The Genesis car brand continues to grow, with the addition of new Test Drive Centres and Studios throughout Australia and the addition of new models. The current Genesis model line-up includes the G70, G80, Electrified G80, GV60, GV70, Electrified GV70 and GV80.
The G70 3.3T Ultimate Sport was previously tested back in 2019, with this model receiving a recent facelift. On test is the facelifted model; the 2022 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport Luxury. This top of the range G70 is $85,876 plus on-road costs. It’s a good opportunity to compare old versus new and whether the updates have addressed some of the old G70’s shortcomings.
Interior
This G70 has white Nappa leather sports seats with a diamond pattern and white stitching, although front side bolsters on both driver and passenger seats are showing signs of creasing after only 11,000km. The driver’s seat is 16-way power adjustable with a memory function and can be heated or cooled. A nice feature of the G70 3.3T, like the previous model, is how the side bolsters of the driver’s seat tighten when Sport or Sport+ mode is selected, really holding you into position. There’s brushed aluminium trim pieces in the door cards and centre console, a nice change from carbon fibre, while cupholders can be found in both the front doors and centre console. For front occupants, included is a USB port and 12V socket and under the armrest is another USB port. The three spoke sports steering wheel is well proportioned and aluminium paddle shifters are easy to operate. Tilt and reach are electrically adjustable, and the steering wheel can be heated.
Although there are plenty of amenities for back seat passengers, unfortunately legroom is at a premium for a family sized car and the Stinger GT has more legroom due to its longer wheelbase. Rear seats, like the fronts, can be heated or cooled and there’s also a USB port, two small cupholders, cargo nets and coat hangers. Boot space is small for this segment and like the old G70, remains unchanged at only 330 Litres and there’s also a space saver tyre in the boot. In the boot, there’s also a First Aid Kit and Roadside Assistance Kit.
Exterior
The G70 on test is finished in Black Forest Green paintwork. The new split headlight and taillight design really complement the overall proportions of this car and I personally think that the design of the new car is more cohesive. The front grille has been redesigned, featuring a new Genesis ‘Crest’ grille. The G70 is less aggressive than the car it replaces, however still retains a muscular four door performance car look. Small, functional vents feature in the front spoiler. The boot lid is nicely curved and there are two large oval shaped fake exhaust outlets at the rear. These fake outlets house two small real exhausts for each side of the car, with the outside exhaust pipe featuring the variable exhaust flaps.
The wheel design has changed slightly over the old G70, but 19-inch alloy wheels are retained as well as the use of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres: the same 225/40/19 profile at the front and 255/35/19 profile at the rear as the older car. Brembo brakes are still offered, and brake callipers are painted in light grey. At the front are 350mm diameter ventilated discs with four piston calipers, while the rear scores 340mm diameter ventilated discs with two piston calipers.
Standard equipmentÂ
Genesis’ G70 3.3T Sport Luxury includes a 12.3-inch 3D instrument cluster, 10.25-inch central infotainment touchscreen, wireless (Qi standard) smartphone charging pad, Forward Attention Warning safety system, head-up display (HUD), 16-way adjustable driver’s seat, dual zone climate control, heated steering wheel and rear seats, electronic wheel adjustment, power-operated boot, 15-speaker Lexicon audio system, intelligent front lighting system, Nappa leather interior, driver’s memory seating, suede headlining, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are 10 airbags, heated and ventilated front seats and a panoramic sunroof. On the safety side, the car received a 5 five-star ANCAP safety rating.  There’s blind-spot collision avoidance, junction turning assist, safe exit warning, multi-collision braking, lane following assist, lane keeping assist, traction control system, vehicle stability management, rear cross traffic alert and surround view monitor. Other features include an electronic park brake, smart cruise control, a sensor key with push-button start and a hands-free opening boot.
