2020 Genesis G70 vs Kia Stinger

What's the difference?

Prising rusted on premium brand devotees away from their preferred marque is a tough task, but Hyundai’s commitment to Genesis is substantial and long term. And rather than bowling up with a timid ‘first attempt’ at cracking the small to medium luxury sedan segment, Genesis has given it a red hot go. The G70 2.0T Sport is competitive in terms of value, dynamics, quality, safety, and the ownership package is amazing. The Sport is a fun drive, but while the powertrain is finely tuned, it misses the mark on fuel efficiency, and practicality is not a strong suit. Has it done enough to leap ahead of the field? No, but it’s an excellent package that can confidently mix it with the best of them.   

While the jury may be out on the Stinger’s looks, there’s no denying it’s great to drive thanks to a bit of engineering magic. And as far as rear-wheel drive sedans in the mainstream market go, it’s a historic effort, no matter how unloved it’s been so far in its short life.

That said, the GT-Line is expensive for what it is, so we’d forgo its turbo four-cylinder engine for the twin-turbo V6 in the GT. Sure, doing so would require an extra $4500, but it would be well worth the spend for the extra performance. Trust us…

The Genesis G70 is a product of the Hyundai·Genesis Design Centre in Namyang, South Korea, until recently (April, 2020) led by Belgian design guru, Luc Donckerwolke.

With time at Peugeot, VW Group (Audi, Skoda, Lamborghini, Seat, and Bentley), and moving to Hyundai and Genesis in 2015, Donckerwolke pushed his team in a distinctly European direction with this car.

Always a subjective call, but I see elements of BMW 3 Series around the front flanks and hints of Mercedes-Benz C-Class at the rear, in a contemporary, neatly proportioned, and relatively conservative look.

A dark chrome mesh grille lifts the raciness factor on this Sport model, with the same finish applied to all the bright metal surfaces and trim elements around the car.

Huge gills either side of the nose form part of an ‘air curtain’ system that reduces turbulence over the front wheels, with lower diffuser vents further smoothing aero performance by venting air trapped behind the rear bumper. The drag coefficient (Cd) is a super slippery 0.29.

Black, 19-inch, five-spoke alloy rims enhance the air of intent, with strong character lines along the car's sides enhancing the G70’s lithe stance. The car thickens appreciably toward the rear, with chunky haunches drawn into a sharply tapering roof profile (in plan and side elevation views), and a cheeky kicked up spoiler on the boot lid.  

Our test car’s vibrant ‘Mallorca Blue’ metallic paint finish is the result of a new method which Genesis says, “separates small, evenly distributed aluminium particles and high luminosity colours, maximising brilliance.” It works. 

Inside, quality is the overriding impression, with materials and attention to detail more than matching class standards.

Carefully sculpted leather sports front seats feature white contrast stitching and piping on their faces, as well as a sporty ribbed treatment on the centre panels.

A multi-level dash treatment accentuates the car's width, with a broad centre stack flowing seamlessly into a simple console between the seats.

Real alloy pieces, including the door handles and console trim elements lift the premium feel, and twin tube-style instrument binnacle, with a sleek 7.0-inch digital display between the main dials a nice touch.

According to Genesis, the centre stack, including the 8.0-inch media touchscreen and climate control system, are oriented by 6.2 degrees (not 6.1, or 6.3) towards the driver.

Only glitch is that central media screen, which stands out, but not necessarily in a good way. Perfectly fine from a functional point-of-view, it sits proud of the dash and looks like a design afterthought.

Genesis isn’t alone in taking what is surely an easier and more cost-effective path here (Mazda, I’m looking at you) but it does upset the balance of an otherwise expertly composed interior layout.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to this beholder's eyes, the Stinger looks rather awkward.

Full credit to Kia for producing an eye-catching design, but unfortunately it is of the polarising variety.

On one side, there are people shocked that a Kia could look so stylish. And on the other side of the fence you have people like us, who think the Stinger tries a little too hard.

But that’s not to say we hate how it looks, because after all, hate is a strong word and the Stinger does have some redeeming design qualities.

For example, if you take the chunky LED headlights out of the front-end equation, you’re left with one angry face. We especially like the bonnet vents, fake or not.

Move to the side, however, and things really start to fall apart. The GT-Line’s 19-inch alloy wheels look the business, and so does the fastback-style roofline, but front fender the air vents distract, especially with the door creases that lead into them.

That said, our biggest bugbears are the upper-rear reflectors, which start at the Maserati-style LED tail-lights and wrap around the haunches. As far as we’re concerned, they look plain silly, especially when viewed from the side.

The rear end is the most resolved part of the Stinger’s exterior. Sleek and chunky mix together well, with the blacked-out rear diffuser and quad exhaust tailpipes obvious highlights.

Inside, Kia has maintained the design effort, except this time the results are overwhelmingly positive.

