Genesis

G70 Shooting Brake

The Genesis G70 Shooting Brake is a classy five-door vehicle that has been designed specifically for the European market. With competitive pricing, dynamic styling, a wealth of on-board tech and great performance, it’s certainly one to watch.

The good

Looks, performance, on-board tech and price

The bad

Difficult time to be launching a new brand

Tech Specs

Price from

£35,250

Combined Fuel up to

41.8mpg

0-62 from

6.9 seconds

max speed up to

146mph

co2 from

177g/km

Test Drive

Genesis G70 Shooting Brake – First Drive (2021)

It’s been an incredibly busy year for newcomer Genesis in the UK with launch after launch of new models, but the Korean car maker has definitely saved the best for last.

That’s because the G70 Shooting Brake is the fifth Genesis model to be presented in the UK this year, but most importantly, it’s the first car that has been developed specifically for Europe with European roads in mind.

Like its siblings, it is a head turner with dynamic styling and with the likes of the BMW 3 Series in its sights, this Genesis is very competitively priced.

Buyers can choose from a choice of petrol or diesel engines and there are three trim levels to choose from called Premium Line, Luxury Line and Sport Line.

The five-door G70 Shooting Brake looks stylish from any approach with its long bonnet, a G-matrix crest grille, low air intakes for aggressive styling, a floating rear spoiler, wraparound tailgate glass, quad lamps, the GENESIS lettering on the tailgate and striking alloy wheels.

Moving inside there is a strong emphasis on luxury, comfort and elegance with a wealth of on-board technology to explore. The cabin has a minimalist, clutter-free feel, but there are physical buttons for the climate control. There is nothing worse than having to navigate drop-down menus just to adjust the temperature.

Everything is very driver-focused with a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, a 15-speaker Lexicon premium sound system, 3D instrument cluster, full sat nav, smartphone connectivity, real time traffic information and voice recognition.

The seats and steering wheel are power-operated and they can be heated to fend off the winter blues. It would be fair to say the cabin has a certain sophistication about it that is only experienced in the high-end premium sector, yet Genesis has achieved this without the high-end premium price-tag.

Prices for the 2.0-litre petrol models start from £35,250 and rise to £41,880 while the 2.2-litre diesel versions range from £37,600 to £41,430.

We had the opportunity to test out two models on beautiful coastal and hill-climbing routes in Portugal and both cars had their own individual appeal.

First up was the GV70 Shooting Brake 2.0 turbo-petrol version with all-wheel drive in Luxury Line specification. It’s worth noting that all UK cars will be rear-wheel drive only. This car cost £40,700 and can sprint from 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds, has a top speed of 146mph and can deliver a combined 30.2mpg with carbon emissions from 212g/km.

This was followed by the 2.2-litre diesel model in SportLine specification costing £41,430. This car has a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds, top speed of 140mph and achieves a combined 41.8mpg with CO2 emissions from 177g/km.

Both cars handled beautifully and delivered exceptional ride comfort with European-specific suspension tuning. The grip into tight bends was ultra-assured meaning sweeping curves could be attacked with confidence. The steering feels nicely weighted with lots of feedback and the acceleration through the eight-speed automatic gearbox is both smooth and constant with steering wheel-mounted paddles for added driver engagement.

Power levels could be a little sharper at times, but that was only on stronger hill climbs when searching for a burst of pace to overtake slower moving vehicles. That minor gripe aside, both cars were a pure delight to drive and I walked away unsure which was my favourite.

Drive modes called Eco, Comfort and Sport alter the reactions of the vehicle with Sport sharpening up the gear changes, acceleration, steering and brakes. The 3D instrument display also changes as you switch through these modes and the side bolsters on the seats hug you in Sport mode for extra support.

There is also a Sport+ mode to offer even more dynamism than Sport. This is exclusive to the petrol models and features a launch control function as standard.

This is a car that cruises on motorways with ease and likes to show off its more aggressive characteristics on switchback country lanes. Then when a more composed attitude is called for, simply select Comfort and everything gets calmer and more grown up again.

There is ample room in the back of the G70 Shooting Brake for two adults to sit comfortably or three if they don’t mind rubbing shoulders, and despite the tapering roofline, the head room is also good.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, can swallow 465 litres of luggage, which is a 40 per cent increase compared to the G70 saloon. Drop the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats and that limit increases to 1,535 litres and there are lots of convenient storage compartments scattered throughout the car.

Another very big plus point that Genesis brings to the mix is safety technology. The cars are packed with driver assist systems to protect occupants, other road users and help prevent collisions happening in the first place.

Features on the G70 Shooting Brake, depending on trim level, include the likes of lane keep assist, forward collision avoidance, intelligent speed limit assist, highway drive assist and smart cruise control, high beam assist, a centre airbag to protect front seat occupants in the event of a side-on collision, Brembo premium brakes and even a rear occupant alert so you don’t forget pets or children when leaving the car.

The company has a unique selling procedure too. As Andrew Pilkington, MD of Genesis Motor UK, explained: “The greatest luxury in anybody’s life is time. That’s why we have a different approach and we come to you.”

That means you have your own personal assistant that will deliver the car for a test drive, offer guidance through the buying process, drop off a courtesy car when services are needed and be there for all questions throughout. This will be instead of showrooms.

With an eye on the future and sustainability, Genesis has announced that from 2025 all new models will be pure electric, by 2030 all models will be EVs and by 2035 it will be carbon neutral.

They are ambitious targets, but you get the feeling that when Genesis executives have a plan, they tend to deliver. Exciting times ahead.