2026 Genesis G70 Review

As a millennial who never understood the appeal of ankle socks, I feel a sort of kinship with the 2026 Genesis G70.

This is a car that is now so old we’ve watched some of its characteristics become dated, but then circle back around to feel weirdly of-the-moment again. After years of screen overload, automakers are bringing back physical controls. Zero-emission vehicle targets and fuel economy standards are being reevaluated if not reversed. And the gas-only G70, a car that’s been sold in Canada fundamentally unchanged since 2018, buttons and all, now feels like an ideal of where cars like it seem to be heading back to. And if they’re anything like this one, sport sedans of the future should be pretty good.

Styling 8.5 / 10

The G70 has been around for almost a decade now, but a 2022 facelift gave it the two-line design that keeps it stylistically similar to this brand’s other, newer models. It’s still a handsome sedan, and the oval exhaust tips and shiny chicken wire grille make it look like a BMW 3 Series designed by Bentley. (You can’t even call it a copy, since the guy who designed the G70 used to be the design boss at none other than Bentley.)

Palatable grandeur extends into the cabin where, sure, it might not look as future forward as the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class or Audi A5, but it’s a decent space in isolation. The tan leather and suede in this  particular tester do a lot to make it feel special.

Safety 7 / 10

The Hyundai Motor Group’s assisted highway driving tech is usually very good at what it does (maintaining a gap with the car in front and keeping you in your lane). But the G70’s implementation feels like a version or two removed from the company’s latest and greatest, mostly because it is, as lane-keeping exhibited some ping ponging behaviour during this test.

This car is not an award-winner, per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It did well in the small front overlap crash test and has good headlights, but the llower child seat anchors are “too deep in the seats,” and difficult to work around, earning a Marginal rating in that area.

Features 8 / 10

The G70 may technically be an entry-level luxury car, but Genesis has blessed us by sidestepping the entry-luxury trope of locking all the best creature comforts behind a series of paywalls. Standard equipment includes heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats with memory settings, a sunroof that’s not full panoramic but seems to be slightly bigger than average, a heated steering wheel, a sufficiently large 10.25-inch touchscreen, a hands-free trunk, parking sensors, and Genesis logo puddle lights.

Add an extra $5,000 for this Prestige trim and you get quilted Nappa leather, a suede headliner, heated rear seats, a premium stereo that sounds pretty good, and an acoustic laminated windshield.

One aspect of the interface that’s firmly — and unfortunately — rooted in the past is the smartphone mirroring, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that are not only wired but also only work via a USB-A connection. That’s the big rectangular plug that only works if you have it with the correct side up, rather than the smaller, rounded, symmetrical one adopted by every new phone. Other than that, though, the G70 feels fully featured with all the stuff you want and not a lot of gimmicks.

User-Friendliness 10 / 10

Here’s the big ankle-sock moment, though: the Genesis G70 is hands down the easiest car in its segment to use. There are buttons and knobs everywhere that make sense. There’s a whole panel dedicated to climate controls that’s clearly been carefully placed so that it’s easy to reach while your hand rests on the gear selector. Oh, and that’s simply a gear selector, by the way — no tricks. I even love the drive mode dial that’s remarkably easy to use without looking.

And it’s not like Genesis went out of its way to make the G70 different from its touchscreen-crazy, capacitive-everything competitors. Rather, the G70 was conceived at a time when cabins like this were simply the default.

You know how people who go on social media detoxes and screen-fasts universally report better moods and more stable sleep? Getting into a G70 after, say, a current-generation C-Class is kind of like that. You forget how nice and simple cars used to be.

Practicality 7 / 10

Granted, a lot of cars of this ilk are consistently quite big inside now. In the G70, however, the back seats are tight. At 5-foot-8, my head hits the headliner if I sit up straight; there’s no way anyone over six feet tall will have enough legroom. Its 297-L trunk is also notably smaller than others in the class.

Comfort 9 / 10

The G70 may not be all that spacious, but it’s very comfortable for a sport sedan. Bumps are soaked up admirably without the entire ride feeling overly insulated or floaty. The seats are supportive, seat heating and ventilation feature three levels each, and steering wheel heating has two warmth settings. Don’t expect G90 levels of serenity, but you could ride in this car for hours and not feel beat up or tired.