The materials used are predominately lovely. Soft-touch plastics for the dashboard and door shoulders, while leather upholstery adorns the steering wheel, seats and armrests.

Thankfully, gloss-black is only used for the dual-zone climate control and side air vent surrounds, with aluminium accents in support. A thoughtful selection, which is nice to see.

The overall look is suitably sporty, with the flat-bottom steering wheel (with paddle-shifters), alloy pedals, turbine-style air vents and intricate speaker grilles all great touches.

You even get a traditional tachometer and speedometer, which are increasingly rare. That said, there is a large multi-function display in between them and a windshield-projected head-up display above, so it’s still a tech fest.

And the dashboard is punctuated by a floating 8.0-inch touchscreen, which is surrounded by unfortunately large bezels. The multimedia system powering it does the job, though, so it’s not all bad news.

At close to 4.7m long, over 1.8m wide, and exactly 1.4m tall, the G70 is in the same dimensional ballpark as its key compact luxury competitors. But within that footprint a 2835mm wheelbase is generous, so you’d expect a roomy cabin.

And up front, access is easy, there’s plenty of space, and storage is well thought through, with a pair of jumbo size cupholders in the centre console, sitting just in front of a large lidded bin (doubling as an armrest) between the seats. The glove box is a good size (and includes a pen holder), and there are large door bins with room for bottles.

Connectivity/power options run to a cluster of 12V (180W) power, ‘aux-in’ jack and a USB-A input next to the ‘Qi’ wireless charging pad in a lidded compartment under the main heating and ventilation controls. There’a also a USB-A charge socket in the centre bin.

But things get cosier in the back. Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm (6.0ft) position, legroom is okay, but my head hits the roofliner and toe room is tight.

Shoulder room is passable for adults on a short journey, but the centre seat is definitely the short straw position. If rear space is a priority, you're better off in the G80.  

The fold down centre armrest houses two cupholders, there are netted pockets on the front seatbacks and small door bins. Big tick for adjustable air vents, and an additional USB-A outlet.  

Boot space isn’t great, with just 330 litres (VDA) available, though the 60/40 split-folding rear seat liberates more space when required. There are tie-down hooks, and the hands-free ‘smart boot’ is handy (or not?), though.

Towing capacity is 1200kg for a braked trailer (750kg unbraked), and the spare is an alloy space-saver.

It pays to look good. In this case, ‘good’ is a relative term, but the Stinger still pays a price to look the way it does.

Indeed, the Stinger isn’t exactly practical, with most of the pain felt in the second row, where space is at a premium.

Behind my 184cm driving position, about eight centimetres of knee room is on offer, which is good. What isn’t is head and toe room, which are basically non-existent.

There’s also a large transmission tunnel to contend with, eating into precious footwell space and making three adults sitting abreast in comfort impossible.

But that’s if you make it into the second row in the first place, because the rear door aperture is puzzlingly small. Be prepared to contort your body to get in and out.

Then there’s the boot, which is accessed via a hatch. Given its fastback-style roofline, the Stinger's teardrop shape isn't cargo-friendly.

All in all, 406L of cargo capacity is available with the 60/40 split-fold rear seat upright. Drop it and this figure increases to 1114L.

Neither are large numbers for a car measuring 4830mm long, 1870mm wide, and 1400mm tall.

Front occupants are treated to a pair of cupholders in the centre console as well as door bins large enough to accommodate regular bottles.

Those in the rear get two cupholders in the fold-down armrest plus room for small bottles in the door bins.

Storage options also include a decent glove box and central storage bin, the latter including a removable tray and narrow cut-out for knick-knacks.

Connectivity-wise, there’s a USB-A port, a 12-volt power outlet and an auxiliary input in the centre console, while the former two are found again in the rear, below the central air vents.

The GT-Line is priced from $56,290, plus on-road costs, which is expensive for a mainstream sedan with this level of performance, but more on that in the next section.

Buyers are compensated with a long list of standard equipment, which includes a space-saver spare wheel, dusk-sensing lights, LED daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding side mirrors with heating, keyless entry, and a power-operated sunroof.

Other features on the list are, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, digital radio, a 15-speaker sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, a wireless smartphone charger, keyless start, power-adjustable front sports seats (with heating and cooling), a heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and a suede roofliner.

Options include no-cost red leather upholstery (as fitted here) and eight paint colours (six free), including our test car's 'Snow White Pearl.' The two extra-cost hues command a $695 premium.

Following the Holden Commodore's recent retirement, this Stinger has one direct rival left, the punchier Skoda Superb 206TSI Sportline sedan ($56,790).

Competitors from the segment below include the Mazda6 Atenza sedan ($49,890) and Peugeot 508 GT Fastback ($53,990).

The G70’s ‘Theta-II’ four-cylinder petrol engine is an all-alloy, 2.0-litre unit featuring direct injection, ‘D-CVVT’ variable valve timing (intake and inlet side), and a single, twin-scroll turbo.

It also incorporates a ‘Variable intake-Charge Motion’ VCM system to enhance the tumble of air flows inside the cylinder, with the aim of improving low- and mid-range torque as well as combustion and fuel efficiency. 

It produces 179kW at 6200rpm and 353Nm from 1400-4000rpm, with drive going to the rear wheels via an eight-speed electronic ‘shift-by-wire’ automatic transmission and (mechanical) limited-slip differential.

The GT-Line is motivated by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine punching out a reasonable 182kW at 6200rpm, and 353Nm from 1400-4000rpm.

Drive is exclusively sent to the rear wheels, while an eight-speed (torque-converter) automatic transmission is responsible for swapping gears.

With launch control on-board, the GT-Line can sprint from 0-100km/h in a hot hatch-like six seconds flat.

Of course, if you want more punch and an ever so slightly higher standard spec, you’ll have to fork out an extra $4500 for the GT and its 272kW/510Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol unit.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 8.7 litres/100km, the G70 emitting 205g/km of CO2 in the process.

In our week with the car, over a combination of city, suburban and freeway conditions (including some enthusiastic B-road running) we recorded an average of 11.8L/100km, which, despite some brief but enthusiastic backroad runs, is less than stellar. 

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded, and you’ll need 60 litres of it to fill the tank.

Kia claims the GT-Line consumes 8.8 litres of 91RON petrol per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle test (ADR 81/02).

In our real-world testing, we averaged around 12L/100km across an even mix of city and highway driving, which is okay given the inclusion of several 'spirited' blasts.

For reference, claimed carbon dioxide emissions are 201 grams per kilometre on the same standard assessment.

Slip ‘Sport’ into a car’s title and you’re clearly setting an expectation that the drive will be engaging and enjoyable, and this G70 delivers.

But, hold on. We’re not talking super-sedan, mega-performance. Rather, tweaks to the G70 2.0T Sport’s suspension, the willingness of its turbo four-cylinder engine, and slick-shifting nature of its eight-speed auto transmission give it a satisfying, sporting edge, without going OTT.

For example, using the launch control function delivers a 5.9-second 0-100km/h sprint, which is not hanging around, but 1.5sec (and about $100K) off the ballistic pace of the Merc-AMG C 63 S sedan.

Peak torque of 353Nm is solid, and that maximum number is available from just 1400rpm all the way to 4000rpm. So mid-range performance is punchy when you want it, but the single, twin-scroll turbo does a great job of smoothing out power delivery in a less aggressive mode.

And the accompanying soundtrack is suitably gruff, but some will be disappointed to learn the G70’s ‘Active Sound Design’ system is building on the actual engine induction and exhaust noise with synthesised sound from the audio system. Boo, hiss...

The ‘shift-by-wire’ eight-speed auto swaps ratios quickly, yet smoothly, particularly in manual mode using the wheel-mounted shift paddles. Rev-matching on downshifts is a smile-inducing extra. 

Suspension is by MacPherson struts at the front, with a five-link set-up at the rear, and the G70 benefits from local chassis tuning, including suspension settings and steering calibration, developed over thousands of kilometres across multiple surfaces in the city, country, and everything in between.

The Sport version brings high-performance dampers into the mix, as well as 19-inch alloy rims shod with grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber (225/40 fr - 255/35 rr), but the ride handling balance is excellent.

Weighing in at just over 1.6 tonnes, the G70 2.0T Sport isn’t a heavyweight, but it’s not exactly a featherweight either, yet it feels well balanced and responsive on a quick B-road run. Under the heading of random niggles, the lane keep assist is quite aggressive, 

The electric rack and pinion steering points nicely, delivering a good connection with the front wheels. The leather-trimmed sports wheel itself feels great, too.  

Brakes are Brembo all the way with monobloc calipers (four-piston front, two-piston rear) sitting on big ventilated discs (350mm fr - 340mm rr). The pedal’s reassuringly progressive, the system consistently washing off speed without raising a sweat.

Knowing the quality of the G70’s competition, Genesis says it set minimising noise, vibration and harshness as a high priority, and despite its firmer dampers and low-profile tyres, the G70 remains quiet and comfortable, with only sharp city bumps and dips upsetting its composure (but never to an alarming degree).

The carefully sculpted driver’s seat feels firm initially, but locates you well and remains comfy on longer trips. All the controls are beautifully laid out, and the media interface is straight-forward and intuitive to use,

And once you’ve reached your destination, the ‘Genesis Connected Services’ smartphone app is ready to debrief you with a range of data available, including driving analysis (driving habits, scores), eco driving (fuel efficiency), safe driving (rapid acceleration/hard braking), driving history (trip distance, travel time), a vehicle health check (faults detected by type, time, date), as well as tyre pressure and battery status.

