Genesis G70 Sport Prestige Graphite – RUBBER SEOUL

Genesis G70 Sport Prestige Graphite

RUBBER SEOUL

Baby, you can drive my car
Yes, I’m gonna be a star
Baby, you can drive my car
And maybe I’ll love you*
*Lennon-McCartney, 1965

Bear with me, as I move our timeline back to 1979. That year I joined Classic BMW in Dallas as a sales assistant. Working part-time on an hourly basis, I was there to help on the showroom when the three full-time, commissioned salespeople were busy with other customers. 

Of those three – Larry Neighbors, Doug Gibb and Terry Ford – two owned BMWs. Larry, the most productive salesman with (not coincidentally) the longest tenure, drove and auto-crossed an early ‘70s 2002, while Doug enjoyed a pre-owned 530i. And I remember the 530i in part because of the pride Doug derived from that ownership, and in part because of its silver/red combo. BMW still builds the 5 Series, but today’s model is far removed from what BMW was building 40 years ago.

Closer to that earlier vision is the Genesis G70. Sedans remain part of the product mix at several OEMs, but with the exception of Cadillac (for now), they’re not part of our American model mix. The Asians and Europeans are doing better, in large part because their home markets continue to buy sedans – again, for now. Korean carmaker Hyundai offers several, and the Genesis G70, the entry point to Hyundai’s upscale division, is – I think – the  most compelling.

Some 50 years later, the G70 provides an interesting contrast to BMW’s 530i. While the BMW was between 182 inches and 190 inches long (the longer length includes – I think! – our U.S. bumpers) while sitting on a wheelbase of 104 inches, the G70 stretches just over 184 inches on a wheelbase of 111.6 inches. Obviously, the G70’s overhangs are shorter, and while the Genesis is available with all-wheel drive its proportions strongly suggest rear-wheel drive. Perhaps the most significant difference is in curb weight. The BMW hit the scales at roughly 3,200 pounds, while the G70 with its turbocharged four-cylinder or twin-turbo V6 is just over 3,900 pounds. 

Time – as we know – marches on, and the BMW’s 3.0 liter inline six was stymied by both its technology and emissions. Smooth as silk, the six offered just 176 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque, for a 0-60 of around 10 seconds. In contrast, the G70’s 2.5 liter turbocharged four is giving you 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, along with a trip to 60 in under six seconds. 

Check the optional twin-turbo V6 box, which was in our press G70, and you’ll enjoy 365 horsepower, 376 lb-ft of torque and a published 0-60 (all times courtesy of Car and Driver magazine) of 4.5 seconds. Beyond the numbers, of course, is the absolutely sublime sensation at any and all speeds. And while the optional V6 takes the G70 well out of the under-$50K space and moves it closer to the under-$60K space, both areas represent a real advantage relative to its German – Audi, BMW and Benz – competition.

Although value may have been the original attraction of Hyundai’s Genesis sub-brand, there is now a great rationale for its design and appointments. The G70 sheetmetal is not only attractive – it impresses as timeless. Although the grille is a tad too prominent for my tastes, it retains a simple design, with little pretension and no artifice. And that’s (notably) in contrast with the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, which some find swell – and I find swollen. The G70’s design is also aerodynamic, but again, it’s done discreetly, and the functional advantage of a clean design is the way in which it slices the air. Cleanly.

Inside, our G70 3.3T Prestige Graphite trim is sumptuous, with quilted Nappa leather upholstery accented by contrasting stitching in orange and, in a continuation of its Sunkist theme, orange seatbelts. (But then, orange – as you may have seen – is the new black…) Front seats are supportive without being constrictive, and while rear seat room is more generous in the larger Genesis G80, two adults will be comfortable in the G70; the third, as if often the case, should reach out to Uber. In a 3-day loop between LA, Borrego Springs, Palm Springs and a return to Los Angeles, seat comfort was good, although the buttocks could have used a break (typically) about three hours in. Seating was supportive, but not – perhaps – restorative. 

In front of the driver is a digital representation of an analog instrument panel, while in the center of the dash is twelve inches of infortainment and an analog presentation for HVAC. The result is a melding of visual balance and intuitive functionality; that’s just what this old guy wants when trying to drive like a young guy…

In the aftermath of a recently purchased ’25 Grand Cherokee (our fourth), I’d love to have a G70 in its place. And if Genesis imported a wagon/estate variant, I might have had an argument. (At one point BMW offered a Touring estate in both the 3 and 5 Series.)

Genesis doesn’t – and I didn’t.