{"id":28741,"date":"2022-02-10T17:36:26","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T21:36:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28741"},"modified":"2022-02-10T17:36:26","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T21:36:26","slug":"payne-let-the-genesis-g70-run-on-a-country-road-if-you-can-find-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/02\/payne-let-the-genesis-g70-run-on-a-country-road-if-you-can-find-one","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Let the Genesis G70 run on a country road \u2014 if you can find one"},"content":{"rendered":"

Milford<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The Genesis G70 wants off its leash \u2014 badly.<\/p>\n

With a gym-toned bod, short wheelbase, Drive Mode tuned to SPORT+\u00a0and 365-horsepower twin-turbo V-6 at the ready in 3.3T trim, the subcompact sedan is the brand\u2019s greyhound. It\u2019s gotta\u00a0run. But like finding room for your dog to really let loose in suburban America, it ain\u2019t an easy thing to do.<\/p>\n

I had a morning\u00a0business appointment in Milford and had dutifully slogged through I-96 traffic (and rain) to get there. The G70 is an easy commuter with infotainment touchscreen, digital displays\u00a0and technology shared with its Hyundai brethren like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and instrument-panel-displayed video blind-spot assist.<\/p>\n

Using adaptive cruise control, I negotiated stop-and-go traffic even in the wet weather \u2014 the camera and radar undeterred by precipitation in keeping me lane-centered and distanced from vehicles ahead. I arrived at my meeting refreshed.<\/p>\n

\"Not<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

But as the afternoon clouds parted and I headed home, I wanted to boogie with my dance partner. That is the G70\u2019s core purpose.<\/p>\n

Like the Alfa Romeo Giulia, BMW 2-series\u00a0and Cadillac CT4, the G70 is one of the most athletic cars on the road today. With a wheelbase five\u00a0inches shorter than the Caddy CT5, the G70 is whip-quick through corners. I headed north into Oakland County\u2019s lake country two-lanes in the midafternoon.<\/p>\n

Curses! A train of traffic spread out before me.<\/p>\n

The G70\u2019s V-6 drivetrain boasts a healthy 376 pound-feet of torque to go with its impressive 365 horsepower, mated to an eight-speed transmission and paddle shifters. With that combo, I made quick work of a pair of slower cars before the broken center line sealed up solid again.<\/p>\n

I quick-sprang through some curves,\u00a0and then I was the caboose again behind another trail of slugs. Another opening. Another car dispatched. But with too few passing opportunities and too many fellow travelers, I felt like Mickey Mouse in the Sorcerer\u2019s Apprentice. The harder I bailed, the deeper in traffic I found myself.<\/p>\n

Speaking of water, the G70 shrugged off the wet roads. With rear-wheel drive, it responded naturally to my steering inputs while modern electronic stability systems worked in the background to prevent wheel slip under acceleration out of turns.<\/p>\n

Desperate for fun, I finally pulled off the main track and took a long, winding farm road to nowhere just to let the big dog run. Oh, freedom. Oh, joy. Oh, twin-turbos.<\/p>\n

Inevitably, the road dead-ended into another main thoroughfare, and I resumed my slog home.<\/p>\n

The G70 has always been a joy to drive. I first tasted its need for speed at the North American Car and Truck for the Year jury test in 2019. But the styling felt derivative \u2014 we auto writers commented on its \u201cAudi-like grille\u201d \u2014 in a segment where style matters. Even as Genesis chased the Lexus value strategy, undercutting luxe competition by five grand will only get you so far among customers with deep pockets.<\/p>\n

\"Load<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Plus, when you\u2019re stuck in (bah!) traffic all day, you want other folks to at least admire your investment. My Launch Edition tester sweetened the sauce with matte-black paint and red leather interior.<\/p>\n

Significantly, the refreshed G70 took\u00a0a big leap forward in establishing its own design language.<\/p>\n

Like the GV70 SUV and GV80 sedan before it, the G70 is instantly recognizable with its split front headlights \u2014 and matching rear taillights. Deep\u00a0scalloped body stampings are raked across the flanks and hood, punctuated by the Genesis\u2019s pointed lower grille lip and multiple lower-facia air intakes. If not as dramatic as Alfa Romeo\u2019s iconic Trilobo grille, it nonetheless is unmistakably Genesis. Performance car fans will take notice.<\/p>\n

