Genesis G70 High Performance Driving Impressions

[GenesisYEG]

As some of you may know, I had the opportunity to travel to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada to push the 2019 Genesis G70 to its limits at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, a former F1 racetrack. The journalists got to have their track day on a warm Monday whereas I got to hit the track on an extremely wet Thursday. I took the 3.3T Sport around the racetrack and the 2.0T Prestige (pre-production -- this one had Brembos) around the Autocross track.

Track event:

• The car is incredibly balanced. It has a 50/50 weight distribution and it glides effortlessly across the track.
• The AWD system, Limited Slip Differential, and Michelin PS4 tires all work in concert to keep this car planted even in the rain. I was taking corners at triple digits with no slipping and when slipping did occur due to the sheer amount of water on the track, I never felt scared about losing control.
• I could only get to 185 km/h on the straight because I would have sailed off the track like a slip and slide if I even tried to break 200 km/h like what journalists got to do in the dry.
• The Brembo brakes resisted fade quite well.
• This goes without saying but the 3.3T accelerates like a bat out of a hell. It is seriously fast.
• The G70 2.0T actually got a better lap time on the Autocross track in the wet (and on the last track day with worn brakes, tires, and 3 passengers) than in the dry. This car seriously has handling chops even with tires and brakes that have been abused throughout the week from journalists and Genesis employees. For Autocross events the 2.0T Sport may be all you need.
• Pedestrian detection works well but I would never let a guest test it out.
• Nurburg Green is a cool color!

Road Test Impressions of the G70 2.0T Elite ($47,000 CAD) compared to the BMW 330i, Mercedes-Benz C300, Lexus IS300 (all priced similarly to the Elite):

• The G70 handled the best out of the 4 cars and had the nicest interior, IMO. The seats were also the most comfy and it had the most features compared to the other cars at a similar price range. Active Engine Sound sounded a little fake. Rear seat room was average at best.
• The BMW 330i sounded good but handling was soft and didn't feel as tight as the G70. The interior was spartan. The infotainment screen had lots of cool information about the car like power and torque and the resolution was great. Plenty of space in the back compared to the G70. Nice car but the new 3-series can't come soon enough.
• The M-B C300 was pretty underwhelming. The seats weren't that comfortable, it had HALOGEN lights, and it had way too much piano black. However, it was probably the quietest out of all the cars.
• The Lexus IS300 has a sporty look but it was anything but. The interior was dated, the handling was sloppy, the steering was vague, the V6 was gutless, and the transmission and throttle response was so bad that you had to downshift and accelerate way earlier than what you should normally do just so the car would respond at the ideal moment during a corner. Easily the least impressive out of all 4 cars.

 

[GenesisYEG]

More pics to come when I get a chance to upload them.

 

[YEH]

• The BMW 330i sounded good but handling was soft and didn't feel as tight as the G70. The interior was spartan. The infotainment screen had lots of cool information about the car like power and torque and the resolution was great. Plenty of space in the back compared to the G70. Nice car but the new 3-series can't come soon enough.

That's what am concerned about; the new 3 should have even more space in the rear, be more like the BMW of yore when it comes to handling and have a significantly upgraded interior.

Think Genesis made the same mistake as Cadillac (ATS) and Jaguar (XE) when they prioritized handling prowess (but unlike the other 2, at least got the interior appointment down).

 

[devellis]

Thanks, YEG, for sharing your impressions. Sounds like it was a lot of fun, even in the rain.

Always a hard call on what to prioritize. I'm actually glad they gave the edge to performance but I can totally understand why others would feel differently. I think that's part of what makes this market segment tricky. Fall short in any one category (performance, interior, technology, passenger space, styling, fuel economy, etc.) and you shave off a segment of potential customers who will go elsewhere. Cars of this type cater to pretty demanding buyers who are well aware of the available alternatives, so they'll recognize the deficiencies of any particular car. And every car has some deficiencies. I again return to the idea that cost is going to be a major factor. If the price is good enough, people will ignore some deficiencies. If it isn't, those deficiencies become more glaring. And as a new, relatively unknown entry into the sport sedan world, Genesis has a built-in disadvantage.

 

[g70]

How fast is the 2.0T? Is it significantly slower that the 3.3, or is it a middle range car as opposed to the rocket. I'm just surprised the 2.0T with RWD is being marketed as the sporty one...

 

[canucklehead604]

^ 'sporty' and 'all-out speed' are not necessarily mutually inclusive. the Miata is one of the sportiest cars on the road, but it is not the fastest. rather, it is quick. balanced chassis, even weight distribution, superior steering and control trump big hp numbers. i see the parallel with the G70. the 2.0T RWD is lower, lighter, better balanced and likely quicker in transition than the 3.3T AWD siblings. would it be great if the 6MT RWD had an extra 30-40hp? sure, but that'll have to wait for the rumoured 2.5T.

of course, the proof will be in the drive which i have yet to take to compare the 6MT RWD to the 3.3T AWD.

 

[Edmguy]

Sounds like you guys had fun out there. Great write up and pics!

 

[canucklehead604]

here's a bunch of video from that Quebec track session with a good CDN auto journalist: