Why the Genesis G70 is the Most Awarded Car of the Year
Scotty Reiss
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It’s Won All the Awards … So Far. Here’s Why.
It started by winning Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, then went on to take the top honors at Cars.com, Road Show by CNET, Motorweek, Car and Driver’s 10 Best, Good Design, North American Car and Truck of the Year and was a contender for World Luxury Car of the Year by World Car Awards. That’s because the Genesis G70 has everything. EVERYTHING. There’s almost nothing left to add to this luxury sports sedan and best of all, it an all be had for under $50K. Here’s why the Genesis G70 is the most awarded car of the year.
The rear view camera with surround view and guide lines. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What This Car Costs
- Starting price for the 4 cylinder Genesis G70 Advanced: $34,900
- Sport model starts at $37,900
- 6-cylinder 3.3 L Advanced edition starts at $43,750:
- 6-cylinder 3.3 L Dynamic edition starts at $50,250:
- 6-cylinder 3.3 L Design edition starts at $50,750
- All-wheel drive adds $2,000
- Elite package, with automatic high beam headlights, rain sensing wipers, wireless charging, and a panoramic sunroof, adds $1,750
- Prestige package, with quilted leather seats, heated rear seats, microfiber suede headliner, surround view camera and head up display, adds $2,500
- Price of the model we test drove: $48,995, including delivery
Related: World Car Awards recognize the best of the best
The front interior of the Genesis G70. Photo: Scotty Reiss
Who This Car is For
- Singles, couples or small families
- Buyers who love luxury
- Value buyers who want the most car for their money
- Sports sedan fans
- Drivers who occasionally have rear seat passengers
- Luxury car fans who want a stick shift transmission
- Buyers who want top technology and safety features
- Buyers who appreciate Hyundai’s reliability and long warranty
The Genesis G70 luxury sedan. Photo: Scotty Reiss
A Car That Satisfies Your Inner Diva
Did I mention that the G70 has everything? Except for a concierge. Oh, wait. It has that. Genesis models come with a 3-year complimentary subscription to Genesis Connected services. That means you just push a button and someone is there to help you navigate through traffic jams, make restaurant reservations and more. A real, live human.
And a better dealership experience. Yup, Genesis has that too! They think you should own a car on your terms, including delivery of a test drive model and delivery of the car and paperwork when it’s time to complete your purchase. And when it needs service a driver swaps your car for a loaner.
Speaking of service: This is complimentary for the first three years. So is roadside assistance and live traffic on the navigation system. Like all Hyundai models (Hyundai is the parent company of Genesis) the G70 has a 5-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10-year powertrain warranty.
OK, so those are some good reasons to look at Genesis, but what specifically did the critics love so much?
Related: What Are the Best Cars and Trucks? Meet the Cars.com Best Of 2019 Award Winners
The instrument panel greets the driver with an animation of the Genesis G70 Photo: Scotty Reiss
Audi + BMW + Mercedes-Benz + Bentley + Lamborghini = The Genesis Design Team
Genesis put together a dream team of designers, starting with Peter Schreyer, former head of design for Audi. He joined Korean car maker Hyundai in 2008 and since then has turned the entire lineup into a group of gorgeous cars and SUVs. Genesis is the pinnacle of these designs.
To build Genesis into a world-class luxury brand, Peter Schreyer brought in Luc Donckerwolke, former head of design for Bentley and Lamborghini, as chief of design for Genesis, and Bozhena Lalova, who brought a modern look and feel to the Mercedes Benz S Class and E Class, as head of Genesis color & trim— code for everything you’ll touch on the car’s interior.
Peter also tapped Albert Bierman, the chief engineer behind much of BMW’s Ultimate Driving Machine reputation, to help the company’s brands engineer a world-class driving experience. Genesis is the pinnacle of all these talents.
Related: Meet Peter Schreyer, the Karl Lagerfeld of car design
Interior of the 2019 Genesis G70 3.3 Prestige sedan. Photo: Scotty Reiss
The Dream Team Dreamed Big with the Genesis Interior
Genesis’s design team assembled the best of the best for the G70’s interior, including some smart new ideas. Luxe details include quilted leather seats and door panels, contrast piping, and stitching and the aluminum framed instrument panels that make the interior feel clean and luxurious. Then they added a micro-suede headliner (the fabric that covers the ceiling) and heated rear seats that give everyone a sense of being pampered. And, a Genesis-logoed puddle light beams down from the side view mirror and the door handle is illuminated when the car is unlocked so you don’t step in a puddle or fumble for the car door when it’s dark out. Isn’t that thoughtful?
But they didn’t stop there; a panoramic sunroof and top-tier technology were added. A head-up display keeps key information, including active safety features like blind spot detection, and rain sensing wipers were added to the Prestige package to ensure that buyers who want these features can have them.
