Is the 2022 Genesis G70 a Good Car? 5 Pros and 3 Cons
True to its name, Hyundai’s Genesis brand proved to be a new beginning for luxury car shoppers looking for European-level quality closer to Korean-level prices when it spun off the parent brand around six years ago. And through redesigns, updates and new introductions to the lineup, it’s proven it can begin again. With the renewed-for-2022 Genesis G70, the re-genesis continues.
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Shop the 2022 Genesis G70 near you
For the new model year, the compact sports sedan gets exterior styling updates, cabin-tech upgrades and performance tweaks — and the precision-targeted improvements are as successful as they are observant. You’re getting this on good authority, too: After awarding the G70 its Best of 2019 honor, Cars.com purchased one for its long-term test-car fleet and drove it for a year of intensive observation of the ownership experience.
For our full take on the latest model, follow the related link above to Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek’s comprehensive critique. But for a rapid-fire rundown of our compliments and complaints, keep reading. Here are five things we like and three things we don’t about the 2022 Genesis G70:
Things We Like
1. Infotainment Upgrade
The new G70 makes much-needed and much-appreciated updates to its previous parts-bin multimedia system. The old 8-inch screen grows to 10.25 inches, graphics are sharp, Apple CarPlay refreshingly stretches across the entire width of the screen and, perhaps most importantly, Genesis resists the urge to replace tried-and-true physical controls with new-and-unimproved touch-sensitive ones.
2. Bye-Bye Blind Spots
A new digital instrument display makes for a welcome replacement for the outgoing model’s conventional configuration, incorporating the helpful blind spot monitoring system found in Hyundai-Kia products that shows the driver a camera view of both sides of the car.
3. New Sport Mode Is a Plus
As the name of the G70’s new driving mode would suggest, Sport Plus amps up the performance feel for those who wish to take those curves a little more aggressively. The application differs by engine choice, but on the rear-wheel-drive Sport Prestige variant with a 365-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V-6 that Bruzek tested, steering, stability control and automatic gear shifts conspire to thrill — without sacrificing ride comfort.
4. A Key Differentiator
The new G70’s proximity keyless entry no longer requires pressing a button to unlock the door. The key holder need only approach the car and pull the door handle to gain access. (It is, after all, a convenience feature.)
5. Palatable Price
Even at a total as-tested price of more than $51,000, our top-tier Sport Prestige test car is a relative steal versus comparable luxury sports sedans of the Bimmer and Benz persuasion. Even at the entry-level price of $38,570 (including destination charge), buyers get Genesis’ fabulous valet program in which the dealer comes to pick up your car, leaves a loaner and then drops your car back off to you freshly serviced (available for the first three years or 36,000 miles).
More From Cars.com:
- 2022 Genesis G70 Gains Family Resemblance, Sport Plus and Drift Modes
- What It Was Like to Own a 2019 Genesis G70 for a Year
- 2019 Genesis G70 Review: A Delightful Sports Sedan
- 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Honey, I Shrunk the S-Class
Things We Don’t
1. Instrument Obstruction
Despite instrumentation improvements courtesy of the new digital display, Genesis still hasn’t addressed the fact that the steering wheel blocks the driver’s view of the gauge cluster in certain positions.
2. Needs to Pipe Up
Top trims come with a new variable exhaust valve system intended to let G70 drivers assert their awesomeness audibly. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make for a particularly memorable soundtrack, particularly in comparison to rivals such as the Acura TLX Type S.
3. Just Say No to the 2.0
Bruzek says the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine option is “unrefined,” “loud” and “sluggish” — and simply not worth suffering for an estimated 3 mpg fuel savings versus the superior (though thirstier and more expensive) V-6.
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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
