When you’re in the market for a high-end sporty sedan, the Genesis G70 is a contender. One major feature that sets it apart from all the rest, though, is its manual transmission option. Few vehicles these days actually have it. 

MotorTrend reviewed the G70 and gives their thoughts on the sedan. Does the manual gearbox offer any benefit to this vehicle? Let’s see what they had to say about it.  

The appeal of the manual transmission

While the manual gearbox was more popular decades ago, you don’t find too many of them in our current day. Most vehicles, nowadays, come with an automatic transmission. But there’s still a handful of people that seem to like the option to order the manual instead of switching gears automatically. 

Driving a manual transmission in a vehicle gives control back to the driver. People who love the manual prefer shifting gears on their own accord. Back in the day, having a manual meant increasing fuel economy, but not so these days. The automatic gearboxes save more in fuel than the stick shift does. 

However, the manual transmission is slowly dwindling away. In fact, most vehicles that still offer this gearbox are eliminating from the lineup after 2020 or 2021. The Genesis G70 plans to get rid of it when the 2022 model comes out. 

What does the Genesis G70 offer?

The Genesis G70 is known for its 2019 Car of the Year Award from MotorTrend. The manual gearbox is available with this sedan, but only with one of the engine choices. Genesis’ 2.0-liter four-cylinder motor can be paired with the stick shift, but the V6 engine only comes with the automatic transmission. 

When it comes to power, the twin-turbo V6 motor does a pretty good job propelling this sedan along. With 365 hp, the G70 can get a 4.5-second acceleration run going from 0 to 60 mph with rear-wheel drive. When using AWD, it can do the same run in 4.8 seconds. 

If you opt for the 2.0-liter four-cylinder motor and the manual gear shift, you can expect a 7.2-second 0-to-60 mph run. This, of course, means that the automatic moves the car along faster.

Fuel economy with the manual brings about 18-22 mpg on city roads and 27-30 mpg on the highway. The automatic transmission paired with the V6 motor can get 17 mpg in the city and 25-26 mpg traveling on the highway.

The G70 cargo compartment offers 10.5 cubic feet of space. The legroom in this sedan is a bit better with 42.5 cubic feet to stretch out in the front seat. For the back seat, there are 34.8 cubic feet of space, which is fairly average for the class. 

MotorTrend’s thoughts on the Genesis G70

MotorTrend isn’t as impressed with the 2.0-liter motor as it doesn’t offer as much power as the V6 engine does, nor is it as efficient as other competitors. They also don’t feel it takes a commanding position in the luxury department. 

They also feel the elimination of the manual transmission for the 2022 model is a bit on the disappointing side. But plans for that model year seem intriguing, to say the least. 

Overall, the G70 is one of their favorites with its sporty styling, luxurious interior, and it’s fun driving dynamics. It’s even the perfect match to the BMW 3 Series as far as style goes, and it matches the Tesla Model 3’s price point. 

The Genesis G70 is a fun, sporty sedan that offers plenty of style and convenient features. The available manual transmission is a favorite among some of the driving purists, but when the 2022 model rolls out, it won’t be sporting this feature any longer.