Does it surprise you to know that one of the key people behind the Stinger’s development, Albert Biermann, was previously the head of BMW’s M high-performance division?

Yep, Kia was very serious when it conceived the Stinger, and picked the perfect man to infuse it with sporting intent to match its name.

Indeed, the Stinger is a Kia that feels like a BMW to drive. It’s staggering at first because you just don’t expect such a high-quality feel.

Even with a four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, the Stinger is still a great drive.

The engine is surprisingly good fun. A thick wad of torque is served up from just above idle and holds throughout the mid-range. Push harder and maximum power is unleashed just prior to the redline, but it does feel less refined as you approach the top end.

That said, the resulting exhaust note is pretty decent. While lacking theatrical crackles and pops, it's bass-heavy and provides a friendly reminder that this is not just a visually enhanced Optima.

The automatic transmission does a reasonable job of tying things together, delivering smooth gear changes around town, where it prefers to keep engine speeds ticking barely above idle.

Stick the boot in and it will drop a gear or two, albeit in a leisurely fashion. If you’re driving with intent, though, switch from the 'Normal' drive mode to 'Sport', which makes the throttle response and shift points more aggressive.

And don’t forget the paddle-shifters, there for when your patience wears thin!

Tuned for local conditions, the independent suspension set-up consists of MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear axles with adaptive dampers.

The resulting ride is really, really good. Like the rest of the Stinger, it feels super solid, but it’s also smooth, dealing well with poorer road surfaces.

The solidity does give it a firm tinge, but not an uncomfortable one. And this firmness can be dialled up by putting the adaptive dampers into their sportiest setting, which is basically a pointless exercise given the Stinger’s handling prowess.

Case in point, body control is strong when pushing hard around a corner, where the Stinger comes into its own thanks to its long wheelbase (2905mm) and rear-wheel drive set-up.

Upon corner entry, the Brembo brakes (350mm ventilated discs with four-piston calipers up front, and 340mm solid rotors with two-piston stoppers at the rear) do a great job of washing away speed before the Stinger turns in sharply.

Mid-corner, the limited-slip differential springs to life, helping to put power down when getting on the accelerator nice and early, at which point you can really start to feel the rear wheels drive you out of the bend.

Thankfully, the electric power steering is just as good. Like the suspension, it is tuned locally, and done so beautifully. Yep, even the road feel is pretty good!

Kia nailed the weighting in the Normal drive mode. Switch across to Sport, however, and the artificial heft becomes a little too much in hand – a classic BMW trait.

This system’s variable ratio is appreciated at low speed, especially in tight spaces, such as car parks. And it’s also a winner at high speed, providing additional stability, particularly on low-quality roads.

ANCAP awarded the Stinger range a maximum five-star safety rating in 2017.

The GT-Line’s comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assist systems extends to autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, high-beam assist, driver attention alert, hill-start assist, tyre pressure monitoring, a surround-view cameras and front and rear parking sensors.

Other safety equipment includes seven airbags (dual front, side and curtain, plus driver’s knee), electronic stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes (ABS), brake assist, and electronic brake force distribution (EBD), among others.

Indeed, there’s not much missing here. Bravo, Kia.

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and Genesis isn’t leaving a single stone unturned in its after-sales pitch.

It’s not easy to prise owners away from established premium brands, and this ownership package is hard to top. 

All G70s come with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is on the pace for the segment, but that’s just the beginning.

Now add five-year/50,000 kilometre complimentary scheduled servicing (including  ‘Genesis To You’ pick-up and delivery) with a complimentary courtesy car (service intervals are 12 months/10,000km, by the way), five year 24/7 roadside assist, and a five-year subscription to ‘Genesis Connected Services.’

On top of that, you’ll score a sat nav plan, where five years’ worth of map updates is complimentary, rising to up to 10 years, provided the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Genesis ‘studio’ outlet.

And you receive a two year complimentary subscription to the ‘Genesis Lifestyle program’, including benefits like a ‘Lifestyle Concierge’ and ‘Global Privileges’, which includes travel and medical assistance.

Even before you’ve bought the car the brand offers a test-drive home-delivery service. Then, when you decide to go ahead an online build and order process goes hand-in-hand with ‘haggle-free, fixed pricing.’ and after you’ve signed on the dotted line there’s a hand over delivery service. Wow! 

The Stinger comes with Kia’s industry-leading seven-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, and its service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. The latter falls short of the industry standard (15,000km).

A seven-year/70,000km capped-price servicing plan is available for the GT-Line, costing $3528 (an average of $504 per visit) at the time of writing.

While only one year of roadside assistance is offered as standard, this term can be extended up to eight years if the Stinger keeps coming in for its annual scheduled services at an authorised Kia dealership.