2019 Genesis G70

BEIRUT: They did it. They really did it, producing exactly the car they said they would produce. I’m talking of course about Genesis, and more specifically the G70, the newest addition to the Genesis lineup.

Why am I so excited? You have no idea, so I’ll start from the beginning. Ever since I test-drove in late 2015 what at the time was a car named Genesis under the Hyundai brand, I have been speculating on what a lineup under the then-still-pending Genesis brand would be like.

There were renders of course, coupes that boasted the muscularity and drama of Aston Martins. But obviously we never expected the physical models to look like the renders, and we were right. Then came the Genesis New York Concept, which was first shown to the public in spring 2016.

The styling on that design was exquisite, sensual, with gently arcing parabolic graphic lines that signaled energy and speed. But once again we were skeptical, because those lines, like the finishing and the flourishes on the car, were far too premium for anything we’d seen coming out of South Korea.

I was already annoyed. And why wouldn’t I be? I was being teased with one of the loveliest sedans I had ever seen, and I was certain it would never see the light of day because it was too over the top.

Imagine my surprise – and delight – when I found myself actually driving a black production version of that car, fitted with a twin-scroll 2.0 mill and rolling on five-spoke 19-inch graphite-gray rims. They actually did it, they built a sedan based massively on the New York Concept but without the impractical decorations that graced the show car.

The same lines were there, as were the pert and seemingly short hind quarters. It featured the same massive grille with the elaborate mesh, but in black satin chrome like the rest of the trim on the car which is also used tastefully on the elaborate front splitter design.

Open the door, whose weight alone is an indication of this car’s quality build, and it illuminates the pavement below with the Genesis logo. Then cast your eye over the interior.

The seats in the car I was driving, along with the steering wheel, center arm rest, dash and interior door panels, are in soft black leather with contrasting red French stitching. Everything was accented with brushed aluminum trim – no gaudy piano black trim that loves to attract fingerprints and smudges.

All the controls are nicely organized, with the climate control dials lined up in a tidy row beneath the infotainment touch screen display controls. The sporty steering wheel, meanwhile, houses all the main controls. Including the paddle shifters for the eight-speed automatic transmission, so your hands never need to wander.

It all looks and feels highly premium, and easily holds its ground against its European rivals. Remarkably, it’s just as comfortable as it is luxurious, a space you could happily spend many hours in with nary a complaint. And since we’re talking space, there’s plenty in the G70 – you needn’t be concerned because it’s got you covered.

But let’s talk about how it drives, because that’s the crux of the matter. After all, as attractive as it is, it’s a car and meant to be driven. To put it simply, you have options: You can have this baby fitted with either a 2.0 turbo-charged four-cylinder unit producing 248 ponies and 350 Newton-meter of torque or, a 3.3-liter V-6 producing 365 horsepower and a whopping 510 N-m of torque.

Then of course, you also have the option of getting the G70 in all-wheel-drive, or H-trac, meaning handling improves significantly, as well as safety in inclement weather.

As luck would have it, the weekend I had the car was a mixture of rain and sunshine, meaning I got a chance to try it out under both conditions. Immediately I was blown away by how stable and silent the G70 is, whether in the city or at speed on the highway. How it responds has everything to do in the drive mode you select, and even there you have numerous options.

Leave it in Comfort and cruise to your heart’s content, the car behaving predictably and casually, making any drive a pleasure. Engage Eco and save on fuel, with the transmission shifts growing more conservative and the engine more relaxed.

But there’s more. Set it in Smart and the car learns your behaviors, giving you the exact settings you need based on your driving habits. Alternatively, you can put in Custom and select your own settings for every aspect of the driving experience.

However, the drivers among us, including myself, will invariably go for Sport, and suddenly the engine takes on a new urgency, the steering hardens, the transmission holds its shifts longer and downshifts faster, the dampers stiffen and the exhaust note becomes deliciously throaty.

That’s all I needed to hear, and proceeded to put the G70 through its paces. This a low, wide car rolling on large diameter rims and with excellent suspension, so as you would expect it remains planted on the asphalt even as you take bends at elevated speeds. The engine on the 2.0 twin scroll has a guttural rumble, which only entices you to demand more from the car, and it keeps delivering.

Understandably, this being a turbocharged engine, you will encounter mild lag low in the rev band, but there’s an easy fix, just drop it to a lower gear and you’ll be well within the power zone. In fact, once you get accustomed to it, you’ll never want to go beneath 2,500 rpm because that band is just so rewarding.

Obviously, manufacturers don’t build cars just to see how far you can push them to the extreme, but it’s nice to know that you’re driving a compact sedan that hold its own in a pinch.  More importantly, if you prefer a calmer ride, which you will more often than not, you’ll never need to go above 2,500 rpm because there’s just so much torque from 1,000 revs.

And thankfully, with anti-lock brakes on all four corners, you can bring the G70 to a halt as easily as you can get it to pounce. Get the 3.3, and you’ll find that your car gets the added benefit of Brembos, in addition to Nappa leather and a 15-speaker Lexicon surround sound system among other extras.

If you ask me, I believe the introduction of a car like the Genesis G70 in the Lebanese market will prove very disruptive, but in a good sense. Here we have a car with styling that easily holds its ground against its European rivals, build quality that’s just as impressive, and a level of luxury that’s only found in the top tier of world-class automobiles.

Now add the fact that its power plants are geared to meet the new eco standards while delivering excellent performance, and noting that standard equipment includes a host of items that cost a fortune in options in the European contenders, and you arguably have a revolution on your hands.

How does that comprise a revolution you ask? Bear with me and I’ll explain. Just consider the state of the car market over the past few decades. Right after the Civil War, after everyone grew accustomed to only second-hand imported cars being available, and with new cars being beyond the reach of most people, the Lebanese people suddenly got some relief in the form of Hyundai and Kia, which filled a very pressing need for affordable new cars.

Later, as the economy picked up, and along with it people’s purchasing power, we were suddenly presented with ridiculously high Customs duties on new cars, meaning most people again got priced out of that new Bimmer or Benz. And the cars from Asia, especially, the South Korean brands, again came to the rescue with value for money and far lower sticker prices.

In the past decade or so, the quality of those brands has markedly improved, and ownership has become an increasingly hassle-free experience. But still, while mobility needs have been more than satisfied at a relatively affordable cost, the pleasure of owning a new premium vehicle has remained elusive.

Until recently with the advent of Lexus and Infiniti, and especially now with the arrival of the Genesis and the G70, which any car enthusiast will confirm as being an exemplary machine.

And that’s where the revolution comes in. With fully loaded units being offered at less than the price of a barebones version of an equivalent European premium sedan, this suddenly drops a car in the market that’s just as good as its rivals, but with quite a price difference.

The Genesis G70, along with its peers from Japan, will undoubtedly take a slice of the market, and in essence create a form of competition that has been mostly absent, especially in the premium compact sedan segment. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if cars like the G70 and its equivalents don’t revitalize the entire compact sedan segment, which has been usurped by the crossover craze.  

There is no doubt that importers of premium vehicles are unhappy with Lebanon’s Customs regime, which is pricing customers out of their offerings. But with pressure from brands like Genesis and its quality offerings, something needs to give to restore a semblance of balance to the market. Let’s hope the arrival of the G70 clarifies that needed step.