2024 Genesis G70 RWD 2.5T Sport Prestige – Review by David Colman

A Winner of the TACH Automotive Triple Crown: Looks, Performance, and Value

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

The G70 sports sedan has great bones. Its runway model looks and ultra-luxe interior both suggest a list price of $70,000 would be appropriate. The fact that Genesis manages to sell this piece of mobile artwork for a base price of $41,500 puts to shame the vaunted European brands that charge twice that much. Genesis offers two variants of their compact sport sedan. The one we drove is called the 2.5T because it's powered by a new 300hp, 2.5 liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder motor that replaces the prior 250hp, 2.0 liter turbo. A more expensive 3.3-liter twin turbo V6 is also available for a base price of $51,200. Both 4 and 6-cylinder models can also be ordered with all-wheel-drive for an additional $2,100.

Until the introduction of the 300hp base motor, you really needed to opt for the more expensive V6 to achieve the kind of overall performance this sedan is ultimately capable of providing. But the new turbo 4 is strong enough to make you reconsider opting for the V6. Our rear-wheel-drive G70 test sedan employed 8 forward gears to post a standing start quarter-mile run of 14.1 seconds at 100mph, as well as a 0-60mph time of 5.7 seconds. That's so close to the slightly quicker 3.3 liter V6 that you'll want to reconsider what had previously been a no-brainer choice in favor of the V6. The final factor in the equation is gas mileage. The new turbo 4 posts an overall EPA rating of 24MPG versus a combined 20MPG for the thirstier V6.

To make the G70 fully competitive with BMW's 3 Series, Lexus' IS300 and Audi's A4, you need to pop for the $4,200 Sport Prestige Package which upgrades the looks and interior of the Genesis with the beguiling niceties. The dark chrome grill and external detailing looks appealingly subtle. The exterior mirrors fold when you lock the car. A Genesis logo puddle lamp illuminates the pavement when you alight at night. The package also provided a quartet of spectacular red leather seats and belts, ventilation (in addition to standard heating) for the front seats, sport aluminum interior trim, and a Lexicon premium audio system. All in all, quite a bargain for the modest asking price.

Driving the G70 was a largely pleasurable experience. It proved especially strong in the acceleration department for a 4-cylinder car. Whenever we needed a spurt of acceleration, we were able to sequentially downshift the 8-speed through its cogs to arrive at the perfect gear for the job. This Genesis also affords you a well-differentiated series of driving modes including Comfort, Sport and Sport+. On back roads, we experimented with Sport and Sport+ and discovered that Sport is more than adequate to most athletic driving requirements. Sport+ on the other hand would be useful for a track driving experience, but on the street, it keeps the G70 in a lower gear than you really need. In all three modes, we found the steering feedback to be perfectly accurate, with just a little more force required to turn the wheel in the Sport+ mode. The suspension of the G70 is quite firm, bordering on uncomfortable, no matter which drive mode you choose. Braking is excellent thanks to standard Brembo equipment. We had to make one unexpected emergency stop that revealed just how strong and potent the Brembos could be and just how good was the stopping traction provided by the Michelin Primacy Tour A/S radials (Treadwear 540). These hard compound tires (225/40WR19 Front, 255/35WR19 Rear) are mounted on special issue Sport Prestige alloys measuring 8 x 19 front and 8.5 x 19 rear. In hard cornering, we were able to get the rear tires to slide initially, then hook up with a chirp. This disconcerting trait reflects the G70 2.5T's lack of a limited-slip differential. On a vehicle with this kind of performance, an LSD is a necessity. It's standard issue on the 3.3T V6 G70 but unavailable on the 2.5T.

Seating space in the rear of this sedan is restricted. Even with the front seats set for a couple of 5'9" occupants, the rear passengers have precious little foot room. One thoughtful touch Genesis provides is a set of seat controls for rear passengers to adjust the position and rake of the front seats. The G70 is perfectly configured for short hops for 4 adults, but your rear-seat passengers will get antsy when subjected to longer trips.

For a car company that didn't even exist a decade ago, the G70 is a major accomplishment. This car is beautiful to look at, a pleasure to drive vigorously, and a terrific buy for the money.

2024 GENESIS G70 RWD 2.5T SPORT PRESTIGE

ENGINE: 2.5 liter inline 4, turbocharged and intercooled, DOHC 16-valve
HORSEPOWER: 300hp@5800rpm
TORQUE: 311lb.-ft.@1650rpm
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 21MPG City/29MPG Highway
PRICE AS TESTED: $46,950

HYPES: Fixed, Classic Instrument Faces

GRIPES: Softer Rubber To Raise Cornering Grip

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman