Wagons don’t often come across our garage nowadays. But there is one brand who is not giving up on them; the South Korean premium car manufacturer, Genesis. It offers the G70 mid-size sedan in what it prefers to call a ‘Shooting Brake’ – much more sophisticated than the common station wagon name.
We wouldn’t be surprised if you have not seen one on the road. In 2023, just 37 G70 sedans and wagons traded hands on the new car market, according to VFACTS. And up to the end of May 2024, only 19 have passed through Genesis showroom doors.
We’re testing the lone variant ‘Sport Line’ Shooting Brake in the 2024 G70 lineup to see how Genesis morphs a sleek design with practicality.
2024 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Specifications
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Output: 179kW@6200rpm / 353Nm@1450-3500rpm
Gearbox: Eight-speed auto
Drive type: Rear-wheel drive
Wheels: F: 19×8.0, 225/40 R: 19×8.5, 255/35
ANCAP: Not testedTare weight: 1660kg
Power-to-weight: 9.27:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 9.1L/100km
Our consumption: 9.3L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 60L/95 RON
Power efficiency: 19.67kW:L/100km
0-100km/h (claimed): 6.4 seconds
Starting price: $81,000
*Figures based on . Manufacturers’ claims may be different
2024 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: How much does it cost?
With its asking price of $81,000 (excluding on-road costs), there is not a lot of competition for the G70 Shooting Brake. The most affordable Audi A4 Avant is more expensive as it starts at $85,700, and the BMW 330i Touring wagon retails from $98,900. The soon to be retired Volvo V60 Cross Country is the only cheaper competitor, priced from $74,990.
Genesis is a trendsetter when it comes to ongoing costs and after-sales service. It offers a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, 10 years of free roadside assistance, five years of complimentary services, a concierge ride from and to a place of your choosing for those services, and a complimentary courtesy vehicle. That’s quite an amazing package. Services are required every 12 months or 10,000km.
2024 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Interior & packaging
Genesis seems to know what it is doing when it comes to interiors. You can instantly see and feel the pristine quality and craftsmanship the moment you sit down. Quilted Nappa leather dominates your surroundings, with a choice of red, light grey or black available. It is matched by leather-wrapped door skins, steering wheel and centre console. Then you get the rich feel of suede headlining and pillars. It all contrasts beautifully with brushed aluminium trim highlights and alloy pedals.
That rich presentation is not just there to spoil your sense of sight and touch either. It is also a practical cabin to spend your time in. Items like an electronic tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and steering wheel, and a driver’s seat that adjusts in 16 different directions, all contribute to a supreme level of luxury. A high-rising centre console brings everything to arm’s length. But given it does not have the height or cabin headroom of an SUV, it is a tad more cumbersome to get in and out of. There are also no door bottle holders. Length and breadth-wise, space is adequate for a mid-sizer.
The added advantage – if your lifestyle requires it – is that the Shooting Brake adds volume and versatility to the cargo area. And it does this marvellously, without diminishing that beautiful design and sense of elegance. The boot volume increases from 330 litres to 465 litres compared with the G70 sedan.
Interior tech presents smartly, and only increases the G70’s level of sophistication further. You get a 10.25-inch centre touch-screen with sat-nav and over-the-air updates, a Lexicon 15-speaker sound system that sounds out of this world, Genesis Connected Services that allows you to connect to and control your G70 remotely (some aspects anyway), a wireless phone charger, a huge 3D 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that incorporates blind-spot views, and a dedicated 6.0-inch climate control touch panel.
But we also know it is no longer the latest the South Korean brand has to offer. There is no wireless Android Auto or wireless Apple CarPlay, and a conventional centre console gear shifter remains.
Other feature highlights for the G70 include multi-collision braking, forward collision avoidance assist with car, pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning assist, lane keeping and following assist, door safe exit warning, leading vehicle departure alert, 360-degree cameras, rear cross-traffic alert and avoidance assist, and a head-up display.
New for the MY24 models are Connected Car Services with over-the-air updates, intelligent speed limit assist, that 6-inch touch type climate control screen, an additional rear seat USB port to make two, and updated Genesis logos and badges.
The exterior design of the G70 Shooting Brake illustrates everything the Genesis brand is about; dynamic, sleek, and sophisticated. At the front, a prominent crest-shaped grille gives off strength, and striking quad lamps submit to the G70s athletic stance.
Smooth, aerodynamic contours flow from front to rear to induce the G70’s sleek posture. Then the front lamp theme is replicated at the rear with quad style taillamps. A long upper spoiler and a single rounded glass hatch window tops off the G70’s sporty nature.
