The ranks of affordable sport sedans aren't what they once were. Venerable names like Ford and Saab either retired from the four-door car game or deceased altogether, and many other former contenders in the field have moved their energies towards making those ever-more-popular SUVs.
That said, there are a few good brands still building fun-to-drive four-doors at reasonable prices — and of those, Genesis and its G70 has to stand near the top of the list. Its excellent chassis, well-tuned suspension and solid powertrains (a potent twin-turbo V6 and an acceptable turbocharged inline-four made better by a six-speed manual) make it a grand ol' drive, while its interior is a standout example of good ergonomic design and, on higher trims, luxury car elegance.
And now, for the 2022 model year, the Genesis G70 is receiving a facelift that brings even more style to the sport sedan.
The new look follows in the footsteps of the facelifted G80 and G90 sedans, as well as the all-new GV80 crossover that's likely to become Genesis's best-seller when it goes on sale later this year. The front end is the biggest change: the old headlights have been replaced with a sleek quartet of LED razors, while the sharp triangular elements that used to sit below have been swapped out for more organic forms. Genesis's new Extreme Superman Shield Grille dominates the new front end, albeit in a more flowing, organic shape than seen in the G90.
The tail end has been tweaked less, but it's still a noticeable change from the outgoing model. Most noticeably, the taillamps now mirror the quad lenses of the headlamps; down lower, the rear diffuser and oval tailpipes are highlighted by an area of dark mesh trim.
No mid-cycle refresh would be complete without a few tweaks to the interior, of course, and the G70's updated come largely in the form of tech changes. There's a new 10.25-inch widescreen infotainment system atop the dash; the user interface has been redesigned to look less like the one found in sibling brand Hyundai's cars, and over-the-air updates make it easier for it to stay current. Plus, if you like to wirelessly charge your phone, you'll be glad to hear the charging pad has been reoriented to accept a wider range of smartphone sizes.
One thing the official revelation of the G70's new look doesn't reveal: what changes might be coming under the hood. That said, the company has been happy to leak details about those updates to the media: Genesis told Car and Driver last year that the 2.0-liter turbo four will be hot-swapped for the 2.5-liter turbo four found in the Sonata N-Line, pushing power up by around 40 hp and 50 lb-ft. Sadly, Genesis told Road & Track that the stick shift will axed for the 2022 model year.
Genesis says further details on the facelifted G70 will be revealed in October – the same month it goes on sale in South Korea. We're guessing it'll become available here in the States sometime early next year. In the meantime...here's all the stick-shift G70s you can snag right now on Cars.com.
