Genesis G70: 2019 Motor Trend Car of the Year Finalist

WE LIKE Handsome on the outside, rich on in the inside, performance of the V-6

WE DON’T LIKE Cramped rear seat, 2.0-liter doesn’t stack up with the competition

Genesis Motors has decided to dive into perhaps the most competitive market in all of luxury land—small, sporty sedans, also known as the 3 Series segment. You’d better bring your A game because everyone else is.

Luckily the G70 is ready and willing to compete. Build a better 3 Series? No problem! From Zach Gale: “What an incredible first effort from a new brand. Good balance of sport and luxury.” Adds Michael Cantu: “Genesis deserves a mountain of credit for building an entry-level sport sedan that can compete with Europe’s best.”

The judges to a person loved the potency of the 365-hp 3.3-liter V-6, but we were split on the less powerful 2.0-liter turbo I-4. Some couldn’t get past that it was more than a second slower than the competition in 0-60 and quarter-mile tests. But wise man Zach Gale sums up the dilemma: “If you didn’t know how much quicker others in this class are, this is a perfectly adequate engine.”

The judges were also split on the G70’s ride quality. “There’s a distinct lack of polish on this Genesis’ ride,” Christian Seabaugh said.  However, Angus Mackenzie counters that “the ride is firm but composed, with impacts very well suppressed,” and our consensus was that sport sedan ride quality can be a bit less buttery smooth.

Most of the negative comments, however, have to do with the G70’s rear seat. “I think people will take issue with the interior, which feels narrow and cramped,” Mark Rechtin said, though adults 5-foot-10 and under felt the rear seat was perfectly fine.

READ ABOUT 2019 CAR OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:

• Buick Regal
• Ford Mustang
• Ford Transit Connect
• Hyundai Accent
• Hyundai Elantra
• Honda Clarity
• Kia Forte
• Lexus ES
• Lexus LS
• Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
• Nissan Altima
• Toyota Avalon
• Toyota Corolla Hatchback
• Volkswagen Jetta

READ ABOUT 2019 SUV OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:

• BMW X2
• BMW X3
• BMW X4
• Cadillac XT4
• Ford EcoSport
• Ford Edge
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Infiniti QX50
• Jaguar E-Pace
• Jeep Cherokee
• Lexus RX L
• Mercedes-Benz G-Class
• Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
• Nissan Kicks
• Subaru Ascent

zz fb s	2.0T (manual)	2.0T	3.3T	3.3T HTRAC
BASE PRICE	$38,995	$35,895	$44,745	$46,745
PRICE AS TESTED	$38,995	$44,895	$44,745	$52,495
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE	2.0L/252-hp/260-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4	2.0L/252-hp/260-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4	3.3L/365-hp/376-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6	3.3L/365-hp/376-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6
TRANSMISSION	6-speed manual	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,581 lb (52/48%)	3,659 lb (51/49%)	3,778 lb (53/47%)	3,998 lb (54/46%)
WHEELBASE	111.6 in	111.6 in	111.6 in	111.6 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in	184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in	184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in	184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in
0-60 MPH	7.2 sec	7.4 sec	4.7 sec	4.8 sec
QUARTER MILE	15.7 sec @ 91.0 mph	15.7 sec @ 91.7 mph	13.2 sec @ 107.3 mph	13.3 sec @ 105.7 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	112 ft	110 ft	114 ft	113 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.89 g (avg)	0.90 g (avg)	0.89 g (avg)	0.89 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	26.0 sec @ 0.68 g (avg)	25.6 sec @ 0.69 g (avg)	25.2 sec @ 0.75 g (avg)	25.2 sec @ 0.76 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	18/28/22 mpg	22/30/25 mpg	18/26/21 mpg	18/25/20 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	187/120 kW-hrs/100 miles	153/112 kW-hrs/100 miles	187/130 kW-hrs/100 miles	187/135 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.90 lb/mile	0.78 lb/mile	0.93 lb/mile	0.94 lb/mile

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