2024 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Powertrain & handling
A single variant for the Shooting Brake also means a single powertrain. The 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 is reserved only for the sedan and other Genesis models. Here, you get a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine that harvests 179kW and 353Nm, solely for the rear wheels. It might sound small in size, but it can reach 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.4 seconds.
This amount of power and performance is certainly enjoyable. There is loads of torque peaking just above idle to help it pull away without feeling like it is stressed. But given the market the G70 competes in, power could be improved if it wants to be seen as the ultimate luxury sports machine. And we know head company, Hyundai, has higher-spec engines up its sleeves. For example, the Sonata N Line’s ‘Smartstream’ 2.5-litre turbo engine and wet-type eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. In fact, overseas, the G70 Shooting Brake is available with that 2.5L turbo.
This 2.0L unit is matched to an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox that feels smooth and refined through the ratios. It feels designed more to give calm and polished gear changes. A long first gear makes the engine take a while to climb through from take-off.
From a standstill, the traction control allows rear wheels to spin for a moment, in a controlled fashion. Then moving from ‘Eco’ mode to ‘Sport’ mode lets the fun and spin occur further. Or, if you goad it, ‘Sport+’ mode switches off the traction control altogether to allow more slip. This mode makes the car feel like a sports car, with high sensitivity on the throttle.
For a rather small four-pot engine, fuel consumption is not the greatest. The official average is 9.1L/100km, and ours was 9.3L/100km. It also needs the higher 95 RON petrol. But oddly, it can drink E10 blended fuel. And you don’t have to deal with any irritating engine start/stop features at the lights.
Turning to on-road dynamics, and Genesis has nailed it. If you have a car that looks as sleek as the Shooting Brake, you want the handling to match. In Sport and Sport+ modes, the G70 claws onto the tarmac and hangs onto corners with a stiff and athletic posture.
The sharp steering spearheads it directly and confidently on target. There is minimal slump helped by the low-to-the-ground position. Though, that 130mm ground clearance and long front and rear overhang (805mm and 1045mm, respectively) means that carpark wheel stoppers or gutter scraping is an easy mistake to make. Independent front and rear sports suspension, and a limited-slip diff also help the G70 pivot around corners.
One unforgivable complaint we have with the G70 is the same as that of other Genesis and Hyundai models. It is the nonstop speed limit alarm. Every time you exceed the speed limit that the car detects from road signs, it chimes at you.
You can turn it off deep in the settings menu, but it needs to be turned off each time the car is turned on. The frustrating part is, the speed limit the car thinks is current, is too often inaccurate. It picks up incorrect highway exit speed signs, misses the most recently passed speed signs, or uses speed limit signs picked up from slow carparks that you have long moved on from. We think the data source is only reliable enough to provide as a guide, not as an incessant alarm.
While we’re complaining, we also found the proximity door unlocking system to react too slowly at times. Timing is crucial, especially if it’s raining or you’re in a hurry. Though, there is a chance this test vehicle needed a new battery for the key fob.
2024 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Key attractions/reasons to buy
- A sleek, eye-catching mid-sizer that is unique: The Shooting Brake stands out from the crowd with its practical wagon configuration without losing any sense of elegance or sophistication.
- Interior is top-shelf luxury: Quilted Nappa leather is standard with three colours to pick from, suede roof lining, an electrically adjustable steering column, and huge screens are just some of the ways the G70 feels like an indulgence.
- Feature list is endless: Everything comes standard, including all the luxury trimmings, pushing it well above equivalent competitors for price and value.
- After sales service: We have not seen any other car manufacturer offer free servicing and after-sales perks quite like Genesis. Especially from a premium brand.
2024 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Key considerations before you buy
- High fuel consumption: For this size engine and its power output, fuel economy is quite high compared with other similar packages.
- Irritating speed warnings: They are inaccurate and need to be turned off again every time the engine is started.
- Unpopular: With just 19 sold in 5 months, you can’t help but wonder whether there is something systemically wrong with the G70 and whether it will be around for long.
- Connectivity: No wireless Android Auto or wireless Apple CarPlay.
How does it rate against its rivals?
- Price
- Quality look & feel
- Interior tech
- Powertrain performance
- Ride & handling
- X-factor (does it stand out in its class?)
Final word
The G70 Shooting Brake completes a luxury midsized wagon beautifully. That sleek and smooth design tells you exactly what it is about – performance, extravagance, and quietly practical. And the inside is as comfortable and indulging as they come. The level of luxury and care Genesis puts in is awe-inspiring. Genesis just needs to update the interior tech with wireless phone connectivity, do something about that speed limit reminder, and make it a tad more economical. Something they cannot fix is that is that the G70 is now part of a segment that drivers are no longer interested in.
