Genesis had its work cut out for it. Even though the upstart Korean company had superstar talent– like former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, former VW Group designer Luc Donkerwolke, and former BMW M division engineer Albert Biermann–the company had the monumental task of convincing the public it should buy a car from a company it had never heard of, and not a car from BMW or Mercedes.
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But the G70, Genesis’s small sedan, might be enough to stop you from buying a BMW.
The G70, which shares underpinnings with Kia’s lovely Stinger, is handsome. Like any new brand, people will call the design derivative or say that it looks like a blah blah crossed with a yadda yadda. But the short wheelbase, perfect proportions, and snub nose make it look purposeful and elegant. It might look vaguely Audi-ish, it might have a hint of BMW in it, but doesn’t everything these days?
It also drives fantastically. It drives better than cars from companies that have been honing sedans for more than 40 years. The short wheelbase and stiff rear make it eager to rotate and more fun to drive than it should be. It’s not a track car, but if you buy a Genesis to take to the track, what sort of person are you? And can we meet, because you have some wild priorities in life and I’d love to hear what you think a suitable daily driver is.
The G70 has all the ingredients that make up a great sport sedan. All the ingredients except the prestigious name that others have earned for decades. But if the G70 is any indication, Genesis doesn’t want to wait 40 years to earn that sort of respect and admiration. It wants to be a major player from the start.
In this episode of R&T’s Three Lap Reviews, we take the G70 on a drive on the roads around Lime Rock Park (no, not on a track, but it’s not a track car, remember?). It’s a lovely machine, which we may or may not have drifted off camera the day before, and now we regret not sharing the tire smoking goodness with you.
