Shooting star is out of this world
Luxurious new Genesis G70 has style, great gadgets and won’t Brake the bank
Electrification is coming but petrol and diesel cars will be available until 2030 – which gives motorists loads of time to try out the new Genesis G70 Shooting Brake.
This is the sister car to the GV80 and GV70 SUVs and the G80 and G70 saloons and, predictably, Genesis has left the best till last.
The new brand is the premium marque of Hyundai and already has outlets across the world. But this shooting brake has been developed specifically for the European market. Apparently we, l ike no one else, appreciate the merits of such a car.
And certainly this model has all the charm and elegance we associate with the shooting brake while bringing it right up into the 21st century.
The body, for example, is beautiful. It stretches out from the deep grille up across the sleek roof until it finishes in the most wonderful shape at the rear. This is not an estate car, it is more like the legendary rear-wheel drive grand coupes of motoring’s goldenn age.
Coming up behind onene on the motorway, I blinked twice before I realised here was the self- same car I was dr iving, w ith its dual exhaust pipes at each side of the low-slung body.
Mine was in Cavendish h Red but the one next to me e was in Bond Silver, a fantastic c matte colour that suits the e character and refinement of this car so well.
Interiors are just as careful ly appointed too. My Cavendish Red with its diesel engine (yes, 2.2-litre diesel) had Obsidian Black quilted leather seats stitched with red leather. The next day, when I drove the Bond Silver 2.0-litre petrol version, the interior was just as plush in creams and coffees.
Naturally, being the kind of car it is, there is an enormous boot – 465 litres rising to 1535 litres with the seats down.
I’d wager this car would even tempt
the diehards away from their electric vehicles but, even better, there will be electric versions of this car coming down the pipeline.
In the meantime, getting behind the wheel is just a piece of magic. Switch on the engine for the soundtrack of a car that just aches to be driven (and even the sound can be augmented).
There are four driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ for track days. The car switches easily between them and leaps forward at the merest touch of the throttle. The diesel delivers
boot 200PS 20 and will reach 60mph in 7.7 seconds, se with a top speed of 140mph. The normal 2.0-litre petrol delivers 197PS with a maximum speed of 135mph and takes 9.3 seconds to get to 60mph, while the higher-tuned petrol gives you 245PS with a top speed of 146mph and a 0- 60 figure of 6.4 seconds.
There is a 10.25in colour touchscreen, with the nav mirrored in what is an excellent Head Up Display. This is one of the best HUDs I have used – all the information is in front of you: where to go, when to turn and what the speed limitlim is. There is also the option of an upgraded Harman KardonKa sound system. And thithis car is packed full of driver aidaids and safety systems.
ThThe diesel will give you just oveover 40mpg with up to 182g/ km of CO2, while the lowerpowpowered petrol offers 32mpg with 193-203g/203km of CO2. Its highertuned sister offers roughly the same mileage but lower emissions.
There are three trim levels: Premium, Luxury and Sport Line, all with the Genesis warranty of five years and unlimited mileage.
The best bit by far, though, is the price. This luxurious car starts at £ 35,250 for the entry-level petrol and goes up to £ 41,880 for the top-of-the-range petrol in Sport Line, with the diesel somewhere in between. I had heard a whisper that the G70 was something special but this car is so much more than that.