Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 Genesis G70
As a brand, Genesis represents the inaugural offering of a Korean automaker into the international luxury car realm.
While the G80 mid-size and G90 flagship sedans have been favorably received in the media, the popular compact, entry-level luxury sedan segment (not to mention the upcoming SUV offerings) that will become the Genesis bread and butter. This smallest sedan completes the brand’s trifecta of sedans and will hopefully provide the new marque the sales numbers required for longevity and future relevance.
Today Genesis has pulled the wraps off its all-new G70 compact, a machine they call a sport luxury sedan. The pride exhibited by the Genesis development team is apparently shared by many Koreans as the launch event is part of a day-long festival set to conclude this evening at Seoul’s Olympic Park with up to 15,000 people expected in attendance, topped off by a performance by pop star Gwen Stefani’s performance.
See Also: 2018 BMW 540i xDrive vs Genesis G80 Sport
There looks to be plenty of cause for excitement. Here are some of the highlights of the G70:
Engines:
Two powertrains will be offered in North America: a turbocharged V6 and a turbocharged inline-4. The 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 delivers an estimated 365 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque and is claimed to reach 62 mph from rest in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 168 mph. The 2-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder offers 249 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0T will be offered with an optional Sport package that increases power slightly to 251 horsepower.
Drivetrain:
US market machines will be available with rear- or all-wheel drive for both V6 and 4-cylinder models.
All Canadian-market G70s will have all-wheel-drive as standard equipment, with the G70 2.0T Sport available with rear-wheel-drive. A six-speed manual transmission will be available with the 2.0T rear-wheel-drive Sport.
Handling:
All G70s come with Launch Control functionality. Handling will be enhanced with a mechanical limited slip differential, plus a cornering system that applies braking to the inside rear wheel, enhancing turn-in.
Character:
An Active Sound Design system will enhance the “aural character” reflecting engine load and drive mode settings.
Design:
The G70’s nose, with linear LED’s flanking the winged crest foretell future Genesis design language.
The driver-centric cockpit is trimmed in high-end materials including quilted Nappa leather upholstery.
On sale:
The G70 goes on sale in Korea this month with North American machines reaching dealerships in 2018.
The arena in which the G70 will perform is filled with high-performing stalwarts from Germany, Japan, Britain, the US and now even Italy, so competition is certainly fierce. With the hardware (and software) Genesis has incorporated – and their claim to have tuned the G70 on the Nürburgring like all good sport machines these days – our hopes are high that it will live up to expectations.
We’ll share our driving impressions just as soon as we can get it on to the open road (and track) over the coming days.
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If there’s anything better than a good road trip through the desert, Jeff probably hasn’t heard of it. He’s got a propensity for buying less-than-perfect sports cars like a well-worn Boxster, an M Roadster and an MR2, but has applied a lifetime of passion to more than a dozen years of automotive and motorcycle reviews. He’s even collected several awards in the process including recognition for Best Automotive Review and Best Published Photography from the Automobile Journalists of Canada in 2023.
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Typo of the 2.0T torque? I think it's the motor from the Sonata turbo, which has about 260 lb-ft, not 360. I really hope that the fact about the manual RWD one is true - that could easily replace my Sonata (with the same engine) when the lease is up.