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2019 Genesis G70 Should Be Your First Luxury Car, Consumer Reports Suggests

Can you imagine the BMW management board laughing at Hyundai when it decided to start the Genesis brand? Well, they're probably not laughing now, as the G70 could be the perfect alternative to the 3 Series.
2019 Genesis G70 Should Be Your First Luxury Car, Consumer Reports Suggests 1 photo
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The G70 is technically the third Genesis model, but it's the first to have bespoke styling. And as you can see, it's quite the looker. Sure, it doesn't have the badge, but we think it makes the Audi A4 look dull and the C-Class outdated. As for the 3 Series, well, that one is near the end of its life cycle anyway.

Consumer Reports' preliminary review of the G70 says that it's supposed to give you the premium car experience without the ridiculous price tag. They quickly note that the Genesis brand ranks "excellent" for owner satisfaction. So the chances are that you will be pleased if you buy this sedan instead of the more traditional German nameplates.

Powertrain-wise, the G70 doesn't get any better than with the 3.3T HTRAC with the Dynamic package. The twin-turbocharged V6 is shared with the Kia Stinger GT, churning out 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet. But in previous drag races, we saw that the lighter Genesis is way quicker. Base models, meanwhile, use the 2.0-liter turbo, which has a U.S. power rating of 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque to offer.

So how expensive is this car? Well, we don't know but expect the G70 to start in the mid-$30,000 range for a base RWD model. Considering that, the interior seems unreasonably plush, thanks to real leather with quality stitching.

We also spotted the optional 15-speaker Lexicon audio system with distinctive speaker grilles on the door panels. Perhaps the only noticeable kink in the armor is the infotainment system that's shared with other Kia and Hyundai models. But we appreciate the volume and tuning knobs on the center stack, as well as the conventional climate control system. And the Android Auto that you can't even buy in a BMW is standard here.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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