Pros
Quick acceleration
Some first-rate upscale design touches
Lots of features and tech for the price
Excellent warranty coverage
Cons
Cramped back seat
Small trunk
Subpar fuel economy
What’s new
The G70 is unchanged for 2025
Part of the first G70 generation introduced for 2019
Overview
Written by automotive expert Mark Takahashi
8/27/2025
About a decade ago, South Korean carmaker Hyundai took a page from the Japanese manufacturer’s playbook and created its own luxury sub-brand: Genesis. It started with the G80 and G90 sedans, followed by the smaller G70 in 2019. The G70 made big waves at its debut, with its stirring performance, ample comfort, and a price that undercut the established German rivals by several thousand dollars.
Edmunds spotlight: Affordable doesn’t mean cheap
Take a look at the list of standard features below and you’ll see that it trails on like the opening crawl of a Star Wars movie. While there’s no perfect apples-to-apples comparison to the G70, the closest specification Mercedes-Benz C-Class will cost almost $10,000 more. That should already sway some shoppers toward Genesis, but none of that would matter if it wasn’t suitably refined or as luxurious. Thankfully, the G70 easily meets expectations for the class when it comes to interior materials, build quality and comfort. Sure, it lacks some German brand cachet, but you can’t argue with its bottom-line value in the entry-level luxury segment.
Competitors to consider
Among small luxury sedans, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series remain the best in the class. The Genesis G70 is a capable alternative with an attractive price tag that will save you a ton against similarly equipped German rivals. Still, it’s not quite as exciting to drive for those who value performance. Compared against its Japanese competitors, however, the G70 makes a compelling counterpoint. It’s more engaging to drive than the Lexus IS, its interior sports higher quality materials than what you’ll find in an Acura Integra, and it outclasses the Infiniti Q50 in almost every metric.
