G70 measures nearly 4.7 metres long, 1.85 metres wide and 1.4 metres high.
I’ll tell you what, it’s been a while since I drove a car with such a diminutive height, and I certainly noticed the lowered stance when getting in and out, and loading things into the car.
Inside, there’s just enough space without it feeling overly capacious. By far the most accommodating part of the cabin is the front seat, where head room is ample, elbow room is serviceable and comfort features abound.
Both front seats have fairly intense bolstering that hugs you tight but can be obtrusive when leaning across the car, whether to access kids in the back seat or reach something in the glovebox.
I did, however, particularly appreciate the electronic buttons on the right side of the front passenger seat, which allow the driver to move the passenger seat forward and back to improve access for front and back seat occupants.
Personally, I used it to move the passenger seat forward when my toddler over-excitedly kicked the back of it from his car seat… very handy.
Storage is functional enough without being excessive and consists of a wireless phone charger, a small lidded storage compartment, a glovebox, slim door bins and two well-proportioned cupholders. I relied on the wireless phone charger for stowing my phone and chucked my car keys in the cupholders.
The rest of the cabin of the Genesis G70 is like someone took the cabin of a top-spec Hyundai and then dialled it up to 11. The quilted detailing on the doors and seats adds an upmarket feel and all the touchpoints are smooth and premium.
I’ll admit the finishes and execution are just one notch below those you’d experience in a European rival. The leather is not quite as soft, the screens aren’t quite as big, and the switchgear isn’t quite as shiny – but it’s still a lovely place to be.
The standard sunroof works to lighten up what might otherwise be a darker cabin and gives the illusion of more head room in the front.
In the back seat of the Genesis G70, things are a little less accommodating.
With the G70’s sloped roof line, I was a little worried I wouldn’t actually be able to get my son’s child seat inside the rear door.
Once inside, however, the child seat fit easily on the rear bench, as the two outboard rear seats are reasonably wide.
Head and leg room in the G70 are moderate for adults – my diminutive mum fit comfortably in the back alongside my toddler in his child seat – but the middle seat with its narrow base and raised section of flooring is definitely going to be the least popular option.
The back-seat toe room is where you’ll find the most limitations. Feet can feel cramped, with nowhere for them to naturally fit, and taller passengers will generally struggle with the amount of leg room on offer.
There are central air vents and two USB-C ports for rear seat occupants, plus a fold-down armrest with cupholders and small door bins.
The boot of the Genesis G70 offers 330 litres of storage, with a temporary spare wheel stowed under the boot floor.
In practical terms, it meant that when I drove my parents to the airport for an international flight, we were able to fit two medium suitcases in the boot side by side, with room for some extra backpacks on either side. I reckon that’s pretty good for a sporty car, but down on the 455 and 480-litre capacities of its German rivals.
You can also fold the rear seats in a 60:40 split to store longer objects.
2024 Genesis G70 Sport Luxury sedan | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 330L seats up |
Length | 4685mm |
Width | 1850mm |
Height | 1400mm |
Wheelbase | 2835mm |
Does the Genesis G70 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
While attractive and fairly functional, the Genesis G70’s infotainment is arguably not as eye-catching or advanced as offerings from its rivals.
That’s not to say it’s bad, though. It’s easy and intuitive to use and straightforward in its presentation, with black, white and orange-hued graphics.
The G70 features three separate screens – one central infotainment screen mounted on the dashboard, another touchscreen below it for climate control and one digital driver display.
The touchscreen climate controls are well laid out and easy to use, and I appreciated the physical shortcut buttons and dials to adjust the temperature, turn the fan off and turn the demister on.
Although premium in their presentation, all of the screens bear similar fonts and graphics to those you’d find in a Hyundai, as a little reminder of Genesis’s origin story. Other Genesis models do more to distance themselves.
The multiple screens can take a minute to process – plus the driver display has a 3D effect that I initially found a little nausea-inducing, but eventually got used to.
This sounds ridiculous, but I found the 10.25-inch central screen, which runs the car’s smartphone mirroring, voice recognition, satellite navigation, digital radio and driver settings, a bit small and basic compared to the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It was also occasionally laggy and unresponsive to touch input.
Similarly, I was surprised that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were wired, not wireless as I’d expect to find in a car of this price point, but I appreciated the simple menu options and the ease with which you can pair your phone. I also relied heavily on the wireless phone charger.
The 15-speaker sound system offers the handy ability to function in 'quiet mode', which limits the volume in the front of the cabin and mutes the audio entirely for the back seats, for sleeping kids or occupants who might disagree on music taste.
