November 27, 2024

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The 2023 Genesis G70 (Hyundai Motor Group)

Genesis, a South Korean luxury auto brand under Hyundai Motor Group, has now upgraded the G70 with a stronger engine. The G70 is the brand’s last sports sedan powered by an internal combustion engine, as the automaker aims to go all-electric by 2030.

The exterior and interior of the new Genesis G70 also appeared to undergo small design changes. The attention-grabbing front side of the vehicle features two-line light-emitting diode headlamps and a V-shaped crest grille. The lower front end highlights the sedan’s sportiness.

The size of the car has also not changed from the previous model. With a length of 4,685 millimeters, a wheelbase of 2,835 mm, width of 1,850 mm and height of 1,400 mm, the 2023 Genesis G70 boasts a low and wide crouching position destined for speedy driving.

The interior design brings together elegance and power. Despite the comfortable driver and passenger seats in the front, the legroom in the back felt somewhat poky.

The biggest difference is that the upgraded sedan has been equipped with a 2.5-liter turbo engine, a noticeable improvement from the previous 2.0-liter turbo engine. The 2023 Genesis G70 boasts a maximum 304 horsepower, an increase of about 20 percent from the previous model.

The course of the test drive, which took place on June 6, covered about 90 kilometers of highway and long winding roads in Gyeonggi Province.

The G70 offers five different drive modes: eco, comfort, sport, sport+ and custom. In comfort mode, the driving is like that of a larger sedan’s style, with the car riding smoothly and powerfully. As the car has been equipped with variable gear ratio technology, the steering felt heavy and stable at high speeds, whereas it became light and swift at low speeds.

Driving on winding roads with some speed showed no problems thanks to the G70’s low center of gravity with a lightweight, reinforced chassis and an electronically adjustable sport suspension designed for assertive performance. Rapidly changing lanes at a high speed also did not shake the vehicle much.

Once the driver switched to sport mode, the roar of the engine became noticeable. The seat automatically turned to a tighter grip at the back of the driver for the high-performance mode. Steering response was improved with a tighter shift pattern.

The starting price of the 2023 Genesis G70 is 43.15 million won ($33,400).

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)