Power 9 / 10

There’s a school of thought among auto media types that says right around 300 horsepower is the correct amount. It’s enough for a car to never really feel slow, but it’s also never enough to be a real hazard to your wallet, the environment, or other motorists. Lo and behold, the base G70 with its turbocharged 2.5L four-cylinder makes exactly 300 hp, and it is indeed the correct amount.

Acceleration is sufficiently swift for both everyday and spirited driving, but it never feels excessive. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission are standard; the only real note about these is that in comfort or eco mode, the latter likes to keep the car in quite a high gear. It’s good for fuel economy, but it almost feels like it’s lugging. Sport mode solves this problem.

Of course, pay an extra $6,000 and you can get a G70 Sport that’s powered by a twin-turbo V6 making 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. It also features a sportier suspension with electronic dampers, a limited-slip differential, stickier tires, variable exhaust, a head-up display, and seat bolsters that can move and tighten. If you’ve got the cash and want the full G70 experience, go for the Sport, although it’s far from necessary.

Driving Feel 9 / 10

The G70 2.5T is also decidedly correct when it comes to driving feel. A solid handler around town and stable on the highway, the steering and chassis both behave in quintessential luxury sport sedan form. Direction changes feel organic and entertaining. It’s not overly stoic and grippy like a BMW, nor does it take five business days to find a rhythm like the competing Acura. It’s quick on its feet, easy to get to grips with, and simply and immediately fun to drive.

Standard Brembo brakes are capable, but the pedal feel leans to the cushy side and could stand to be a little more direct. Drive mode programming and selection in a car like this can often be a game of distractedly parsing through menus only to activate barely discernible differences, but not in the G70. The knob acts like a volume dial for the car’s intensity, and sport mode’s increased throttle sensitivity and held gears really do make this car come alive. Comfort and sport+, for example, almost make it feel like you’re driving two different cars.

Fuel Economy 8 / 10

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has rated the 2.5L Genesis G70 for 11.7 L/100 km in the city, 8.4 on the highway, and 10.2 combined. Over more than 500 km of mixed driving, this test finished at an observed 10.6 L/100 km, which isn’t too bad considering this car’s performance, weight, and lack of electric propulsion. For reference, the more powerful V6 is rated for 12.7 L/100 km combined. Per Genesis Canada’s website, premium fuel is recommended but not required.

Value 7.5 / 10

The 2026 G70 is priced at $56,000 for the base Advanced 2.5T, but the Prestige trim goes for $61,000. Add $500 for Tasman Blue paint, $100 for A/C tax, and this car’s as-tested price comes out to $61,600. The fancier, faster 3.3T Sport, by the way, goes for $67,000.

For comparison, the less powerful BMW 330i starts at about $63,000, while the higher-performance M340i approaches $80,000. The new Audi A5 can be had for about $60,000, but that’s for a less feature-rich base model; a more comparable Progressiv or Technik will exceed $65,000, while the 362-hp S5 starts at $73,000. Stacked up against its main competitors, the G70 may not be the quickest or the newest, but it’s a bit less expensive, which surely helps its case.

The Verdict

If you want a sporty luxury sedan to enjoy for yourself rather than compare against those of your friends, the 2026 Genesis G70 remains an excellent choice. It’s stylish, smartly featured, dead easy to get along with, comfy, great to drive, OK on gas, and OK on price. Its biggest theoretical demerit would definitely be its age, but in practice, that’s arguably its biggest charm.

For example, if you stick with the four-cylinder model, half of the G70’s gauge cluster is still analog. There’s an eight-inch LCD screen on the right, but the speedometer and fuel gauge on the left are physical needles that spin and sweep in three-dimensional space. A few years ago, this would’ve come off as dated and basic. Nowadays, when absolutely everybody else does absolutely everything on a screen, it’s quaint.

The G70 is a car that refused to chase trends long enough for them to circle back around toward it. This is a car that’s never put touch controls on its steering wheel, never even heard of the phrase “mild hybrid,” and never thought ankle socks were cool. It’s pre-pandemic, pre-AI, pre-shrinkflation luxury. It’s a time capsule back to the last time a modern car didn’t feel exhausting, and there might not be another new model on the market with a party trick better than that.