Interactive Review: 2020 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport

[William Maley]

It has been a moment since any new vehicle has rolled into the garage at Cheers & Gears' Detroit office. A combination of a review backlog and COVID-19 messing up everything in the world made me put requesting vehicles for evaluation on the back burner. But with backlog finished and COVID-19 currently at a lull here in the state, I thought it was time to put a request in. 

The first vehicle in this run is the 2020 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport. To break it down, this is Genesis' entry-level model in the lineup packing a very potent twin-turbo 3.3L V6 with 365 horsepower - the same one found in the Kia Stinger GT and Genesis G80 Sport I have driven previously. As-tested, this G70 rings in at $51,245.

Some first impressions:

• Surprised at how well this sedan handles when in the comfort mode. Not too much body roll and the steering having some heft. Wondering if this is due to the optional Sport Package.
• One of the tightest back seats I have experienced in a compact luxury sedan. Small gap for my head and knees almost touching the back of the seat. I think the former Cadillac ATS and Lexus IS are the smallest still, but the G70 isn't running to far behind.
• The Serbian Ice exterior paint color changes shade depending on if you're in the sun or shade. Can change from a white to a light gray.

I'll have more updates as the week goes on. If you have any questions in the meantime, drop them below and I'll try my best to answer them.

One more thing; either this weekend or early next week. I'll be doing a state of the review where I'll talk about the current state of reviews and what I have planned for down the road. Also, I'll be talking about which brands I currently have access to at this time.

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[oldshurst442]

OK...

Ill ask the question that EVERYBODY wants to know the answer to.

Does it have smaht pahk? 

[G. David Felt]

Is the drivers seat as cramped as it looks in the pictures?

How good is the interface to the manual controls?

Does it have voice control?

[ykX]

I sat in G70 at auto show last year and couldn't believe how small the rear seat is.  Otherwise it looked inside and outside really nice.  However, rear seat would be a deal breaker for me if I was looking for a sporty sedan.

It terms of driving feel, where do you think it stands vs the competition?

[regfootball]

6 hours ago, David said:

Is the drivers seat as cramped as it looks in the pictures?

How good is the interface to the manual controls?

Does it have voice control?

ive never attempted to sit in this because the cockpit is so tight

5 hours ago, ykX said:

I sat in G70 at auto show last year and couldn't believe how small the rear seat is.  Otherwise it looked inside and outside really nice.  However, rear seat would be a deal breaker for me if I was looking for a sporty sedan.

It terms of driving feel, where do you think it stands vs the competition?

yes, also i've never tried to cram myself into the back either, because of how tight it looks

Edited August 14, 2020 by regfootball

[William Maley]

On 8/14/2020 at 10:17 AM, oldshurst442 said:

OK...

Ill ask the question that EVERYBODY wants to know the answer to.

Does it have smaht pahk? 

No, that is only available on the Sonata (stay tuned as one is coming in a few weeks)

On 8/14/2020 at 12:19 PM, David said:

Is the drivers seat as cramped as it looks in the pictures?

How good is the interface to the manual controls?

Does it have voice control?

1. Not really. There are a fair number of adjustments available, including the side bolsters that will allow most drivers to fit. I'm having some trouble with finding the right adjustment for lumbar as my back was hurting after a couple of hours.
2. Very good. Quickly respond whenever I turn the knob for the climate controls.
3. Yes, haven't tried it yet.

On 8/14/2020 at 1:21 PM, ykX said:

I sat in G70 at auto show last year and couldn't believe how small the rear seat is.  Otherwise it looked inside and outside really nice.  However, rear seat would be a deal breaker for me if I was looking for a sporty sedan.

It terms of driving feel, where do you think it stands vs the competition?

Originally I would have said the Lexus IS 350 F-Sport I drove a few years back. Then I realized that I forgot about the Giulia (so has most everyone else *cymbal crash*). It feels just as agile when pushed, offers slightly better weighting - Giulia has slightly better feel; and plenty of grip. 

[oldshurst442]

4 hours ago, William Maley said:

No, that is only available on the Sonata (stay tuned as one is coming in a few weeks.

 

Thanx.

Im actually curious to see your review on both cars now that you mentioned it!  

[William Maley]

Final thoughts before the G70 heads back today,

• Average fuel economy landed around 23 mpg. Kind of mixed on this.
• Ride quality is on the compliant side. Very glad Genesis decided to stick with 19-inch wheels and not jump to 20s
• Infotainment system is what you would find on Hyundai models. I kind of wished Genesis had done some tweaks to make it look slightly different, but I cannot complain about ease of use.
• Trunk space is quite shallow.

Stay tuned for the full review in about a month's time or so. In the meantime, I'll have a new interactive review with the next test vehicle coming tomorrow. 

 

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, William Maley said:

Final thoughts before the G70 heads back today,

• Average fuel economy landed around 23 mpg. Kind of mixed on this.
• Ride quality is on the compliant side. Very glad Genesis decided to stick with 19-inch wheels and not jump to 20s
• Infotainment system is what you would find on Hyundai models. I kind of wished Genesis had done some tweaks to make it look slightly different, but I cannot complain about ease of use.
• Trunk space is quite shallow.

Stay tuned for the full review in about a month's time or so. In the meantime, I'll have a new interactive review with the next test vehicle coming tomorrow. 

How did the voice control work out?

[William Maley]

1 hour ago, David said:

How did the voice control work out?

Quite well. I threw some various voice commands and aside from one (I think it was me trying to change the SiriusXM station), the system was able to figure out what I was saying.

[Drew Dowdell]

How's the torque from the twin-turbo?

[William Maley]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

How's the torque from the twin-turbo?

Quite plentyful, pulls from under 2,000 or so and stays with you to almost redline.

[USA-1]

Anybody else notice that the Genesis emblems are NOT consistent at all. From the back of the car to the steering wheel they are not even close. Obviously, the ones on the outside of the car will be larger, but it looks nothing like the steering wheel emblem that has flatter wings and is slimmer and looks more like a Chrysler emblem, even the emblem on the window sticker is different from the others. Word to Hyundai Corp., get all your graphics guys together and use the same d@mn emblem if you want to have brand recognition at all. Good thing it still spells out "Genesis" for the non car people out there. You're welcome, HMC.