As for connectivity that goes beyond the car – Genesis has its own very comprehensive smartphone app with the snappy name ‘Genesis Connected Services’ (wow, so catchy), a range of functions you can check from your smartphone, anti-theft tracking and over-the-air software updates for the in-car system.
The app also allows you to preset the temperature on your car’s climate-control system, remotely lock or unlock it, open or close the windows, access the surround-view monitor to see objects and people near your car, and send navigation destinations to your car from your smartphone, among other functions.
Is the Genesis G70 a safe car?
The Genesis G70 received a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) when it was last tested in 2018.
Given ANCAP testing protocols and criteria have changed considerably since then, the G70’s current ANCAP score is set to expire at the end of 2024.
When tested, the G70 received a solid 81 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 69 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 81 per cent for its safety assist technologies.
2024 Genesis G70 Sport Luxury sedan | |
ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2018) |
Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Genesis G70 have?
I really appreciate the fact the Genesis G70 features a full list of safety equipment as standard, no matter which variant you buy, and with no pesky options packs to bump up the price. This is, annoyingly, less common than it should be in the premium car space.
What’s more, the safety kit on offer is extensive – and I didn’t find myself lacking anything during my week with the car.
Highlights include the surround-view monitor, front and rear sensors, and auto-dip mirrors, which were particularly useful when parallel parking. I also appreciated the blind-spot camera that appears in the driver display every time the indicators are activated.
Some of my colleagues have bemoaned Hyundai’s speed-sign recognition technology, which also appears on the G70, for its overzealous tendencies.
It’s true – it can be annoying, constantly beeping and flashing at you when you’re even one kilometre over the limit.
However, I actually appreciated its pedantic nature around town, where speed limits are subject to change several times in a 500m stretch due to construction and school zones.
Meanwhile, the head-up display has a digital speedometer, live traffic sign recognition, and turn-by-turn navigation assistance.
Child safety rear door locks and a safe exit warning are particularly practical features for parents worried about little ones who can reach the door handles and potentially eject themselves into the path of oncoming traffic.
Finally, 10 airbags round out an impressively long list of active and passive safety tech.
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | Includes cyclist/pedestrian awareness and junction turning assist |
Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | Includes traffic jam assist |
Blind Spot Alert | Yes | Alert and assist functions |
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | Yes | Alert and assist functions |
Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist |
Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes speed limit assist |
Driver Attention Warning | Yes | Includes fatigue monitor |
Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, 360-degree camera |
How much does the Genesis G70 cost to run?
Ownership perks and servicing costs are where the Genesis G70 really excels over its rivals.
While the pricey European car makers tend to charge hundreds for every service visit, Genesis offers five years or 50,000km of free scheduled servicing – with the ability for a Genesis service concierge to come to your home and collect your car.
Services need to be carried out every 12 months or 10,000km – with that kilometre limit slightly more regular than other cars, which typically requite a service every 15,000km.
As an added bonus, if you carry out the servicing as scheduled at Genesis service centres, you’ll also get five years of free 24/7 roadside assistance and a complimentary courtesy vehicle when needed.
Every Genesis G70 comes with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Where you will likely find yourself paying more is at the petrol pump, given the G70 requires premium fuel with a minimum octane rating of 95 – and it’s certainly not a frugal engine.
Insurance is also not cheap – it’s an annual premium of $2744 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
At a glance | 2024 Genesis G70 Sport Luxury sedan |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
Servicing costs | $0 (3 years) $0 (5 years) |
Is the Genesis G70 fuel-efficient?
If you’re looking for a fuel-efficient car, don’t buy the Genesis G70.
Putting aside all the performance perks, one of the downsides of a whomping big V6 engine is that frugality and economy are not in its vocabulary.
Genesis doesn’t try to hide this, citing a fairly high claimed usage of 10.4 litres per 100 kilometres. Unfortunately, this is a bit of an understatement, in my experience.
At the end of my week with the car – in which I drove regularly across a mix of freeway and inner-city driving – my final real-world consumption figure was 15.8L/100km. Ouch.
If you’re doing more regular freeway driving, the Genesis G70 is certainly more economical, with my fuel consumption dropping to 7.2L/100km on a trip to the airport.
Fuel efficiency | 2024 Genesis G70 Sport Luxury sedan |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 10.4L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 15.8L/100km |
Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
Fuel tank size | 60L |
What is the Genesis G70 like to drive?
This is a car that makes the fun parts of driving even more fun and imbues the banal parts with a certain sleekness.
There’s a properly gutsy exhaust note upon start-up that gets the heart rate going, even if you’re just driving to childcare. I’m not typically a V6 fangirl, but the feeling of all that performance under your fingertips is a little bit infectious, I’ll admit.
