Hyundai Genesis vs Genesis G70

Have you ever seen a sports or action movie in which the protagonist makes a first attempt at a goal early in the movie, fails, then embarks on a training montage, only to succeed in the end? The lesson is that sometimes the first attempt isn’t the best, but if the desire is there, it will eventually lead to victory—but only after addressing one’s shortcomings. That is the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.

In 2007, Hyundai brought a concept for the Genesis to the New York International Auto Show and stunned onlookers, not for the car’s design (though it was attractive), but because of the car’s stated goal: Hyundai was getting into the luxury game. The Korean bargain brand? Building a luxury car? The automaker was building highly competent products, but it still came as a shock.

Fast-forward to 2014, and the shock has worn off. The Genesis was joined by the Equus, an even higher-end product. But in this time, the Genesis started to feel dated compared to its more aggressively styled siblings. By 2014 the Genesis was feeling almost anonymous. And that all changed for the 2015 model year.

While the Germans have long dominated the sport-luxury sedan segment, they face mounting pressure from the Koreans. Case in point, Genesis has been on a tear lately, gaining market share and impressing critics and consumers alike with fresh aesthetics and excellent chassis design. The Hyundai luxury brand’s compact G70 is such an animal, coming on to the scene for the 2024 model year with only a few styling tweaks and a brand-new engine option

Verdict: A new, more powerful base engine arrives for this model year and, paired with the car’s excellent handling, great build quality, and impressive safety tech, makes even the least-expensive 2024 Genesis G70 a compelling choice. The G70 is a bit more snug than a BMW 3 Series–particularly in the trunk–but if you can live with a little less cargo space, it’s more than worth a look.