Genesis’ smallest sedan gets the quad-lamp “Athletic Elegance” look—and it might be the best iteration of the brand’s new design direction yet.
Genesis showed off the first images of the refreshed G70 sport sedan late Tuesday. It adopts the distinctive look of the family, completing the full transformation of the Genesis brand to its Athletic Elegance design language. And, if we can be so bold—at least based on these initial images—it’s the best version of the quad-lamp, diamond-grille look.
When we last spoke with the Genesis team, it was about the G80 and GV80, the first clean-sheet examples of Athletic Elegance. We were told the basic elements, like the afore-mentioned twin-line headlights and crest grille, would show up across the range, but their exact treatments would differ. That’s certainly the case with the G70. The crest grille sits lower for example, with the headlights positioned slightly higher than it. The surrounding body work is more organic, flowing without any hard creases between the elements. The headlights themselves aren’t simple parallelograms either; instead they curve and point at their corners. A more aggressive lower bumper, with enlarged air intakes, rounds out the facelift.
SEE ALSO: 2021 Genesis G80 Preview: Hands On With the Korean 5 Series Fighter
Things are more subtle around the sides and back. Genesis has left the G70’s flanks alone, save replacing the angular intake aft of the front wheels with a smaller item lower down on the body. Around back, bodywork bisects the rear lights too, though they keep roughly the same outer shape as before. The trunk shutline is now simpler. The G70 keeps its big-bore, oval exhaust pipes too, not the grille-aping outlets of its bigger brothers.
SEE ALSO: 2020 Genesis G70 Review
Genesis hasn’t fiddled with the interior much. Well, it has brought in a more colorful shade of leather, something we’ve seen in the 80-series vehicles. The G70’s new hide is a deep, reddish-purple, like a good bottle of syrah. The biggest design change is a larger, 10.25-inch infotainment screen, which the company says runs an “exclusive UI design supporting the latest over-the-air wireless updates.” Valet Mode and and Genesis’ CarPay system, an in-car payment app for the Korean domestic market, are also part of the update.
Genesis made no mention of what, if any, drivetrain improvements the updated G70 will see. Kia recently announced that the Stinger—a car with which the G70 shares a platform—would get a more powerful 2.5-liter turbo-four for 2022. The same engine will also feature in the G80 and GV80. The larger 3.5-liter might find its way under the G70’s hood too.
We’ll get a better idea of the engine lineup very soon: Genesis will launch the updated G70 in Korea next month. It should show up in North America early next year, badged as a 2022 model.
What do you think, is this a step forward or back for our reigning Car of the Year? Let us know in the comments.
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