HAVE you ever wanted to feel like a gangster in the McDonalds drive-thru without dropping quarter of a million dollars on a set of wheels? Look no further than the 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Lux Sport.
It’s the car that will fill the void of monotony and aridity in your daily life, because the G70 feels and drives just like most other luxury performance sedans, but without the ridiculous price tag.
This isn’t our first rodeo with the Korean luxury car maker’s sporty flagship either, having fallen in love with the 2019 G70 3.3T Ultimate Sport when we tested it. This time round we’re in the latest and most luxurious version of said sedan.
Complete with a special Matterhorn White (matte) paint finish, this edition of the G70 includes the luxury pack that’s an optional extra on lower spec trims, but we’ll get to that later.
Right now, all you need to focus on is how good it looks and why you won’t be able to stop staring at it until you get behind the wheel. Genesis as a manufacturer is evolving and with that, so are their designs.
The brand has really established independence from sister company Hyundai, and the facelifted model featured here sports unique quad headlights and a Euro-esque front grille.
With a rounded and luxurious front, and an aggressive and sharp rear, the G70 is bound to receive some interest from passers-by. People who stopped us during our time with the car mostly assumed it was some sort of Bentley, particularly from the front.
There were claims that the rear looked similar to a BMW or even an AMG (especially from a distance). Others questioned how one could afford to drive something like this while dressed similar to a vagrant at the local petrol station.
Regardless, do not judge this book by its cover because it’s what lies beneath that will shock and awe. The interior of the cabin is a sea of plush dark red Nappa leather, with black stitching.
There’s a completely digital 3D instrument cluster. Yes you heard correctly, 3D, as well as a massive 12.3-inch infotainment unit mounted to the centre of the dash. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard as well as a large wireless charger in the centre console.
That centre divide is wide and depending on your seated position makes a great armrest as it’s also draped in the same dark red leather and shiny silver interior trim. It’s all very simple and buttons are easy to locate and reach with everything considered.
The buttons don’t feel cheap and flimsy either, and the tech is more up to speed than the previous generation of the G70. There’s heated and ventilated seats as well as 16-way electronic adjustments to the seating position for the driver.
And don’t forget that beautiful panoramic sunroof and electric sunshade. Headroom and legroom in the first row is quite good but is quite cramped in the back seats.
Although there are two ISOFIX points on both outboard seats and three top tethers for infant and child seats, the G70 wasn’t exactly engineered for that purpose.
We certainly tried and succeeded in placing an infant seat in the second row but it wasn’t pretty, completely ruining the front passenger seat position in doing so. There’s a plethora of storage options and charging points within the cabin though.
The boot, which has an electronic tailgate has a total capacity of 330-litres, which is a little on the small side.
Under the bonnet, there’s a beasty and gnarly 3.3-litre V6 engine, reinforced with twin turbos for that extra oomph. This forced induction setup creates 274kW of power and 510Nm of torque to the rear wheels.
This is one of those cars where you’ll be thankful that traction control is on by default, because simply turning it off and planting your foot will ensure you’re watching the road from out of your side windows.
And if the setup sounds familiar, it should, because it’s also shared by Kia’s Stinger GT. The power delivery is amazing and smooth, launching you from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds.
With a turn of the drive-mode knob, you can choose between Eco, Comfort, which is the default mode, Sport, Sport+ and Custom. A word of warning though, placing the car in Sport+ will automatically disable the traction control system.
But if you do find yourself in a bind, there’s also nice big Brembo brakes to stop the car quickly. In Eco and Comfort, the G70 is a luxurious cruiser you can take the family for a nice long drive in.
Quiet and soft, but not so timid that the twin turbos won’t push you forward if you really need it, without it scaring you half to death or completely annihilating your fuel economy.
Sport and Sport+ will open up the exhaust valves, enhancing the engine’s growl, which can be further pumped up via the G70’s media unit, if you feel you need exhaust sound enhancement throughout the cabin.
Transmission mapping will change too, and the car will shift later and hold higher revs longer. That’s most likely the reason why our combined fuel economy during our test sat at 11.8-litres/100km compared to Genesis’ claimed figure of 10.2-litres/100km.
If you care about the price of fuel, you’ll want to keep this beast in Comfort or Eco modes, or even try out the custom setup where most functions are changeable. If you’re like us though, you’ll struggle to stay there, because the G70 is way too much fun.
The overall ride is balanced and purposeful, serving its role as a luxurious yet sporty sedan by keeping the ride soft but not without feeling. The dynamic vectoring control system keeps it firm and planted around corners but doesn’t ever feel at all crashy.
19-inch alloys wrapped in the very grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires in a low profile 225/40 on the front and a 255/35 on the rear contributes to the drive-feel, but doesn’t at all hinder it.
The G70 garners a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, and has ten airbags, blind spot collision avoidance assist, blind spot monitoring, lane keep and lane following assists, plus loads more, which we won’t get into here.
The total feature list of the G70 is so extensive that it is guaranteed to keep you entertained for an hour or two while you decide if you want to buy one or not.
Genesis also offers a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty on top of 5-years of complimentary servicing and roadside assistance. Like its siblings the 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Lux Sport is sold on a fixed price model.
That translates to $94,460 drive away. At this price point, you’re getting a lot of car for your money and you’ll also be having an absolute blast while knowing it’s definitely money well spent.
Aside from the colour of our test vehicle, you can also opt for Uyuni White, Verbier White, Siberian Ice, Bond Silver, Makalu Grey, Savile Silver, Hallasan Green, Victoria Black, Adriatic Blue, Capri Blue, Mallorca Blue and Cavendish Red.
Our 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Lux Sport was supplied by Genesis Motors Australia. To find out more, contact your local Genesis dealer. Pictures courtesy of Brakefast Media.
$95k for the G70. At that price, it underscores the fact that the V6 Stinger is amazing value. I bought a 2019 V6 Stinger for more than $42k LESS than that figure.
If Kia can’t justify the continuation of the Stinger production line (we’ve all read the rumours), and given the Kia-Hyundai ties, I hope that the G70 is rebadged as a Kia Stinger (at much less than $95k).
Failing that, I might wait for the RWD six cylinder Mazda. Or the STI when Subaru releases the new model with the 2.4L engine.