Before the G70 was revealed, Genesis relied on two larger sedans – the G90 and G80 – to carry the brand into the luxury car market. Now, with the new Genesis G70, the carmaker is diving straight into the crowded pool of midsize sport sedans. That means it’ll face the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, and Alfa Romeo Giulia.
So, how does this newcomer stack up against its European rivals?
Design
Yes, styling is a very subjective topic, but the Genesis G70 appears to be a fairly handsome sedan. Although it bears some resemblance to its older G90 and G80 brothers with its large front grille design, the G70 takes on an athletic and creased body language. To my eye, the Genesis looks very Infiniti-esque from the side with its curvy body lines and chrome accents. Out back, the taillights look like a combination of a BMW 2 Series meshed with a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The Audi A4 and the BMW 3 Series both look reminiscent of their predecessors. The A4 is the most angular and mean-looking of the bunch with lots of straight lines across its body, while both the Alfa and Mercedes employ more smoothed-out character lines. The 3 Series, on the the other hand, is the most conservative looking with the classic BMW kidney grille, and minimalistic appearance.
On the inside, the Genesis G70 appears to take cues from its German counterparts with an 8-inch touchscreen that almost looks tacked on to the center of the dash. Genesis says the cabin will also be finished in high quality materials, including real aluminum accents, quilted leather door panels, and nappa leather covering the seats.
Although this looks and sounds promising, it’s going to be tough to beat the overall interior quality of its German rivals. The Benz wows with its opulent interior finishes and design, while the Audi A4 has a tech-forward aesthetic.
Dimensions
Dimensionally, the Genesis G70 fits right in. At 184.4 inches long, the G70 is slightly larger than the almighty 3 Series, but a full two inches shorter than the Audi A4. The Genesis also has the second-longest wheelbase at 111.6 inches, but falls 0.6 inch short of the Benz’s.
Unfortunately, Genesis hasn’t released the official weight of the new G70 sedan. Until we hear back, here’s a look at what it's up against. Will the G70 be skinnier than the BMW 3 Series? I guess we’ll just have to weight and see.
| 2018 Genesis G70 | Alfa Romeo Giulia | Audi A4 | BMW 3 Series | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | |
| Wheelbase | 111.6 Inches | 11 Inches | 111 Inches | 110.6 Inches | 111.8 Inches |
| Length | 184.4 Inches | 183 Inches | 186 Inches | 182.8 Inches | 185 Inches |
| Curb Weight | N/A | 3,636 Pounds | 3,450 Pounds | 3,370 Pounds | 3,417 Pounds |
Powertrain Choices
Per usual of the midsize sport sedan class, the G70 puts a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four to work, which is good for 248 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Pony up for the Sport pack and output will raise to 251 hp. Genesis also claims the four banger will get the G70 from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. Although none of these are class-leading figures, the G70 seems to strike a nice middle ground between the Alfa Romeo Giulia (280 hp) and Mercedes-Benz C300 (241 hp). A 200-hp, 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder engine will also be available overseas, but may not reach American shores. See how the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines compare below.
| 2018 Genesis G70 | Alfa Romeo Giulia | Audi A4 Quattro | BMW 330i | Mercedes-Benz C300 | |
| Engine | Turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 | Turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 | Turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 | Turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 | Turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 |
| Power | 248-251 Horsepower | 280 Horsepower | 252 Horsepower | 248 Horsepower | 241 Horsepower |
| Torque | 260 Pound-Feet | 306 Pound-Feet | 273 Pound-Feet | 258 Pound-Feet | 273 Pound-Feet |
| Transmission | 8-Speed Automatic | 8-Speed Automatic | 7-Speed Dual-Clutch Automatic | 8-Speed Automatic or 6-Speed Manual | 7-Speed Automatic |
| 0-60 MPH | 5.7 Seconds | 5.5 Seconds | 5.2 Seconds | 5.4 Seconds | 6.1 Seconds |
Of course, the engine you really want to hear about is the turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 available on the range-topping G70 Sport. Producing 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque, the G70 is the new V6 horsepower king of the pack, aside from the Alfa (more on that in a minute). But the G70 Sport is not the quickest to 60. Although 4.7 seconds is a respectable number, the all-wheel-drive C43 does the duty in 4.1 seconds. See how all the six-cylinder engines stack up below.
| 2018 Genesis G70 Sport | Audi S4 | BMW 340i | Mercedes-AMG C43 4MATIC | |
| Engine | Turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 | Turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 | Turbocharged 3.0-liter I6 | Turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 |
| Power | 365 horsepower | 354 Horsepower | 320 Horsepower | 362 Horsepower |
| Torque | 376 pound-feet | 369 Pound-Feet | 332 Pound-Feet | 384 Pound-Feet |
| Transmission | 8-Speed Automatic | 8-Speed Automatic | 8-Speed Automatic or 6-Speed Manual | 9-Speed Automatic |
| 0-60 MPH | 4.7 Seconds | 4.3 Seconds | 4.8 Seconds | 4.1 Seconds |
“Wait, you forgot the Alfa!” You’re somewhat right. Yes, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is available with either a four- or six-cylinder engine, but stepping up to the biturbo 2.9-liter V6 means you’re talking about the completely bonkers Giulia Quadrifoglio with 505 hp. Hence, it would be a little unfair to compare the overachieving Alfa to the other V6 competitors. Not to mention, the $74K base cost puts the Quadrifoglio in a different price bracket.
Tech Goodies
The 2018 Genesis G70 is set to bring a whole suite of luxury, and safety tech options. Front and center is an eight-inch touchscreen that houses Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, and an artificial intelligence platform – deemed “Kakao I” – to help the customer complete tasks via voice recognition. An optional 15-speaker Lexicon surround-sound system will also be available “to provide an audiophile-level acoustic experience,” Genesis said.
Advanced driver assist systems like forward collision alert, and other highway driving aides will be part of the Genesis Active Safety Control package. With these technologies and a strengthened body stiffness and rigidity, Genesis hopes the G70 will receive the highest safety ratings from global safety organizations. The Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series were both named a Top Safety Pick + (the highest honor) from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
As far as infotainment goes, the G70 has tough competition – especially from the Audi. Available on the A4 is Audi’s Virtual Cockpit system that’s displayed on a 12.3-inch instrument display in front of the driver. This screen can show apps like Google Earth, and a variety of other information behind the steering wheel.
The Genesis G70 will offer a rotary knob to control the center infotainment screen, in addition to having touchscreen capabilities. Although each sedan offers a similar setup, the 3 Series, A4, and C-Class all offer more advanced control knobs that are larger in diameter to allow handwriting recognition functions.
Driving Dynamics
Launch control, dynamic torque vectoring, variable-ratio steering, a limited-slip differential, and an adjustable suspension on the G70 Sport should make this sedan a hoot to drive. At launch, it’s not clear if these options will trickle down from the V6 version to the 2.0T model with the optional Sport pack. Technologies like the limited-slip differential and configurable steering weight are things we've enjoyed on the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. Like most of the European competitors listed above, the G70 will be available with either rear- or all-wheel drive. The Audi A4 is available with front- or all-wheel drive.
Set to go on sale mid-2018, the Genesis G70 appears to be a compelling entry in the congested midsize sport sedan segment. We’ll reserve further judgment until we get behind the wheel.