Road Test: 2022 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport AWD

The Genesis G70 is still a bit of a rarity in Canada, but when you are able to catch a glimpse of the revamped 2022 model, it is a sight to behold.

Already a very attractive model, Genesis nevertheless made some updates to the luxury sedan’s styling, notably the front grille. It also enhanced the cabin and driving characteristics, as well as adding a host of new advanced-safety and driver-assistance technologies.

The G70 now features forward and blind spot collision avoidance, rear occupant alert, lane following assist, navigation-based smart cruise assist and more.

The G70 has a starting price of $45,000 for the 2.0 Select trim, while our top of the line 3.3T Sport AWD is just a shade over $59,000.

Opting for this version brings with it a sport-tuned electronically controlled suspension, a limited slip differential, Brembo brakes, sport 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels and variable exhaust valve. Inside, it features Nappa leather seating surfaces with sport quilting, a microfibre suede headliner and alloy pedals.

Powertrain: The Genesis G70 has two engine options; either a 2.0-litre variant or the larger and more potent 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the engine delivers 365 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque, truly good numbers for a sport sedan.

New for 2022, all trims now feature a Sport+ drive mode which optimizes the powertrain settings to allow the driver to enjoy the performance more fully. And in Sport and Sport+ modes, the driver seat sees the side supports adjusted to hug you a little tighter for those fast corners.

To go along with that extra punch, the G70 also sounds more aggressive thanks to the variable exhaust valve system.

Stopping all that movement in the Sport trim is the aforementioned Brembo brakes, with the bright red calipers peaking out from behind the black wheels.

It also offers a drift mode, but I didn’t put that to the test.

The G70 is estimated to produce a combined fuel economy average of 11.5 litres per 100 kilometres, but I fell well short of that at 14.8 L/100 km.

Exterior: Among the styling revisions for 2022, the G70 gets the brand’s new signature quad lamps, which include thin LED lights that stretch outward from the revised central grille.

As nice as that front is, the G70 is equally attractive in silhouette, with a long hood and short overhangs that invoke the model’s sporty underpinning. It also features a new air extractor behind the front wheels to improve airflow.

The quad lamp design is mirrored at the rear, which is nicely designed and capped by dual oval exhausts.

While the G70 has a long list of available colours – 14 in fact – I was very fond of the Uyuni White on our tester.

Interior: The cabin is quite simply a thing of beauty.

Starting with the black Nappa leather seats, featuring sport quilting, you are welcomed by an environment of luxury, comfort, and refinement. There’s a nice mix of materials in the cabin, from the leather surfaces to the metallic finishings on the centre console. The design and layout are both excellent, with all the controls falling easily at hand for the driver.

Rear occupants are also well taken care of, with lots of leg and head room, and equally comfortable seating.

And as you would expect in a luxury sedan, the cabin is extremely quiet thanks to the job Genesis has done with soundproofing.

There’s also a very large power sunroof that opens up to bathe the cabin in natural light.

Other nice features include ventilated front seats, and heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, heads-up display, 8-inch digital gauge cluster and aluminum pedals.

Infotainment: The G70 also has another large display screen, the new for 2022 10.25-inch infotainment screen that sits atop the centre stack.

It includes over-the-air, wireless updates to the navigation system, voice-recognition car control, is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and more. A wireless charging pad is also part of the package.

It is matched to a 15-speaker Lexicon surround sound audio system, and I particularly liked the way the radio station frequencies are displayed – with the numbers showing up inside vintage-looking lightbulbs that are all the rage these days.

The display is crisp, and the menu functionalities were easy enough to understand and operate.

Drive: This thing drives as smooth as butter!

That’s a pretty good way to sum up the G70 in my view. Engine performance is excellent, with almost no turbo lag to speak of, and the suspension does a good job of keeping things under control in the cabin even over bumpy roads.

The various drive settings – Eco, Comfort, Sport or Sport+ – allow you to set the G70 up to your liking. While you might expect to need to select Sport or Sport+ to enjoy driving the sedan, that’s not the case. Even in Comfort, the performance delivered will satisfy many drivers. Things definitely get kicked up a notch in the Sport settings, however, with quicker acceleration and respond times.

Conclusion: Genesis may be the (relatively) new kid on the block, but it has come to play with the big boys. The G70 is a serious contender in the luxury sedan marketplace.

It looks great, turning heads a few times (even getting a thumbs up from a passing Nissan GT-R driver), delivers an excellent driving performance, is packed with everything you could possibly want and features one of the nicest cabins in the business, in my opinion. While sales figures show only a few thousand sold in Canada, that is not an indication of how good the G70 truly is.

2022 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport AWD
Price as tested: $59,115.00
Configuration: Front engine/All-wheel drive
Engine/transmission: 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 / 8-speed automatic
Power/torque: 365 horsepower/ 376 lb-ft of torque
Fuel (capacity): Premium (59.8 L)
Combined fuel economy ratings (L/100 km): 11.5 L/100 km
Observed fuel economy (L/100 km): 14.8 L/100 km
Warranties: 5-years/100,000 km (basic)
Competitors: BMW 3 Series, Dodge Charger Scat Pack 392, Kia Stinger, Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Links: Genesis Canada