Want a 2022 Genesis G70? Consider these other luxury sedans as well

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So you want a Genesis G70?

I don’t blame you. As a counterpoint to the Germanic entry-level luxury sedan, the G70 makes much sense. It is, on the one hand, as much a performance sedan as they are, though not hardly just an Asian copy of the Teutons. It was, when it was introduced in 2019, the first Genesis that was unabashedly Korean.

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Want a 2022 Genesis G70? Consider these other luxury sedans as well Back to video

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The engine, for instance, feels noticeably different than anything from Europe. For one thing, it’s a V6, a configuration all but abandoned by Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. More importantly it’s a good one, smoother, in fact than any similar engine Audi or Mercedes used to produce. Though it doesn’t sing quite as mellifluously as a BMW inline-six at high revs, you don’t need really need to spin the big V6, so torquey is the 3.3-litre in the low- and mid-ranges. Though Genesis makes much of its 365 horsepower, more important is its 376 pound-feet of torque, most of which is available as early as 1,300 rpm.

Genesis Canada claims that all that horsepower is good enough to accelerate the 1,775-kilogram four-door sedan to 100 kilometres in just five seconds. Far more impressive, and more important, is that our own Graeme Fletcher says that it can scoot from 80 to 120 kilometres — a fair replication of passing a semi on the highway — in just 3.3s. In other words, the G70’s top-of-the-line 3.3L is plenty peppy.

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It also handles better than anything previous from Seoul, the suspension firm without being rough, the steering direct without being heavy, and the braking strong without being touchy. No, it won’t stay with a C63 on a twisty road, but neither will it rattle your fillings over moonscapes like the AMG. Little wonder: the person behind the G70 is none other than Albert Biermann, the man responsible for the E46 M3 and E39 M5. Hyundai would appear to be in good hands.

As a sign of Hyundai’s commitment to the luxury segment, despite the plaudits lauded on the G70 just two years ago, the 2022 model has already undergone a mid-model refresh. On the outside, said ‘rejuvenation’ consists mainly of the requisite new front and rear fascias complete with revised LED head- and taillights.

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Inside, the big news is a completely rejuvenated 10.25-infotainemnt screen backed up by a pretty darned good operating system. Not nearly as ornate in its graphics or as complex in its submenus, I find it a far more liveable interface than the supposedly superior system in the GV80. Choosing the various functions — radio, navigation, et al — is old-school, with buttons as opposed to the upmarket GV80’s rotary controller. Less ‘luxurious’ it may be, but it’s a doddle to operate. In the radio menu, for instance, a good old-fashioned physical tuning knob changes channels; and there’s a plain, ordinary numerical readout telling you what you’re listening too. What could possibly be simpler?

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Throw in a 15-speaker Lexicon audio system and a blind-spot monitoring system that gives you a camera’s viewpoint of, well, your blind spot, and you have the makings of a pretty decent cabin. It’s not the most elaborate interior in the segment — the quilted leather seats are none to shabby, though — but it is direct and effective, both attributes becoming rarer in the luxury segments these days.

But you wanna go German

Audi’s A4 is an excellent choice in this segment. It’s stylish, handles well and, most importantly, especially if you’re sure you want to go German, it’s got a “brand.” It also has one of the best all-wheel-drive systems money can buy, and Audi really knows how to bolt down an interior. It is even, as Teutonic brands go, attractively priced.

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What it lacks is power. Both standard models are, like the base G70, powered by 2.0-litre inline-fours. However, the base “40” model — look here for Audi’s wacky naming strategy — gets but 201 horsepower out of its turbocharger, and the upscale “45” version barely eclipses the base G70’s with 262 ponies. If you want serious moxie, you have to trade all the way up to the $60,600 S4 and its turbocharged 3.0-litre V6, but even then you get 349 hp, still some 16 hp shy of the 3.3T. The S4 might counter with slightly better handling, but Genesis has done such a good job on the G70’s chassis that any advantage would be slight. Buy the A/S4 for its superior looks or interior, but don’t pretend you’re getting a better performance sedan.

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You really want a Bimmer

Well, after a few years in the wilderness, BMW’s iconic 3 Series has returned to much of its former glory. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s as sexy as all get out, not to mention that its turbocharged inline-six pumps out 382 horsepower — a few more than the G70 3.3T — and tons o’ torque. The eight-speed automatic shifts crisply and BMW’s AWD system has a definite rearward bias for superior handling.

The only problem is that to enjoy all this goodness, you have to move all the way up to the M340i version. Lesser, 330i versions are powered by an anaemic 2.0L Turbo and have squidgy suspension that BMW has adopted in it quest to be Lexus. And while it’s good to know that BMW still builds the best overall sports sedan in the segment, the last 340M we tested cost about $72,000 by the time you added a Harmon/Kardon audio system and laser lights. Even the base version now tops 66 grand. So, by all means, get the BMW if you want the best drive in the entry-level luxury sedan segment. Just be prepared to pay for the luxury.

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You wanna stay with Genesis

Well, not so very long ago — just last year, as a matter of fact — I woulda said trade down to the 2.0T version of the G70. Lesser-motored it may have been — there’s but 252 horses available in 2.0-litre guise — but it was a livelier rear-driver and featured that soon-to-be-extinct technology, then manual six-speed transmission.

Unfortunately, Genesis “upgraded” the 2.0T to all-wheel-drive and an eight-speed slushbox, which pretty much negated any sportiness advantage it might have had over the 3.3T version. More depressingly, it still soldiers on with that 2.0T version of Genesis’ turbocharged four-banger; the company should have upgraded it to the more-powerful 2.5 turbocharged four when it, again, “upgraded” to AWD and the automatic transmission.

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So, if you don’t want the 3.3T version of the G70 — the best sedan in the company’s lineup, as far as I am concerned — then may I suggest the new GV70 sport-cute which does get that 300-hp 2.5L Turbo, as well as the eight-speed autobox and AWD system. It also boasts Genesis’ latest infotainment system, which, as I said in my G70 section, is a bit of a mixed blessing. At least it looks way trick, though. And, indeed, the entire interior looks even more luxurious in SUV guise than it does in the sedan and includes, according to Stephanie Wallcraft, who tested the first GV70 in the land, a fingerprint scanner to start the car. Not bad for a luxury SUV that starts at just $49,000.