The Genesis G70 () is a compact executive car manufactured by the Korean luxury automaker Genesis, a luxury division of Hyundai Motor Group. It is offered as a four-door sedan and, for European markets, as a five-door shooting brake.
The G70 debuted on September 15, 2017, at the global launch event in Seoul's Olympic Park. Genesis Motor's third model, the G70 was designed to compete with compact executive sedans and serves as the brand's entry-level model, positioned below the larger G80 and G90 sedans. In 2019, the G70 was named the North American Car of the Year. The sedan received a facelift in 2020, and a five-door shooting brake variant followed for European markets in 2021.
Overview The Genesis G70 was under development for several years and was previewed by the Genesis New York Concept, shown at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. Its design was led under Peter Schreyer, then chief design officer of Hyundai Motor Group, who also oversaw the design of the related Kia Stinger. The G70 shares its rear-wheel-drive platform and engine range with the Stinger but uses a shorter wheelbase and a conventional sedan body in place of the Stinger's liftback. Development took place at Hyundai’s Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, South Korea.
The exterior design shares cues from the other two Genesis models, the G80 and the G90. The grille features Genesis' corporate design, with functional air intakes along the bottom and side. The LED headlights operate with separate daytime running lights. The rear is said to have an athletic stance, framed by LED taillights and dual exhausts.
The interior's center console is constructed out of soft-touch plastics, leather and metal accents that are slightly angled toward the driver. The layout has three large knobs for the climate controls, an eight-inch touch screen, and a small electronic shifter. The interior appointments on the G70 include quilted leather seating surfaces, along with brushed aluminum and stainless steel trim.
Annual Improvements 2019 In 2019, the electronic parking brake was made standard, and an optional electric power trunk became available to buyers. A 12.3-inch (31.2cm) 3D gauge cluster also became an option for South Korean-market 3.3T - equipped G70s.
2020 The 12.3-inch 3D gauge cluster, first introduced on South Korean 3.3T models in 2019, was extended as an option to 2.0T models. A carbon fiber package comprising carbon fiber-finished exterior mirrors and interior trim was offered in South Korea.
Facelift On September 8, 2020, Genesis announced a facelift G70, which went on sale in South Korean market on October 20, 2020. The facelift incorporates new corporate design cues from the GV80 crossover SUV and second generation G80 sedan, including new front and rear bumpers, headlights, taillights, and a new grille design. Interior changes include an optional 10.25-inch (26cm) infotainment screen. The 2020 facelift adopted Genesis's crest grille and two-line quad lamps, making the G70 the last sedan in the Genesis line-up at the time to adopt the family styling already used by the G90 and G80. Many evaluations were saying that the design of the previous model was better, and in particular, the taillights were criticized for looking forcibly inserted.
The facelift G70 was released as a 2022 model in the United States, where the optional manual transmission was discontinued. On May 19, 2023, Genesis released an updated G70 and G70 Shooting Brake in the South Korean market. The 2.0-liter turbocharged Theta II engine was replaced by a 2.5-liter turbocharged Smartstream engine, while Brembo brakes became standard. Additional changes included a touchscreen climate-control panel, a frameless rear-view mirror and various trim updates.
In January 2026, Genesis launched the 2026 G70 and G70 Shooting Brake in South Korea, making features including a head-up display, driver's seat memory system and power-adjustable steering wheel standard. The company also introduced the G70 Graphite Edition, based on the 3.3-liter turbocharged gasoline model and featuring model-specific performance and design changes. Separately, a Prestige Graphite trim was introduced for the North American market for the 2026 model year, also using the 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 but with market-specific equipment.
Shooting Brake In May 2021, Genesis introduced the G70 Shooting Brake, a five-door station wagon derivative of the G70 sedan developed with European customers in mind. The rear end underwent the biggest changes, with a longer and slightly sloping roofline, while luggage capacity increased by 40 percent compared with the sedan. Interior and exterior images of the G70 Shooting Brake were unveiled on May 12, 2021.
At its European launch, powertrain options included a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a 2.2-liter diesel engine, both paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The G70 Shooting Brake went on sale in Europe in the second half of 2021. In South Korea, it was officially launched on June 27, 2022, with sales beginning on July 7. The Korean-market model was initially offered with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine in Premium and Sport configurations. Its trunk provided 465 liters of cargo capacity, expanding to 1,535 liters with the rear seats folded. It was equipped with a 10-airbag system and driver-assistance features including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist and Rear Occupant Alert. In addition, the 10.25-inch infotainment system supported Genesis CarPay and voice-recognition vehicle control.
Powertrain At launch, the Genesis G70 was offered, depending on market, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 252 hp (188 kW) and 260 lb⋅ft (353 N⋅m) of torque, a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 365 hp (272 kW) and 376 lb⋅ft (510 N⋅m) of torque, and a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 199 hp (148 kW) and 325 lb⋅ft (441 N⋅m) of torque. Genesis estimated that the LSD-equipped 3.3-liter V6 RWD model could accelerate from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 4.7 seconds.
Rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive were available, while a six-speed manual transmission was offered only with the rear-wheel-drive 2.0-liter model in North America. The manual transmission was discontinued for the 2022 model year.
In South Korea, the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine was replaced by a 2.5-liter turbocharged Smartstream engine in 2023.
+G70ModelYearsTransmissionPower/rpmTorque/rpmAcceleration0–100 km/h(0–62 mph)(official)Top SpeedGasolineTheta II 2.0 T-GDi2021–present8-speed automatic at 4,500–6,200 rpm at 1,450–3,500 rpm8.8 s (RWD) at 6,200 rpm6.1 s (RWD)6.6 s (AWD)2019–2021 model years (North America)6-speed manual at 6,200 rpm at 1,400–4,000 rpm——2017–2023 (South Korea)8-speed automatic at 6,200 rpmWithout sport package at 6,200 rpmWith sport package5.9 s (RWD)Smartstream G2.5 T-GDi2023–present at 5,800 rpm at 1,650–4,000 rpm——Lambda II 3.3 T-GDi2017–present at 6,000 rpmWithout variable exhaust at 1,300–4,500 rpm4.7 s (RWD)5.0 s (AWD)All-season tiresSummer tires2020–present at 6,000 rpmWith variable exhaustDieselR II 2.2 CRDi2017–2021 (South Korea)8-speed automatic at 3,800 rpm at 1,750–2,750 rpm7.4 s (RWD)7.9 s (AWD)2021-present (Europe)200 PS (147 kW; 197 hp) at 3,800 rpm——
+G70 Shooting BrakeModelYearsTransmissionPower/rpmTorque/rpmAcceleration0–100 km/h(0–62 mph)(official)Top SpeedGasolineTheta II 2.0 T-GDi2021–present8-speed automatic at 4,500–6,200 rpm at 1,450–3,500 rpm9.3 s (RWD) at 6,200 rpm6.4 s (RWD)6.9 s (AWD)2022–2023 (South Korea) at 6,200 rpmWithout sport package at 6,200 rpmWith sport package at 1,400–4,000 rpm——Smartstream G2.5 T-GDi2023–present at 5,800 rpm at 1,650–4,000 rpm——DieselR II 2.2 CRDi2021–present (Europe)8-speed automatic at 3,800 rpm at 1,750–2,750 rpm7.7 s (RWD)8.2 s (AWD)
Safety The 2019 Genesis G70 was awarded "Top Safety Pick+" by the IIHS.
+IIHS scores (2019) Category RatingSmall overlap front: driver-sideGoodSmall overlap front: passenger-sideGoodModerate overlap front: original testGoodSide: original testGoodRoof strengthGoodHead restraints & seatsGoodHeadlights (varies by trim/option)GoodPoorFront crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicleSuperiorFront crash prevention: pedestrian (day)AdvancedLATCH ease of useMarginal
Euro NCAP test results for a LHD, five door shooting brake variant on a registration from 2021: Test Score %Overall:Adult occupant:3489%Child occupant:4387%Vulnerable road users:41.376%Safety assist:14.188%
Awards Best Luxury Sedan for 2019 – Ruedas ESPN (10/18) 2019 Car of the Year – MotorTrend (11/18) 10Best list – Car and Driver (11/18) Best Deluxe Car – Hispanic Motor Press (11/18) IIHS Top Safety Pick + (12/18) North American Car of the Year – Detroit Auto Show (01/19) 2019 Car of the Year – AutoGuide (01/19) Shift Award – 2019 Vehicle of the Year – Roadshow by CNET (01/19) Overall Best of 2019 – Cars.com (02/19) 2019 Driver's Choice – Best Luxury Car – MotorWeek (02/19) 2019 Sport Sedan of the Year – Esquire (03/19) 2019 Best New Car – Autotrader (04/19) 2019 Sedan of the Year – Popular Mechanics (04/19) 2019 Best New Car – Luxury Sedan – Good Housekeeping (04/19) 2019 10 Best Interior – Ward's Auto (05/19) 2019 Best Panoramic Sunroof Sedan – Southern Automotive Media Association's (05/19) 2019 Best Winter Sedan – New England Motor Press Association (05/19) 2020 Best New Family Car Award Winner – Luxury Sedan – Good Housekeeping (04/20)
Sales Sales figures are compiled from different reporting systems and may not be directly comparable across markets. South Korean and global figures are reported on a wholesale basis, while some country-level figures are based on manufacturer-reported retail sales or terminal-sales data. +G70 YearSouth Korea United States Canada China Global 20174,345 4,389 201814,417 409 967 28,216 201916,975 11,901 1,119 28,181 20207,910 9,436 1,173 16,248 20217,429 10,718 1,160 19,937 20225,284 12,649 1,129 19,624 2023 3,932 13,246 1,019 21,023 2024 2,181 12,258 818161 15,96220251,77510,8635956013,036
+G70 SB YearSouth Korea United States Canada Global 2022803 9012023388 5712024180 301202590 143
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