Which is a good thing, because the competition is formidable.<\/p>\n

Consider cousin Kia Stinger, built on the same platform as G70. With loads of personality, it shares the 3.3-liter V-6 and eight-speed tranny. Similarly spec\u2019d to the G70, it comes in at a similar price to the smaller Genesis while adding all-wheel drive, a more utilitarian rear hatchback\u00a0and a crucial 1.5 inches of rear legroom.<\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Legroom has been the Achilles\u2019 heel of vehicles like the Alfa Romeo Giulia and former Cadillac ATS \u2014 two of the best driver\u2019s cars in the segment that were definitely not passenger cars given their tight hind quarters. This was such an issue for the ATS that Caddy rebadged it as CT4 and moved it down segment \u2014 making room for the CT5, which comes in at the same price as the G70 while offering comparable twin-turbo V-6 thrills and three more inches of rear legroom that had your 6\u20195\u201d reviewer’s knees bouncing with joy.<\/p>\n

Inside, the G70 interior is executed with crisp materials, touchscreen\u00a0and a classy T-shifter. The latter two features offer good and bad news. The good news? The touchscreen is a big improvement over the ergonomic nightmare\u00a0rotary-screen controller on the GV80 (why do luxe models insist on reinventing the tried-and-true touchscreen\/or rotary controller?). The bad news is that Hyundai has ditched the manual transmission option on the G70 \u2014 further narrowing the choices of enthusiasts like my friend Eric. He\u2019ll be scratching Genesis off his list of potential buys.<\/p>\n

Rear-wheel-drive peers like Alfa, BMW\u00a0and Caddy won\u2019t be the only tests for the comely G70.<\/p>\n

Priced a full 10 grand below the G70 is the sensational\u00a0all-wheel-drive VW Golf R with nearly 300 horsepower, comparable interior room\u00a0and technology galore. Heck, go 20 grand south of the Genesis and you\u2019ll find a 250-horsepower\/320-torque\u00a0AWD Mazda 3 Turbo with knockout styling similar to the G70. You can even dress the Mazda in a red leather interior.<\/p>\n

This performance sedan market is a real piranha tank.<\/p>\n

The big bonus is that the G70 and\u00a0its many competitors turn\u00a0heads when I drive them around town. These aren\u2019t your cookie-cutter,\u00a0three-box SUVs. They are sleek sedans \u2018n\u2019 hatches that move with the single-minded purpose of the piranha.<\/p>\n

Pity it is so difficult to find a sandbox for them to play in.<\/p>\n

After winding north through Waterford Township, I ultimately concluded my search for adrenaline on a clover leaf off Baldwin Road and onto I-75. The G70 was glorious. Balanced. And the experience all too short.<\/p>\n

If you really want to exercise your performance sedan, make the three-hour round trip from Detroit to Hell, Michigan, and back. Make that four hours if you\u2019re driving a G70. You\u2019ll want the extra time in Hell\u2019s twisties.<\/p>\n

2022 Genesis G70<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear- and all-wheel-drive\u00a0five-passenger\u00a0sedan<\/p>\n

Price: $38,870, including $1,045\u00a0destination fee\u00a0($53,545 3.3T Launch Edition as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder; 3.3-liter, twin-turbo V-6<\/p>\n

Power:\u202f\u202f252\u00a0horsepower,\u00a0260\u00a0pound-feet of torque (turbo-4); 365\u00a0horsepower,\u00a0376\u00a0pound-feet of torque (twin-turbo V-6)<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a0eight-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.5 seconds (Turbo V-6, Car and Driver);\u00a0top speed,\u00a0145 mph<\/p>\n

Weight:\u00a03,774\u202fpounds\u202f(RWD 3.3T as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA, 21 mpg city\/31 highway\/24 combined (turbo-4 RWD);\u00a018 mpg city\/27 highway\/21\u00a0combined (turbo-V6 RWD)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Distinctive looks; driver\u2019s machine<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Tight backseat; stick shift, please<\/p>\n

Overall:\u00a03\u202fstars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Milford\u00a0\u2014 The Genesis G70 wants off its leash \u2014 badly. With a gym-toned bod, short wheelbase, Drive Mode tuned to SPORT+\u00a0and 365-horsepower twin-turbo V-6 at the ready in 3.3T trim, the subcompact sedan is the brand\u2019s greyhound. It\u2019s gotta\u00a0run. But like finding room for your dog to really let loose in suburban America, it ain\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28741"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28741"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28742,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28741\/revisions\/28742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}