Wheels Australia – August 2019

SerieswonourcomparoinourApril

issuebutthefactremainsthat,for

broadlysimilarpricing,theBMWis

82kW and two cylinders light in the

engine department, and a couple of

years shy on warranty. In fact, the

Genesis is closer on power to an

M3 than a 330i. In terms of outright

performance, the G70 3.3T is

lineball with Merc’s bahn-storming

$125K C43 AMG.

inandoperateeventhemorecomplex

controlswithoutevenconsidering

recoursetothemanual.There’svery

littleneedtohuntandpeckaboutthe

minorcontrolstogetfamiliarised.

Firetheengineupandit settlesinto

a mutedthrum.The3.3TV6hasnever

beenthemostmusical,butit always

feelsasif it’sburstingwithenergy.

Thebiggestrevelationis theride/

handlingcompromise.Wherethe

Stingercouldgetitselftiedinknots,

sometimesfeelingasif thefrontand

thebackweretalkingtoeachother

viaGoogleTranslate,theG70feels

extremelywelltieddown.Front-end

gripis strong,theelectricallyassisted

steering is better than average, and the

stability control seems better calibrated

than in the Stinger, which can suffer

from a strange ‘strike-slip’ juddering at

the limit of grip.

By contrast, the way the G70 starts

ladling 510Nm at the rear boots is a

good deal more honeyed. The Brembo

stoppers are punchy but the eight-speed

transmission, developed in-house, can

leave you in too high a gear on corner

entry, even in Sport mode. Simply tap

on the tiny wheel-mounted paddles to

shift for yourself.

There’s some wind rustle around the

mirrors and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4

is a good tyre, but not the quietest set

of boots. The adaptive cruise control is

good but the lane-keep assist can feel

overly zealous if you wander too close

totheedgeofyourlane.

Packagingis aboutparforthecourse,

withacceptablerearlegroomandso-so

rearheadroom.Thequalityofdash

materialsis excellent,thecabinfree

from rattles and squeaks. The 330-litre

boot is conspicuous in a class where

BMW and Audi offer 480 litres.

Where the Genesis scores is in pure

ease of ownership, offering five-year

deals on warranty, free servicing,

roadside assist and map updates as well

as no-haggle pricing, valet courtesy

car delivery for scheduled servicing and

a home-delivery test-drive arrangement.

Those taking the plunge will be

rewarded with a sports sedan that looks

great, goes hard, rides and handles

beautifully and which delivers a level

of build integrity as good as anything

in its class. The tight boot could be the

sole potential deal breaker.

In short, it’s a class act. The Germans

have significant cause for concern.

ANDY ENRIGHT

The2.0Tissharperonthe

wayintocorners,butyou’ll

definitelywantthe3.3V6

onthewayout

The

Rival

Drives

44 whichcar.com.au/wheels

BMW 330i

$ 7 0, 900

The extravagantlytalented 3

Series won our comparo in our April