Here’s How Hyundai’s New Genesis G70 Sports Sedan Will Compete

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Andrew T. Maness 

 

                               

                                         

If you’ve been paying attention, you already know that Hyundai plans to offer a rear-wheel drive sports sedan via their luxury sub-brand, Genesis. When next week rolls around, we’ll all get an idea of what to expect in terms of design language when Hyundai shows off the G70, or what they’re calling the “New York Concept.”

 

Maybe because the interior smells like a landfill on a hot summer day, or maybe because they’re showing the car at the New York International Auto Show, we just can’t know for sure.

 

The majority of the automotive media will say this is their ‘BMW 3 Series fighter,’ but it’ll likely be better matched against the Lexus IS, and Mercedes C-Class, not to mention the excellent Jaguar XE that’s about to drop. When the F30 3 series launched in 2012, it wasn’t favorably reviewed, and no sooner than when first negative words escaped from a journalist’s mouth half full of free shrimp, did the competition pounce on poor ‘ol Bimmer.

Cadillac struck hard and true with the ATS, Lexus whiffed, and Mercedes turned their nose up at the very idea that the C-Class needs to trifle with a simple machine like the 3 Series. Of course BMW came back strong, made some tweaks to the F30, and now in 2016 it’s as good as it ever was.

 

Either way, if Hyundai wants this new Genesis model to truly compete with the 3 series, they’re going to have to make massive strides in the power to weight ratio, and handling departments. Those things are the foundation of the legend of the 3 series, and what has kept it atop the four door sports sedan segment all these years.

The previous generation Genesis, and Equus sedans are excellent vehicles, and make for attractive alternatives to the significantly more expensive German hardware they’re styled after. However, those vehicles are in a class where handling prowess isn’t of paramount concern to the average buyer. If Hyundai wants their sports sedan to truly be competitive with the 3’er, they’re going to have to dial in a chassis like never before.