2019 Genesis G70 vs 2020

What's the difference?

The Genesis G70 has finally arrived in Australia, carrying the hopes and dreams of a broader Hyundai group desperate to crack the premium market on its shapely metal shoulders.

Now, first things first; just what the hell is a Genesis? Think of it as Hyundai's answer to Toyota and Lexus, with Genesis the Korean brand’s premium arm.

But you won't hear the “H” word mentioned often, with Genesis very keen to be viewed as a standalone brand, and the cars will be sold from special concept stores, rather than from Hyundai dealerships.

There will also be a bigger G80 on sale here, and the brand's true flagship is the G90 sedan, will eventually be offered in Australia, too. But this G70 is the best product the brand currently offers, and so any success Genesis finds in Australia will be largely down this car's popularity here.

We've talked about the brand's credentials before, but let’s cover them off quickly again. The brains behind the performance side of things come from the former head of BMW's M division, Albert Biermann. The looks? That's former Audi and Bentley designer Luc Donckerwolke. The Genesis brand itself? Headed-up by former Lamborghini heavyweight Manfred Fitzgerald. 

As far as car resumes go, few come stronger than that.  

Have I heaped enough pressure on it yet? Good. Then let's go see if it can live up to the hype. 

Just as Toyota, Nissan, and Honda (and nearly Mazda) did in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Hyundai created a luxury nameplate in the late noughties, knowing its mainstream brand wasn’t elastic enough to stretch up to the top shelf luxury level, occupied by well established players.

Initially paired with the Hyundai badge, Genesis launched globally as a stand-alone sub-brand in 2016, and the G70 compact sedan we’re looking at here, launched locally in mid-2019.

It sits next to the limo-length G80 in the current Australian line-up. A full-size GV80 SUV is coming soon, followed by the mega-primo G90 sedan, with a series of GT models likely to follow that.

So, how does the entry-point to South Korea’s first genuine tilt at the luxury market measure up?  Read on to find out.