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Feann Torr14 Apr 2017
NEWS

Genesis G70 faster, lighter than Kia Stinger GT

Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis to up the ante with rear-drive twin-turbo V6 scorcher this year

The long-awaited Genesis G70 will be on sale in Australia before the end of the year, and will be offered with a pair of turbocharged petrol engines – four-cylinder and V6.

Although pricing and specification is still not finalised, the all-new G70 will be based on a new rear-drive platform and will compete against vehicles such as the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

However it's expected to be more affordable than its German rivals, which start at around $55,000, in line with the larger Genesis sedan currently sold here, which will soon be rebadged G80.

Hyundai Australia says the G70 will be lighter and faster than the Kia Stinger GT too, a vehicle which dispatches the 0-100km/h dash in just 4.9 seconds.

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In its highest state of tune, the Korean-built rear-drive luxury sedan is expected to accelerate to 100km/h in around 4.7 seconds, thanks to its 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6, which should be good for at least 270kW and 510Nm – a similar output to the Kia Stinger GT.

"The Genesis G70 and [Kia] Stinger represent different design philosophies and positions in the market," Guido Schenken, Hyundai Australia's PR manager told motoring.com.au.

"The Stinger is a five door touring sedan with a hatch, while the G70 is a pure sports sedan.

"The G70 is shorter, narrower and lighter than Stinger as well as having a shorter wheelbase, hence it's reasonable to assume it'll offer better performance," he told motoring.com.au.

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Genesis' new sports sedan is tipped to be more agile than the Kia too, given its lighter weight, and with at least 270kW on tap, it could rival European stock such as the BMW 340i and Mercedes-AMG C 43.

The prospect of local suspension tuning for the Australian market could also be a boon for potential buyers looking for an engaging car to drive.

Spy photos of the new G70 sedan undergoing pre-production testing at the Nurburgring confirm the vehicle's sedan body style. The exterior design will also be heavily influenced by the Genesis New York concept which premiered in April 2016, although that car's quasi lift-back derriere appears to have been scotched.

Expect strong after sales support from Genesis via five-year warranties, and while it's not clear exactly when the G70 will arrive in Australia, it won't be an easy sell just because its packing a boosted V6.

The German prestige car trio of BMW, Audi and Mercedes have a vice-like grip on the market, and there's Lexus and Infiniti to consider as well.

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"The Genesis G70 will be on sale in Australia before the end of the year," said Schenken. "It will be available with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol or 3.3-litre V6 twin turbo.

"We're not in a position to discuss pricing or specification detail at this time, because we're still finalising these for the Australia market. We can only confirm the two powertrains."

Genesis has promised to have a six vehicle garage by 2020, including the upcoming G70, the G80 and G90 sedans, along with a pair of SUVs, expected to be the GV70 and GV80.

The final model will be a grand touring or GT coupe akin to the Lexus LC 500.

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