We’ve praised the Genesis G70 as one of the best sedans in its class, thanks in large part to its twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 engine and competent handling, both in rear- and all-wheel drive forms. Better still, even the 2.0-liter engine, with just 252 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque is a good car, and you can even get it with a six-speed manual transmission. Now, there’s some interesting news from Car and Driver that the Genesis G70 could get a new heart on lower trim models, straight from the 2020 Hyundai Sonata N Line.
More power, but…
More specifically, that engine is a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which would replace the 2.0-liter mill. You get a healthy bump in power as a result, up to 290 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That’s an improvement of 38 horsepower and 50 lb-ft from the current version, but unfortunately this news cuts both ways for enthusiasts of the less expensive Genesis model.
On the up side, you clearly get much more power. It’s even better that the power is routed to the rear wheels or all four, rather than those at the front (like it will be in the Sonata). On the down side, the Genesis G70 may lose its manual transmission option with the new, larger engine. In the 2020 Hyundai Sonata N Line, that engine mates up exclusively to an eight-speed automatic. As enthusiasts here in the TFL office, we’re saddened by that news. However, Genesis says only 4 percent of G70 2.0T sales have the six-speed option anyway. It’s unlikely the company will engineer a solution to keep the three-pedal option with the new engine if so few people are opting for it in the first place.
What do you think? Would you like more power, or the option for a manual transmission? Does the larger turbo engine bridge the gap too closely between the 2.5-liter and the 3.3-liter V6 engines? We can’t help but wonder how close the pricing will be as a result as well between the two engines.
Check out more on the (3.3T) Genesis G70 below:
