New Look, Same Great Package: 2022 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport Review

The Genesis G70 sports sedan hasn’t been around that long, but it sure has made waves in the luxury sports sedan world, by winning praise from consumers and journalists and winning numerous awards. The G70 was first available for sale in 2019, it was available in Korea in 2018, so it’s not that old of a design but Genesis decided to give it major makeover for the 2021 model year (in the Korean market), making it the 2022 model year for the North American market.

The Genesis G70 has become one of the favorite sports sedans among auto journalists, the G70 was Genesis’ first fully developed car since it became a separate brand of Hyundai Motors. It has been an excellent first effort by Genesis, a company that is shaking up the luxury segment the way Lexus did back in the late 80’s/early 90’s.

Personally, I’ve been a huge fan of the Genesis G70 and last week I had the opportunity to review the new 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport, and I absolutely loved spending a week behind the wheel of this sports sedan. I have reviewed the G70 on two previous occasions, I reviewed the 2020 G70 3.3T Prestige and 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport.

2022 Genesis G70 Canadian Prices

The base 2022 Genesis G70 Select AWD has a starting price of $45,000 and the top-of-the-line G70 3.3T Sport AWD has a price of $59,000, these prices include Freight & PDI. Below is a list of prices for all the trims.

Our review car was the 2022 G70 3.3T Sport, with a price tag of $59,000 before tax. Genesis has made it pretty simple by giving us an all-inclusive price where you don’t have to calculate Freight & PDI, and other fees dealerships like to add. Also, each trim is as is, you don’t need to add other packages like the Europeans. I like the simplicity of this way of doing things.

Engines/Driving the 2022 Genesis G70

As far as the engines are concerned, there aren’t any changes from the 2021 to the 2022 model year. Genesis still offers a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6. The 4-cylinder engine produces 252 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque between 1,400 to 4,000 rpm. The 3.3-liter V6 produces 365 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 376 pound-feet of torque between 1,300 to 4,500 rpm. Power is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission on all trims.

Unlike the 2021 G70, there is no rear wheel drive or a 6-speed manual transmission available, which was only offered with the 4-cylinder engine.

Every time I’ve reviewed the Genesis G70, I keep thinking, have they improved the G70 because I like it even more than the last time. The same thing happened with the refreshed G70, I was sure they increased the horsepower, because I was enjoying it even more than the last time. The G70 is a car that keeps on giving. There’s however a new mode, the Sport+, which turns off the traction control. According to Genesis, this mode is geared for the track.

The Genesis G70 has amazing driving dynamics, it’s certainly on par with the European offerings. The V6 produces a lot of power that gets you moving rapidly. The G70 does the 0 – 60 mph sprint in 4.5 seconds, which is plenty fast and can get you in trouble with “the law” if you’re not careful. The transmission is smooth and does a great job at being in the right gear at the right time, especially in the Sport mode. The steering feel is direct and is on par with how other modern sports sedans feel, which is not too much feedback, but the steering feel is heavy like the Europeans. The suspension setup also feels very European, it’s on the sporty side, especially on the 3.3T Sport, which features an electronically controlled suspension. With all this power, you need good brakes, and the G70 doesn’t disappoint, with Brembo Brakes on our Sport trim. The front features 13.8” ventilated discs with 4-piston calipers and the rear features 13.4” ventilated discs with 2-piston calipers. These brakes stop the G70 in a hurry.

The Genesis G70 comes with five driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Individual, Sport, Sport+. I mostly drove in the Comfort mode for just cruising around the city/running errands, but when I was feeling a bit sporty on a nice empty road, I’d put into Sport mode. The G70 has a feature I wish more manufacturers would use; however, Genesis went half and then stopped for some reason (at least that was my experience). The feature is the fact that when you leave the car in Eco or Comfort mode, the next time you start the car, it starts in the mode you left it in, however, it only applies to these two modes. I don’t know why leaving it in Sport or Sport+ mode reverts is back to Comfort mode after you shut it off? And like I said above, I’m pretty sure that’s how the car is set up, unless I’m missing something and you can actually have it start back in all the modes.

I think the Genesis G70 could also benefit from an engine stop/start feature, I know a lot of people don’t like this feature, but when you live in a congested city, having the ability to automatically turn on/off the engine at traffic light goes a long way in saving fuel (and of course the environment).

2022 Genesis G70 Styling

The big difference between the 2022 Genesis G70 and the 2021 G70 is the exterior styling. The overall body shape stays the same but the front and rear end have been completely reworked. The G70 now shares it’s looks with the G80, GV80, and the new GV70. Genesis is taking another page out of the book of the European luxury automakers, by having a cohesive body language throughout its entire lineup of vehicles.

I was a big fan of the way the previous G70 looked, and I do like the new G70’s looks but I don’t know which one I’d choose if I had to make the choice. Both designs are head turners, I think the previous G70 looked a bit more aggressive while the new G70 looks a bit tamer… well, maybe tame is not the right word. It looks smoother while still being aggressive.

The front features a large pentagonal grill, like the rest of the lineup, I don’t know if it’s bigger or smaller than the old G70, but it looks sharp. The front bumper still features a horizontal opening under the front grill, but it’s much larger and again, smoother. There is also an additional air intake under each of the headlights, just like the last G70 but again, made smoother.

