The Genesis G70, with its upscale cabin, exciting performance, and near-perfect predicted reliability rating, is a real contender in the small luxury car segment. It packs a ton of great driver-assist features and, with a powerful V6 engine, handles as well as many luxury sports cars. The G70 also boasts excellent warranty coverage.

So why is there a problem with the Genesis G70? It all revolves around service.

A lack of dealerships

As MotorTrend explained, most luxury brands have dealerships with ritzy showrooms and great amenities. Before the coronavirus pandemic, dealerships were much more desirable hangouts than local mechanics’ shops or quick auto care stores. 

As the luxury division of Hyundai, Genesis doesn’t have its own dealerships. Establishing independent dealers, as Lexus did with Toyota, would be the ideal situation. But Hyundai didn’t want to sink a lot of money into such franchises without a guarantee of success. 

Several states have problematic franchising laws on the books and, according to MotorTrend, Hyundai dealers already ranked below other mainstream brands in the 2020 J.D. Power Customer Service Index,

Out of necessity, the automaker created a convenient concierge service to deliver cars to customers for test drives. From there, if the customer wanted to complete the sale, the rest could be handled quickly and easily online. If service was required, the concierge would deliver a loaner and take the car for servicing. 

Did a Hyundai dealership handle the service? Yes. But the customer didn’t need to know that.

Problems with the concierge service

The system was the best Genesis had to offer until it had dealerships of its own. It worked fine until the pandemic hit, bringing with it social-distancing guidelines that had to be observed. The MotorTrend team had a Genesis G70 that needed service.

Early on with the G70, the team experienced some transmission and turbocharger issues, and they got prompt service from Genesis. The concierge brought a nice, top-shelf Genesis loaner and took the team’s car in for service. The only problem they observed was some oil stains on the seats.

When social-distancing guidelines went into effect, Genesis took appropriate precautions. It halted its concierge service and required owners to take their vehicles to local Hyundai stores for what was needed.

One of the MotorTrend team members noticed some vibration coming from the rear of their G70. There was premature wear on the right rear tire. The team had to contact Genesis (the Hyundai dealer) to make a service appointment because the car was still under a three-year maintenance agreement. 

Their Hyundai dealer had an arrangement with the local Mazda dealer, who handled the call. But they said the tire, which was “down to the threads,” was OK and passed up a chance to sell them tires.

They learned from an associate at Consumer Reports, someone who’d supervised tire evaluation before, that the tire should be immediately replaced. But not everyone has those sorts of contacts.

The 2021 Genesis G70

The latest Genesis G70 blends luxury and performance in a small luxury sports sedan at a great price. According to Car and Driver, the 2021 Genesis G70 offers a refined ride with the riding chops to rival the BMW 3 Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class. But you’ll pay a lot less for the Genesis.

Though G70’s 2.0T Sport trim is gone, everything in the 3.3T model Elite package is now standard for all models with the twin-turbo V6. The package includes a wireless smartphone charging pad, adaptive headlights, front and rear parking sensors, a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and ventilated front seats. The change makes the G70 an even better value.

The interior is as luxurious as you’d expect, boasting a ton of convenience features. The infotainment system needs updating, and the backseat feels a little cramped. But overall, the G70 is a great car.