Article Highlights:

• 2022 Genesis G70 ($37,525 – $54,500)
• “2020 Best New Family Car” – Good Housekeeping
• “2019 Motortrend Car of the Year” – Motortrend
• Pro: Genesis G70 was revised for 2021 with more sophisticated look. It also has a powerful engine and nimble handling characteristics for a luxury sedan.
• Con: Blind-spot monitors are not standard

The 2022 Genesis G70 is a fairly new competitor in the luxury sedan segment. It plays in a field that’s filled with stiff competition, particularly from German rivals like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series. And while it’s easy to dismiss the G70 as a gussied-up Hyundai that couldn’t hold a candle to those well-heeled stalwarts, you would be remiss not to give it a chance.

I spent a week in the Genesis G70 and came away thoroughly impressed and surprised by the amount of luxury and performance that it exudes. Couple those attributes with a low cost of entry and you’ll have quite the value leader in a class of pricier contenders.

The 2022 Genesis G70 is as well-dressed as the competition

Take one look at the Genesis G70 and you would be hard-pressed to compare it to almost anything else on the road. It has a unique look that I think is very sophisticated and not overdone. For the 2022 model year, the G70 was given styling updates, particularly in the front and rear of the car. The front grille is more V-shaped than before and it’s joined by two air vents that are only semi-fake.

Genesis redid the headlights as well by giving them a bisected look in addition to LED high and low beams. The rear of the G70 was updated with quad LED taillights that fan out from the rounded trunk lid and from the side view, the G70 looks the same as before except for a functional vent near the wheel well.

The Genesis G70 is one of the nicest Hyundais that you’ll ever sit in

Take a seat in the Genesis G70 and you’re sure to be thoroughly impressed. My tester is a 3.3T model with the Sport Advanced package, which means that it came with the available black leather seats with red stitching in addition to sporty red seatbelts. The rest of the interior is filled with padded soft-touch surfaces and there’s not a bad seat in the cabin unless you’re sitting in the rear middle seat.

There is plenty of headroom for every seat, however, the rear-seat legroom is lacking, even for my 5-foot, 8-inch stature. The steering wheel is also wrapped in leather and it looks rather elegant. I also liked that there are seat adjustment switches on the driver’s side of the passenger seat. At first, I couldn’t figure out why Genesis would put those adjustments in that spot, but then when I had an elderly rear seat passenger fumble his way into the backseat, it was convenient for me to have the ability to adjust the passenger from the driver’s seat.

The Genesis G70 doesn’t skimp on the tech features

Although the Genesis G70 makes for a great value proposition, that doesn’t mean that it skimps on the tech features. In fact, every G70 is equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display that sits on the dashboard in addition to an 8-inch digital display that sits in front of the driver. Apple Carplay and Android Auto phone integration are also standard.

The base G70 2.0T gets 19-inch wheels, a leather interior, a Lexicon premium sound system, and a wireless smartphone charger when you opt for the Prestige package. Stepping up to the 3.3T Sport adds a sport suspension, Brembo brakes, and a leather interior, while the Sport Advanced package adds a Genesis Digital key, a Lexicon 15-speaker premium sound system, and alloy pedal covers.

If you want the most out of your 2022 Genesis, then you can get the Sport Prestige model, which comes with nearly everything you would want in an entry-level luxury sedan. Some notable standard features on this trim level include a head-up display, a Nappa leather interior, a pseudo-suede headliner, a limited-slip differential, and an electronically controlled suspension.

The G70 is a luxury sport sedan that handles every turn with ease

Under normal driving conditions, the Genesis G70 offers a serene experience. The steering is effortless and the visibility out of every window is good, even in tight parking situations. I detected some road noise at highways speeds, but that could be due to my tester’s 19-inch wheels that were wrapped in low-profile tires. That wheel and tire combination proved to be handy when driving through canyon roads though.

When driven spiritedly, the G70 moves through corners like a sports coupe. There are five different drive modes – Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport +, and Custom – and each one was very different than the next. In comfort mode, the G70 drove quietly and smoothly, but it gets louder when you click the knob into “sport.” To really kick things up a notch, you can turn it to the “sport +” setting, which makes the exhaust note a little louder, turns off the traction control, and tightens up the driver’s seat bolstering.

The seat feels like it’s hugging you, which is a great thing to have when driving quickly through winding roads. When tackling corners at a higher speed, the G70 hugged the road almost as tightly as its seats hugged me. Surprisingly, the G70 felt light on its feet and its steering was direct and well-weighted. Also, its AWD system likes to kick the rear end out a little when cornering hard, but it provides plenty of grip otherwise.

The twin-turbo V6 engine is definitely worth the added cost

The Genesis G70 is available with two different engine choices: a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four or a twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and are available as a rear-drive configuration or all-wheel drive. If fuel efficiency is what you seek the most, then the four-cylinder engine is the obvious choice. But for $2,000 more, you can get the larger V6 and I will say that it’s well worth extra money.

The more potent V6 engine is rated at 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque compared to the four-cylinder engine’s 252 hp and 260 lb-ft ratings. That’s a difference of over 100 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque! In Car and Driver’s testing, the G70 3.3T was able to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds, which is really quick for a luxury sport sedan. If drag racing is your thing, then you’ll be happy to know that the car is also equipped with a launch control feature.

Having driven the 3.3T model, I can honestly say it’s one of the quickest luxury sedans I have ever felt. The power comes on quickly and you can feel a rush of torque as the engine makes its way through the RPM range; it’s quite addicting. As far as fuel economy goes, the 2.0-liter engine has an EPA-estimated rating of 22 city/30 highway (RWD) and 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway (AWD). The 3.3T is rated at 17 city/26 highway (RWD) and 17 city/25 highway (AWD). After a week of driving the 3.3T model, I achieved an average of 22 mpg combined.

The G70 has plenty of safety features

The Genesis G70 comes with a host of standard safety features including several driver-assist technologies. These features include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go technology, a forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking, and a lane departure warning. Although it didn’t achieve a “Top Safety Pick” award from the IIHS, the G70 still received high marks across the board when it came to the agency’s crash testing.

Is the Genesis G70 expensive to maintain?

While the Genesis G70 is a luxury car, it won’t cost an arm and leg to maintain. According to Edmunds’ True Cost to Own analysis, G70 owners will spend an average of $6,354 for the first five years of ownership. Repair Pal also estimates that the G70 can cost around $565 per year on average when it comes to repairs.

Fortunately, new G70 owners won’t have to worry too much about repairs and maintenance for a while at the car is also backed by Hyundai’s comprehensive warranties. As such, the G70 is covered by a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

The 2022 Genesis G70 offers a lot of luxury and sportiness at a great value

If you’re looking for a luxury sedan that can swaddle you in comfort and impress you with its performance, then the 2022 Genesis G70 is a great option. It might not have the same panache and prestige that its German, and even Japanese rivals do, but if you spend even 15 minutes driving this car, you probably won’t care.

MotorBiscuit gives the 2022 Genesis G70 an expert rating of 7.7 out of 10

The editors at MotorBiscuit scored the 2022 Genesis G70 a 7.7 out of 10. The G70 exudes a lot of what luxury buyers are looking for when it comes to comfort and performance. It’s not perfect, but the G70 shows that the Genesis brand is headed in the right direction.