The biggest change is the headlights, which now feature two thin strips that house the headlights and daytime running lights. This element is the controversial part of the design on the new G70, some people I spoke to loved and others not so much. Personally, I’m kind of in the middle. They look good but I think they look better on the G80, which features much longer strips. The side profile of the G70 remains the same, however, Genesis did remove the boomerang fake vent from the front bumper, which I wasn’t a fan of. In its place, is a small functional vent in the lower section of the front fender. I still think this could use some improvement, as it kind of breaks up the rest of the smooth styling on the G70.

The rear also receives the twin-light strips treatment for the taillights. I am a fan of this light treatment and it looks perfect to me. The lower section of the bumper is also reworked with the lower bumper now housing the license plate which used to be on the back of the truck. The back of the trunk is also now a smooth surface. The lower bumper now features a very mild diffuser and houses the backup lights. This part of the bumper also features large oval exhaust vents.

Interior

The interior doesn’t get any changes that I could see, other than a new touchscreen and a reworked storage area below the climate control buttons/knobs. The new touchscreen sits lower but is wider, the touchscreen is a 10.25” unit while the old one was an 8” unit. The reworked storage area now makes better use of space and features a wireless charging pad that should be able to house larger phones.

I have been a fan of the interior on the G70. The interior is laid out in a simple manner that’s easy to understand and it looks great. Our review car came with red Nappa leather seats with diamond quilt stitching, which look and feel great. The leather and the quilting are carried over into the door panels.

The interior is really quiet and comfortable. However, since this is a sports sedan and we had the “Sport” trim, I wish there would be more exhaust noise in the cabin. The speakers do seem to pump fake sound into the cabin, but that can’t replace the sound of a finely tuned exhaust system. Something like the exhaust system on the Mercedes-AMG C43 Wagon would’ve been very nice.

The G70 is a small car, so the rear seats aren’t that roomy but amount of room in the rear is on par with other cars in this segment, cars like the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the Lexus IS.

In my last review, I had wished for a flat-bottom steering wheel and frameless rear-view mirror. Unfortunately, we didn’t get either of these. Flat-bottom steering wheel would give the G70 an even sportier feel in my opinion, maybe Genesis can at least add it on the Sport trim. And frameless mirror gives an interior a luxury feel and I don’t think it would cost that much to add something like that.

The Genesis Experience

An added bonus with the 2022 Genesis G70 (and all other Genesis vehicles) is the inclusion of a few complimentary services:

• Complimentary scheduled maintenance for 5 years/100,000 km
• Genesis at Home – For service and maintenance appointments, Genesis reps will come to your home or office to pick up your Genesis vehicle and leave you another Genesis vehicle while your car gets serviced. Once the service is done, they’ll come back with your car and take away the courtesy car.
• 5 year/100,000 comprehensive warranty
• 24/7 Enhanced roadside assistance

Safety/Convenience/Tech Features

To compete in the luxury segment, you must offer a lot of fancy tech, safety, and convenience features. Lucky for us, the Genesis G70 can be had with pretty much everything other manufacturers of luxury automobiles offer. Below is a list of what you can have.

• Proximity keyless entry with push-button ignition
• Proximity-activated hands-free trunk opening (“Smart Trunk”)
• High Beam Assist (HBA)
• LED daytime running lights, headlights, taillights, turn signals
• Headlight Adaptive Cornering System (ACS)
• Wide sunroof (power tilt and slide with one-touch operation)
• Power windows with auto-up/down and pinch protection (front/rear)
• Electrochromic auto-dimming rear-view mirror with integrated HomeLink transceiver and compass
• Audio, Bluetooth, cruise control and voice command controls
• Power tilt-and-telescopic adjustment
• 7.0″ TFT LCD instrument panel display
• Head-Up Display
• Rear-view camera
• Driver’s Integrated Memory System (IMS) for seat, mirror and steering wheel positions
• 14-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with cushion extension and 4-way lumbar adjustment
• 12-way power-adjustable passenger’s seat with 4-way lumbar adjustment
• Nappa leather seating (diamond stitch quilting — type varies by package)             
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Leather-wrapped 3-spoke Sport steering wheel with shift paddles
• Heated steering wheel
• Wireless charging pad (Qi standard)
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB (x3) and auxiliary connectivity
• Bluetooth hands-free phone system and audio streaming
• 8.0″ touch-screen navigation system
• Multi-View Camera System (MVCS)
• Rear parking assistance sensors
• Front parking assistance sensors
• Rear Cross-traffic Collision Warning (RCCW)
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control System (TCS)
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA)
• Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) with Lane Change Assist (LCA)
• Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
• Lane Keep Assist (LKA) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Forward Collision Avoidance-Assist (FCA-A) with Pedestrian Detection
• Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Vehicle Hold (AVH)
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with stop-and-go capability

The Final Word

I really enjoyed driving the 2022 Genesis G70, just like I did the 2021 and 2020 model year. It really is a great car and Genesis has out-Europeaned the Europeans with its driving dynamics. It’s has head-turning good looks, a luxurious interior, and is a lot of fun, especially with the V6. If you are in the market for a luxury sports sedan, do not overlook the 2022 Genesis G70.