Still, unlike some performance sedans I’ve driven before – the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio springs to mind – the G70 doesn’t forget its manners and is an approachable and manageable car during the boring bits of driving.
The G70’s steering has some weight to it that certainly makes it more fun to drive at higher speeds, where the slightest nudge can see it swing around corners effortlessly and confidently. Still, it can feel surprisingly light at city speeds when required.
When pushed to accelerate on freeways and when touring, the Genesis G70 gives the sense that it has no limits – it will just keep going, faster and faster, without even breaking a sweat.
Unfortunately, this sensation can make you want to test the limits of its powers, and there’s not much opportunity to do that in Melbourne’s heavy traffic.
I headed out of town to do some more driving over 100km/h, but was plagued with traffic incidents and, as a result, only got to nudge the speedo up a handful of times.
Sitting in gridlocked traffic in any car is a bore, but in the Genesis G70 it feels downright criminal.
A lot of cars these days offer a 'sport mode' and, I’ll be honest, I rarely notice a difference. The G70’s sport mode is properly transformative – the G70 eagerly bucks forward with the slightest pedal input, shifts become dagger-sharp, and the car growls with the kind of confidence that can only come from a 274kW V6.
For a sporty sedan, the G70’s suspension tune also deserves a shout-out. I initially winced in anticipation when approaching things like speed bumps, but was impressed by how beautifully the G70 coasted over them.
The ride can get a bit clunkier in the back seat, but most of the hard stuff is nicely muted.
Having said that, I certainly preferred driving the Genesis G70 on freeways and on wide, empty roads more than I did parking it and navigating inner-city streets.
Most of my gripes with this car were merely a function of it being a sedan. While rear visibility is better than in a lot of its brethren due to an expansive rear windshield, the G70 still feels lower, wider and more precious than a lot of other cars on the road.
As a result, I was more nervous parallel parking and felt like I had less awareness of my surroundings than I do in an SUV. I also found there was a distinct lack of roll when manoeuvring – even with the auto-hold button off – that made it tricky getting into tight parking spaces.
However, the 360-degree camera, front and rear sensors and auto-dipping mirrors certainly go a long way to removing a lot of this uncertainty when manoeuvring.
Key details | 2024 Genesis G70 Sport Luxury sedan |
Engine | 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol |
Power | 274kW @ 6000rpm |
Torque | 510Nm @ 1300–4500rpm |
Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
Transmission | 8-speed torque converter automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 155.2kW/t |
Weight | 1765kg |
Spare tyre type | Temporary |
Tow rating | 1200kg braked 750kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 11.0m |
Can a Genesis G70 tow?
The Genesis G70 can tow 1200kg braked or 750kg unbraked. The maximum tow ball weight is 75kg.
Genesis sells a tow bar as part of its genuine accessories range priced at $2204.70.
I can’t imagine many boat or caravan owners are considering the G70 as a daily driver, but certainly the grunt of the V6 doesn’t make it a totally unlikely tow machine.
Still, I dread to think what towing a trailer would do to the G70’s already high fuel consumption.
Should I buy a Genesis G70?
If you have the budget and crave serious performance, the Genesis G70 is a (slightly) more cost-effective rival to some more well-known luxury sedans.
The execution doesn’t quite exude the level of craftsmanship seen in its European competitors, but it rates well for functionality, design and comfort.
The Sport Luxury sedan variant has all the equipment you’ll need as standard, but it’s the fearless V6 engine and sleek handling that really make it a standout.
Sure, you might get more practicality out of the Shooting Brake wagon, but if it’s practicality you’re after, you’ll likely find your needs better met in a different car altogether.
Putting aside its tight back seat and fuel economy (or lack thereof), the Genesis G70 is an accomplished luxury car that’s a real pleasure to drive.
And if you’re not someone who cares too much about practicality, then you should absolutely opt for the matte paint.
How do I buy a Genesis G70? The next steps.
Convinced? If you think the Genesis G70 might be the right car for you, the next step is to arrange a test drive via your closest Genesis retail outlet, which you can find at this link.
If it were us, we’d trial the Genesis G70 3.3T first to see if you enjoy life in the fast lane.
Depending on the colour and trim combination you choose, Genesis confirmed to Drive there is a good level of stock for both the sedan and wagon G70 models.
You can also build your G70 to order via the configurator studio. Genesis said the current wait time for build-to-order vehicles is two to three months.
In order to secure your order, you’ll have to put down a fully refundable $1000 deposit that will ensure you’re in the front of the queue for your particular engine and specification choices.
If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.