Drive Modes
Drive modes are activated using the dial behind the gearshift or from the large infotainment screen. The driver can select from Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ (a new drive mode) or Custom. Within Custom mode, there are further adjustments available to suit individual preferences. Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ can be selected for the powertrain, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ can be selected for steering and Comfort, Sport and Sport+ can be selected for suspension. The 10.25-inch central infotainment touchscreen has map, navigation, phone, radio and climate settings, as well as a sounds of nature function. It also has settings for the vehicle (driver assistance, drive modes, active sound, head-up display, cluster, interior settings). There are four pages to toggle through on the 12.3-inch 3D instrument cluster. Page 1 has oil temperature 50-150°C, Torque 0-550Nm, Turbo 0-20psi, Page 2 has all the drive information and a digital speedometer, Page 3 has a compass while Page 4 has attention level, tyre pressures and cruise control settings.Â
Driving impressions and performanceÂ
Like the Kia Stinger GT driven previously, the driving experience is dominated by the powerful twin-turbocharged engine sitting up front. The 3.3-litre twin turbocharged V6 now develops 274 kW of power (up from 272kW), while torque remains a generous 510Nm, with the car retaining rear wheel drive. The G70 3.3T is by no means a lightweight car at 1719kg, but despite the car’s weight, in Sport+ mode and with launch control activated, the car manages to accelerate to 100km/h in a rapid 4.9 seconds and cover the 400-metre sprint in 13.15 seconds. Using launch control, the engine revs to around 2,000rpm and then once the brake is released, the big Genesis leaps forward towards the horizon, building boost and pushing you back into the seat with a relentless surge until redline. Low down torque is a highlight of this car, making overtaking easy, and the way the car accelerates from 60 to 100km/h in the lower gears is very impressive. Power delivery is very linear the whole way through the rev-range, with very minimal turbo lag. The V6 in the old car sounded a bit uninspiring but has been transformed now with the addition of a variable exhaust system, activated in Sport+ mode. The car achieves combined fuel consumption figures of 10.2L/100km and has a 60 Litre fuel tank.
With 510Nm of torque on offer, the G70 can still scrabble for grip under hard acceleration runs, even with the traction control system and vehicle stability management engaged and the use of a mechanical limited slip differential. Although still rapid in its acceleration to 100km/h, the Genesis is at its best under rolling acceleration and overtaking, where its generous power and torque can be deployed without being traction limited.
Unlike the previous G70, in Sport+ mode and with traction control and ESC disabled, the current G70’s eight-speed automatic gearbox offers the driver a full manual mode. One criticism of the earlier G70 was its reluctance to hold a gear, but this issue has fortunately been resolved. There isn’t too much of a delay when upshifting, although the car has quite short gearing and needs third gear to hit 100km/h.
With the G70 in Custom mode, it’s at its best with the powertrain in Sport+, steering in Comfort or Sport and suspension in Comfort. There’s a big difference, as you’d expect, between Eco and Sport+ when it comes to engine response and power; the G70 shifting into its higher gears in Eco mode for better fuel economy. There isn’t much of a noticeable difference between Comfort and Sport+ steering and Comfort and Sport+ suspension settings, even with the adaptive dampers.
The variable ratio electric steering system offers good feedback and isn’t too artificial, enabling the driver to position the front of the car exactly where it’s required. Body control and change of direction on country roads with a mixture of slow and high-speed corners is excellent for such a heavy car. It’s a car that’s best suited to highway driving in comfort but has a different personality where it also really shines on country roads. A good brake package is needed for a car capable of such performance and weighing over 1700kg, and the Brembo brake package does an excellent job of pulling up the G70.
Like the GV80, when indicating to turn right, you can select a camera that takes place of the tachometer to show you what’s behind and to the side of you. When turning left, the camera takes place of the speedometer. This is one of the features that I really enjoyed on the G70.  Personally, like on the GV80, I didn’t warm to the 3D function on the instrument cluster and preferred the standard look. One frustration is the lane departure warning being too intrusive, and it’s annoying that it always defaults to the on position when starting up the car.Â
Final thoughts
This model is offered with five years complimentary scheduled servicing as well as a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Also, a ‘Genesis-To-You’ courtesy vehicle concierge service if you live within 70km of a Genesis dealer and 24/7 roadside assistance. Rivals for the Genesis G70 3.3T Sport Luxury include the more expensive Audi S4 ($105,000), BMW M340i xDrive Pure ($101,900) and the more affordable Kia Stinger GT (64,960).
Some of the new updates on this G70 have certainly been beneficial. Having a Sport+ mode now means that a full manual mode can be used on the gearbox. The variable exhaust gives the car a proper V6 sound, instead of it previously being quite muted. I also think that the exterior styling is more cohesive, and the interior is a wonderful place to spend time in. The engine is a real powerhouse and the surge of power from the twin-turbocharged six is addictive. It’s equally at home on the highway as it is on country roads.
Rear legroom remains the biggest issue for the car, with the Stinger’s longer wheelbase enabling more rear seat legroom. Having said that, the G70 3.3T Sport Luxury is fast, safe, extremely comfortable and well equipped and provides a worthy option to some of its more expensive European rivals.
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