2024 Genesis G70 Review: Speed Without The Spend

The 2024 Genesis G70 may be the company's smallest sedan, but you're getting a whole lot of car for your money. No, you can't have it with a manual transmission anymore, and no, Genesis won't sell U.S. drivers the handsome G70 Shooting Brake wagon, but those considering a 3 Series, C-Class, or A4 owe it to their wallets (and their right feet) to give this unexpectedly potent sedan more than a passing glance.

Recently brought in line with the current Genesis design language — including a bold, curvaceous grille that manages not to look unwieldy (yes, I'm talking about you, BMW), along with double-strake headlamp and taillamp clusters — the G70 is handsome, if maybe not as boldly proportioned as other models in the automaker's line-up. It's more anodyne in profile, lacking the gravitas of the larger G80 and G90 sedans, or indeed the ample haunches of its SUV cousins.

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19-inch wheels are standard, but the alloys are less dramatic than the dimpled, straked, and snowflaked options we've seen elsewhere in the Genesis range. That's a shame, as the automaker has been leading the pack, recently, when it comes to stock rim selection. There are, at least, some bright colors in among the usual black, white, gray, and silver, including bolder blue and red finishes.

Inside, the dashboard feels a little fresher, though at the cost of some physical controls. HVAC management is now predominantly via a secondary touchscreen in the center console — there are, at least, still actual knobs for tweaking temperature — with a 10.25-inch touchscreen above for infotainment. Oddly, Genesis has stuck with a USB-A for plugging in a smartphone, and while higher trims get a head-up display, the cluster remains a mix of physical gauges and a smaller, 8-inch screen. A 360-degree camera is also only offered on the most-expensive trim.

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They're blips on an otherwise solidly-spec'd out sedan. Genesis' cheapest Standard trim has heated leatherette front seats, but anything above that gets leather or Nappa leather, with heating and ventilation, plus a heated steering wheel. The same goes for a wireless phone charger and Lexicon Premium Audio system. All trims have Highway Driving Assist (HDA) for hands-on adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance, while Genesis Digital Key — controlled from your phone — is only standard with the V6 version of the G70.

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For the most part, every G70 trim gets the same, comprehensive safety suite. That includes blind-spot warnings; forward and rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist; lane keeping and lane following assist; safe exit warnings; driver attention warnings; and rear occupant alerts. The base Standard trim misses out on front and rear parking sensors.

Genesis offers two engines with the 2024 G70. Priced from $41,500 (plus $1,250 destination), the base spec uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four, with 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Spend $2,100 more, and you can add all-wheel drive.

From $49,950 (plus destination) gets you the G70 3.3T RWD, a rear-wheel drive configuration with the 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. That pushes power up to 365 horsepower and torque to 376 lb-ft. Again, all-wheel drive is a $2,100 upgrade.

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Those numbers aren't just impressive, they're pretty much class-leading. A BMW 330i, for instance, starts $4k higher than the G70 2.5T, but is down by more than 40 horses. Mercedes' C300 is even more expensive than the 3 Series, but is still down on horsepower and torque compared to the cheapest Genesis. Acura's capable TLX is aggressively priced, but still can't match the G70's two engine choices in either inline-four or V6 Type S form, either on sticker or power output.

Despite Genesis' vague positioning of it as a sports sedan, though, we've already seen that power and suspension poise aren't sufficient to call it entirely successful, there. It's the transmission's reluctance to downshift, even when pushed hard, which spoils the fun, along with the unpredictability of the variable-ratio steering.

It's hardly the most damning conclusion, mind, from the sort of track day it's tough to imagine any Genesis owner indulging in themselves. The fact of the matter is that, for many, a squirt of straight line speed and more-than-expected grip in the corners is sufficient to check off the "this is a sporty car" box. And, with expectations like those, the G70 performs handily.

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There are five drive modes — Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Custom — which impact things like the engine tuning, accelerator responsiveness, and steering settings. With the Sport Prestige Package ($4,400) and the 3.3T engine there's also electronically controlled dampers on the standard MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, actively firming up in the sportier modes and softening for more comfortable cruising.

Even in Comfort mode, the G70 rides firmly. Not unpleasantly so, but those wanting true limo-style wafting should look to Genesis' bigger four-doors, like the excellent Electrified G80. A snug rear cabin in the G70 also contributes to that, and while there's a sunroof, it doesn't extend to encompass the back seats like a full panoramic glass roof might. That leaves things a little dark back there.

Flicking over to Sport (or Sport+ which also dials back the traction control) and the G70 makes more sense. There's more engine and exhaust noise, and the combination of AWD and the Sport Prestige Package's limited slip differential at the rear means both acceleration and stickiness in the corners are pleasing and predictable. The V6 up front is undoubtedly heavy and contributes to understeer if you're pushing really hard, but it's tough to imagine that being too great an issue for all but the most inadvisable road use.

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Another downside to the larger engine is thirst. The 3.3T V6 is rated for 17 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined in AWD form; the 2.5T AWD, in contrast, is rated for 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. Figure on nudging those numbers up a point if you opt for rear-wheel drive.

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It leaves the G70 markedly less economical than its peers. A BMW 330i xDrive or Mercedes C300 4MATIC, for example, manage 27 mpg on the combined cycle. The 3.0-liter inline-six M340i xDrive gets 26 mpg combined. And, while BMW has a plug-in hybrid 3 Series, and Mercedes' C Class is now a mild hybrid, Genesis doesn't have electrification of any sort on the G70.

Alongside brand prestige, then, there's also upfront versus running costs to consider as you weigh the value of Genesis' sedan. Especially, given the power on offer, you'll probably be encouraged to push a little harder when the opportunity arises. The G70's healthy 5 years / 60,000 miles warranty, 10 years / 100,000 miles powertrain warranty, and 3 years / 36,000 miles complimentary scheduled maintenance saps a little of the sting.

Landing at $58,350 including destination and the Kawah Blue paint job ($650), this 2024 G70 AWD 3.3T Sport Prestige is fully loaded and mighty appealing. That's pretty much $10k less than a similarly-equipped, slightly more powerful M340i xDrive. Now, there's a whole lot to recommend the BMW and its driving dynamics, but you're definitely paying handsomely for that.

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Compared to the recently-revamped Genesis GV80, the latest G70 isn't quite the no-brainer decision. Nonetheless, it's a good reminder that fancy-on-a-budget isn't the contradiction in terms you might assume. That's a welcome alternative, in a segment not generally known for being affordable.