Driving report: Genesis G70 Shooting Brake
Europe Bridge
Genesis G70 Shooting Brake
© press-inform – the press office
With the G70 Shooting Brake, Genesis is primarily targeting the European market. The noble Koreans also offer sporty, elegant design, premium quality and lots of electronics.
With him, Hyundai’s premium brand Genesis wants to finally get a foothold in Europe’s car markets. The Koreans had previously sent four other models to Europe within a year. However, unlike its brothers, the elegant Genesis G70 Shooting Brake sports suit was largely developed and designed in Europe – in the European development center in Rüsselsheim. The most important tuning drives took place on German and European roads as well as on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring – always in comparison with the established competitors in its class. The 4.69-meter-long, 1.85-meter-wide and 1.40-meter-high Koreans are aimed primarily at customers who otherwise drive the station wagon versions of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.
The look of the station wagon coupé, which is based on the facelift model of the G70, is quite impressive. The front with the elongated bonnet and the short overhangs shows the brand-typical double LED strips of the headlights. The wide grill tapers towards the bottom. Up to the B-pillar, the Shooting Brake still largely corresponds to the sedan. From then on, the roof tilts dynamically towards the rear. The roof runs out over the flat tailgate in a large roof spoiler integrated into the lines. The two air inlets behind the front wheels should not only serve aesthetics, but also aerodynamics. Two sweeping shadow lines run between the wheelhouses. At the rear there are the characteristic quad lights up to the tailgate. The third brake light extends over the entire width of the roof spoiler. Genesis ‘Marketing christened the lines “Athletic Elegance”. Indeed, the G70 Shooting Brake does not only look sporty and elegant from the side.
On the inside, too, Genesis makes every effort to underline its premium standards: materials and colors with a noble look, first-class workmanship including red decorative stitching. The cockpit faces the driver and has two displays. The digital instruments behind the steering wheel are functional and informative. The background color of the display and the information displayed change depending on the selected driving mode. As a little gimmick, the images from two cameras in the exterior mirrors are displayed in the round instruments to the left and right of the kilometer display as soon as the indicator is activated. As usual, the touchscreen for vehicle settings, infotainment and navigation is located in the center of the cockpit. The navigation system is easy to use, but not necessarily the most reliable – during our test drives in Portugal it led astray a few times and never returned. Practical: there are “correct” buttons for the most important settings, for example the air conditioning.
Entry for taller contemporaries can be a little acrobatic – but once you get into your seat, you immediately feel comfortable and in good hands. Speaking of entry: in heavy rain, the curvature of the roof quickly ensures that water can run into the interior of the car when the door is open. There is plenty of space inside, including in the second row. The selector lever of the in-house developed 8-speed automatic is conveniently located on the wide center tunnel. And after the first few kilometers, you learned to appreciate the smoothly shifting transmission. It can also be shifted manually using the paddles on the steering wheel. The multifunction steering wheel sits comfortably in the hands, is just right in terms of effort and provides good contact with the road. Behind the wide-opening tailgate, the cargo space offers a decent 465 to 1,535 liters of storage space.
In addition to the assistance functions that are common in this class, the Genesis also offers a few not so common features. Example? If you use a valet service, you can use the valet mode to prevent personal data from appearing on the infotainment screen.
Genesis offers the Shooting Brake either with a longitudinally installed turbo four-cylinder diesel or gasoline engine, which can be combined with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. The diesel has a displacement of 2.2 liters and has an output of 200 hp / 147 kW and a maximum torque of 440 Nm. With a curb weight of 1.8 tons, that’s enough for an acceleration of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 225 km / h. Genesis states that the official consumption of diesel is 6.8 liters per 100 kilometers. In reality, you can safely put at least a liter on top. The gasoline engine with direct injection is available in two output levels with 195 hp / 145 kW and 245 hp / 180 kW. Both times the maximum torque is 353 Nm. The more powerful petrol engine can go from zero to 100 in 6.4 seconds and has a top speed of 235 km / h. For the rear-wheel drive petrol engines, the official consumption is 8.5 liters per 100 kilometers.
Neither engine does much on the road. Both move the sports suit ahead confidently and also ensure a good feeling of security when overtaking and when driving onto the autobahn. If you have the choice: The diesel is a little more direct in the throttle response. Both drives run quietly. Engine vibrations are hardly noticeable. The chassis is comfortable, sometimes a bit hard. Otherwise: precise around the bends, little body roll, hardly any steering corrections on long straights, handy brakes – fits. At the push of a button, you can choose between four driving modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport +) – but the changes to the steering, shock absorbers, shift characteristics or the characteristics of the accelerator pedal are rather subtle.
Genesis offers the G70 Shooting Brake in three model lines and with four additional equipment packages. The entry-level model is the 195 hp petrol engine, which with rear-wheel drive costs from 40,300 euros. The cheapest diesel, also with rear-wheel drive, costs from 42,700 euros. Anyone who wants all-wheel drive starts at around 50,000 euros. Fully or partially electric versions should not be available – at least for the time being.