2022 Genesis G70 AWD 3.3T Sport Advanced
Class: Premium Compact Car
Miles driven: 606
Fuel used: 28.6 gallons
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | C |
| Power and Performance | B+ |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | B- |
| Value | A |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | B- |
| Tall Guy | B- |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 365-hp 3.3-liter |
| Engine Type | Twin-turbo V6 |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Real-world fuel economy: 20.3 mpg
Driving mix: 45% city, 55% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 17/25/20 (city, highway, combined)
Fuel type: Premium gas recommended
Base price: $44,200 (not including $1045 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Himalayan Gray paint ($500), Sport Advanced Package ($4300)
Price as tested: $50,045
Quick Hits
The great: Acceleration; cabin trim; features for the money; updates for 2022 bring improved infotainment system and other desirable features
The good: Outward visibility; control layout; ride/handling balance
The not so good: Rear-seat space is tight for adults; stingy front-door apertures; mediocre fuel economy for class
John Biel:
If you’re the kind of person who believes it’s not possible to have too much of a good thing then you might find that you have a kindred spirit in South Korean automaker Genesis. Its G70 premium-compact sedan that made an impressive debut as a 2019 model goes from very good to even better for 2022 with refreshed looks, tech improvements, and enhancements that make for sportier driving.
Now five years removed from its launch as Hyundai/Kia’s luxury brand, Genesis has blossomed into a well-rounded family of three sedans and two SUVs (including the new-for-’22 compact GV70). Consumer Guide got to test the energetic athlete of the clan, an all-wheel-drive G70 with the 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and Sport Advanced equipment that showed itself to have true luxury sport-sedan chops for around $50,000.
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Given the G70’s relatively recent arrival on the automotive scene, its essence is unchanged for ’22. However, there is fresh front and rear styling via a wider grille that goes from hexagonal to pentagonal in shape; stacked slit-style LED headlights and taillights; a resurfaced rear bumper, diffuser, and trunklid; and a switch to a smaller, functional front-fender extractor vent. The grille and lighting changes engender closer family ties to the other Genesis product lines. Inside there’s a new rectangular infotainment touchscreen that grows to 10.25 inches (from eight), plus safety-oriented additions like a center airbag between the front seats and Safe Exit Warning that alerts exiting passengers when another vehicle might be coming up from behind.
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Engine choices remain a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder of 252 horsepower and the 365-horse 3.3 V6, either of which is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifters. (A 6-speed manual formerly available with the four has been dropped for 2022.) However, the menu of selectable drive modes newly adds a “Sport+” setting that tweaks throttle response and transmission shift points even more than they are in “Sport.” (Other modes are “Eco,” “Comfort,” and a “Custom” that is configurable from elements of the other modes.)
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The V6 and smooth automatic are up to the task of providing pleasingly immediate getaway from a stop, and acceleration grows in a fairly linear fashion. Highway passing and merging are breezy. Twist the console selector dial to Sport or Sport+ and prepare to be forcefully pressed into the seat if you tromp the aluminum-faced gas pedal. Here, upshifts are delayed to let power build in the gear ranges, and at lower speeds Sport+ very actively downshifts to maintain revs for optimal torque—the engine is rated for a maximum 376 lb-ft from 1300 to 4500 rpm. V6 cars with Sport Advanced or Sport Prestige equipment add a variable-valve exhaust system that mutates the muffled thrum of a G70 in Comfort mode into something delightfully grumblier when in the Sport settings. (It also raises peak output by three ponies.)
Predictably, the V6/AWD powertrain is the least frugal in terms of EPA fuel-economy estimates, which are 17 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 20 combined. Our four test stints—each with a decreasing percentage of city driving—bore this out, ranging from 17.3 mpg with 70 percent city-type miles to 23.7 mpg when a lot of speedy, free-flowing Interstate driving cut the urban portion to just 18 percent. Those whose driving style is more hell-bent on economy than for leather can count on milder acceleration and restrained climate-control operation in gas-saving Eco mode.
The G70 starts out with a satisfying ride/handling balance before it even has to try hard. A good sense of road feel isn’t paid for in ride harshness on the 19-inch alloy wheels and all-season tires. Even Comfort-mode steering is responsive and communicates well to the driver; it just gets a little weightier in the Sport settings. Body lean around corners is subject to good control. The all-wheel drive, a $2100 upcharge over rear-wheel motivation, employs dynamic torque vectoring and a mechanical limited-slip differential. In our experience, the tester made for a good open-road travel car.
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An AWD V6 G70 starts at $45,245 with delivery. A $4300 package turns it into a Sport Advanced with the variable-valve exhaust, parking-distance warnings, a specific wheel design, distinctive aluminum interior trim, front-seat ventilation, a sunroof, 15-speaker Lexicon premium audio system, wireless device charging, power driver’s seat bolster and cushion extender, Genesis Digital Key access, and dark-chrome grille and side-window trim. (An additional $4000 fetches the Sport Prestige with quilted Nappa-leather seats, adaptive dampers, meatier Brembo brakes, a head-up display, and more.)
Side bolsters in the comfortable Sport seats gently inflate when the Sport drive modes are activated, providing front-row passengers with a bit more support should the motoring become more vigorous. There’s good passenger space up front, and attractive upscale trim and soft surfaces are in evidence. The 8-inch screen display of driving information is clear and easy to operate through steering-wheel thumb buttons. The infotainment touchscreen may have changed but its operation remains blissfully straightforward, and the 3-dial dual-zone climate system couldn’t be easier to use. All of the usual modern electronic safety and driver-assistance aids are included as well.
If there’s one glaring shortcoming in the G70 it’s a rear seat that will be too tight for lots of adults to inhabit. On a long out-of-state weekend getaway, it actually served this reviewer best as a cargo platform. With the 60/40 split-folding seats down, there was plenty of space in the trunk and back seat for two people’s luggage, a large cooler, some groceries, and a few incidentals. Unlike some sedans, the G70 is not hobbled by a constrictive bulkhead behind the rear seats; the trunk isn’t especially tall, but feeding items through to the retracted seats is a straight shot.
In terms of road manners and features, the Genesis G70 truly takes the measure of some vaunted compact sedans from established luxury-brand manufacturers. That it does so for the prices asked makes it that much more of a small wonder.
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2022 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport Advanced Gallery
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