@wheelsaustralia 43
GENESISG703.3T
SEOUL
DESTROYER
HAT WE have here
is a Kia Stinger
that’s smaller,
considerably more
expensive, comes
with a warranty
that’stwoyears shorter, and is from
ufacturer many will not have
of.Couched in those terms,
nesis G70 project is the most
ophic of non-starters.
numbers do indeed appear
y damning. The range-topping
StingerGTis, at $60K, more than $12K
cheaperthan the entry-level G70 3.3T.
Opt for the flagship Genesis and you’ll
be looking at a few notes off $80,000.
These are uncharted waters for a
Korean car, and tease at the edge of
Genesis’ nascent brand equity.
Like the Stinger, the G70 is offered
in 179kW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-
cylinder guise as well as the 272kW,
3.3-litre twin-turbo V6. The Stinger GT
is a car that feels great up to around
7/10ths, beyond which the dynamics
feel ragged and unresolved. To ‘fix’ the
Stinger it would need to be tauter, more
all-of-a-piece on a challenging road.
It would need to metaphorically
shrink around you. A better quality
interior wouldn’t go amiss either. You’ve
just described a Genesis G70.A slight surfeit of fresh air above
the tops of its tyres aside, there’s little
aesthetically to pick fault with in the
G70. There’s a fashionable amount of
rake to it and the rear guards are subtly
swollen. There’s real maturity in the
exterior treatment, with each design
element flowing gently and seamlessly
into another. Some could see hints
of Jaguar XE, while others thought
Alfa Giulia, but, in truth, the overall
execution is probably defter than either.
Drop inside and the good news
continues. The cabin is beautifully
finished. The G70 is offered in Sport,
Ultimate and Ultimate Sport trims.
The latter pair are priced identically at
$79,950, which is a serious ask. The key
difference is that the Sport makes do
with an e-diff whereas the pricier cars
get a proper mechanical LSD assisted
by dynamic torque vectoring. Brembo
brakes also give the Ultimate variants
better stopping power.
There are some details that grate,
such as the rather clunky infotainment
screen that juts atop the dash like in
a Hyundai i30 and features much the
same graphics. The overall dashboard
architecture also lacks an element of
drama or design flair, but the detailing
is extremely good. It’s the mark of a
well-designed cabin when you can jumpW
Effortless power; handsome
styling; strong fit and finish; great
after-sales packageTransmission could be quicker-witted;
infotainment looks basic; boot
space meagrePLUS MINUSthat st
amanu
heardo
theGen
catastro
Then
initially
Stinger