Stelistu Posted November 28, 2018 Posted November 28, 2018 Yet again, Genesis gives brand-unconscious luxury shoppers the last laugh. It did as much with the G80 and G90, two larger sedans introduced two model years back (or reintroduced under the Genesis name). The G70 packs the winning formula in a smaller package — it's about a foot shorter and around $7,000 less expensive than the G80 — with compelling results. On sale now, the sedan offers two turbocharged engines: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 3.3-liter V-6, with standard rear-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. An eight-speed automatic transmission drives both, but you can also get the 2.0-liter with a six-speed manual. I drove all the engines, transmissions and drivelines over three days on Maine's winding roads and at a private racetrack in New Hampshire as part of Genesis' national media introduction (per our ethics policy, Cars.com pays its own airfare and lodging to such automaker-funded events). Back at Cars.com's Chicago headquarters, we also drove two G70 sedans, one with each engine. Inside, the G70 is a godsend. Take it from someone who harps on impractical interiors all the time: This is the commonsense sports sedan. Mercifully absent are capacitive-touch buttons, arcane menu structures and console-mounted knob or touchpad controllers — all maddening developments from too many luxury brands. Every G70 has large, physical dials for climate controls. Volume and tuning knobs above them flank shortcut buttons for a standard 8-inch touchscreen. A generous storage tray (by sports sedan standards) sits ahead of the cupholders, and the armrest in automatic-equipped cars has enough storage space to fit a 16-ounce bottle. The doors have armrest-level pockets; the overhead console has a sunglasses holder. Our test cars had three USB ports apiece, beating the norm by one. Non-luxury cars have such sensibilities in spades, but too many luxury models do not. Genesis rights the ship. Expectedly, cabin materials are a step down from the G80 and G90, especially below arm level, but the high-traffic areas show attention to detail. Attractive vinyl wrapping with double stitching covers middle sections of the dashboard (it's standard, not part of an upgrade package), and the console even has low-gloss materials around the cupholders and storage tray — places where some cheaper luxury cars still throw shinier, high-grain plastics. Leatherette (vinyl) seats are standard, and leather or upgraded Nappa leather is optional. The basic leather feels a bit rubbery; the Nappa cowhide is lush. We haven't evaluated cars with leatherette.
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