A puddle light on the Genesis G70 illuminates the ground outside the driver’s door. Photo: Scotty Reiss
More Thoughtful Touches Define This Luxury Sports Sedan— Many of Them Come Standard
At least one critic, Cars.com editor-in-chief Jennifer Newman, noted the electric seat control on the interior side shoulder of the front passenger seat. This means that the driver or any back seat passenger can move the front passenger seat with the push of a button. So, if you hop into the back and need more legroom, you can move the seat yourself rather than begging the person up front to do it for you. Or, the driver can move the seat to accommodate her passengers.
Other standard features on the Prestige mode I drove include:
- Power passenger’s seat
- Heated and cooled front seats
- Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
- 8” touch screen with navigation
- Power tilting and telescoping steering wheel
- Apple Car Play and Android Auto
- Leather seats
- Blind spot monitors
- Lane keep assist
The assembly of features is a love note from the designer to the owner that says “I think you deserve to be surrounded by luxury and we thought very carefully about each detail.”
If the luxe details, like quilted door panels look like they belong in a Mercedes_Benz, that’s becasue the designer, Bozhena Lalova, worked for the German luxury car brand before taking over color and trim duties at Genesis. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What the Experts Loved Most: It Starts With the Engine
Isn’t that always the case? This is obvious when you put the car in gear and head out on the highway: In comfort mode the G70 purrs along just fine, but put into sport mode and it takes on a new spirit. The suspension tightens, the engine growls and this luxury sedan puts all 365 horsepower forward in a pretty fun and satisfying drive. Thank you, Mr. Bierman.
The G70 comes in two engines sizes: A 4 cylinder 245 horsepower and a 6 cylinder twin turbo with 365 horsepower. We also tested out the 4 cylinder and while it was nice, it wasn’t as much fun as the 6 cylinder, which is the model that the critics liked so much.
However, the price difference between the 4 and 6 cylinder is significant. And, there’s another huge difference: a manual transmission option.
The center console and climate controls; a drive mode dial is next to the gear selector, as well as park sense traction and camera controls. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What This Critic Loves: The G70 Comes in a Stick!
Unfortunately, only the 4 cylinder is offered in manual transmission (we hope that Genesis decides to offer the 6 cylinder in a manual one day), but, it’s the only luxury Asian sports sedan that is offered in a manual. Stick shift fans may find Genesis’s reliability, luxury, and warranty enough to sway them away from the more powerful engine.
I took the manual transmission model for a short test drive and found it to be fine. The interior on the model I drove was equal to the 6-cylinder turbo model, though after driving the model with the larger, more powerful engine, the 4 cylinder just wasn’t as much fun. Though I liked the stick shift itself; I liked how it felt, including a not-too-stiff clutch and an easy-to-shift gear shifter. If Genesis ever decides to add a manual option to the 6 cylinder, THAT will be the model that tops this one.
Those quilted leather seats! THAT says luxury is ahead. Photo: Scotty Reiss
A Right-Sized Sports Sedan—And What We ❤️ About Sports Sedans
There are sedans and then, there are sports sedans. Those who love to drive often choose the sports sedan: They are smaller, more agile and give the driver a better road feel.
I like that they can be the best of both worlds: Sports car and family car: they are easier to park, accommodate four or five passengers, have room in the trunk for your gear and typically give you the features and comforts you expect in a car, like plenty of USB ports and cup holders.
Add to that the luxuries that Genesis specified for the G70 and this might indeed be the perfect car. So it’s easy to see why the critics rewarded the hard work and passion that Peter Schreyer, Albert Bierman, Luc Donckerwolke, Bozhena Lalova, and their team put into this car. Now, it’s just a matter of time to see if it indeed sweeps ALL the awards!
Rear leg room was fine in this sports sedan, which is by definition a bit smaller than a typical sedan. Notice the buttons on the shoulder of the passenger’s seat,which let anyone adjust the seat forward or back. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What We Loved
- The true luxury look and feel of this car
- The exterior design, which is elegant and modern
- The drive experience of the 3.3L V6 engine, which was fun and satisfying
- The upgrades are minimal to get to true luxury; standard features are ample
- A roomy trunk and roomy second row
The wireless charge pad is tucked under the center console; I found it worked great, even charging through my thick case and steel phone ring. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What You Need to Know
- Rear seat has only one USB port (I know, the horrors!); there are three in all
- All-wheel drive is a good idea for many buyers but the option adds $2,000 to the price
- Built in Korea of 98% Korean parts
- 18 MPG city/26 MPG highway in the V6 model we test drove
- Regular fuel can be used but drivers may want to use premium to get maximum performance from the V6 engine
What We Listened to in the Genesis G70
This car is designed to spoil, so we needed a playlist that does the same. These songs will make your spirit soar as you journey the world in the G70’s loveliness.
Disclosure: The Genesis G70 was provided for our test drive; all opinions are my own.
