The Quite Infiniti-ish Genesis G70 Debuts

Genesis continues to push itself deeper into the luxury-car segment, first with the G90 and then with the G80. Now it’s going further with the midsize G70, which also takes aim at the performance side of the luxury-car segment.

Clearly, the Genesis G70 is based on the same rear-wheel-drive platform as the Kia Stinger, but Genesis took the sleeker rout with styling and downsized it a bit. At 184.4 inches long, 72.8 inches wide, and 55.1 inches tall, the G70 is 5.8 inches shorter in length and 0.8 inches thinner than its Kia Counterpart. It also rides on a 111.6-inch wheelbase, which is 2.8 inches shorter than the Stinger.

In terms of looks, the G70 takes on an Infiniti-like appearance, as it boasts more cut lines and shapes than most other luxury rigs, which plays into its sports-sedan hand. The Genesis’ linear LED daytime running lights flanking the crest grille give us a glimpse into the brand’s future signature quad-beam lighting. The taillights continue the quad-beam look.

Genesis G70 (Credit: © Genesis)

Inside, Genesis held nothing back in going straight at the big boys in the segment. This is made evident by its quilted leather on the door panels, the metal speaker grilles, the Nappa leather seats, the soft-touch surfaces, and slew of other high-class additions. There also is plenty of connectivity inside the G70, including its 8-inch touchscreen display with MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto compatibility. Buyers looking for a little extra from the audio system can upgrade to the 15-speaker Lexicon audio system.

In the global market, the G70 will have three powertrains, but I suspect only two will make it to the U.S. The base U.S.-spec engine should be the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 249 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

The optional engine, which will come with the G70 Sport, should be the 3.3-liter turbocharged V-6 with 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. Hyundai claims the G70 Sport will hit 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds and top out at 168 mph.

The third engine, which I expect to only see in Europe, will be a 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder with 199 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.

All three engines will be available with rear-wheel drive as standard and optional all-wheel drive.

Genesis G70 (Credit: © Genesis)

The Genesis G70 will hit showrooms in Korea on Sept. 20, and the rest of its rollout plans will come at a later date.

Stay tuned for updates.