2022 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake long term review

2022 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake long-term review

JUMP AHEAD

• Welcome
• Upcoming: Pack and full send
• Upcoming: Shoot to thrill
• Upcoming: Power tripping
• Upcoming: Done the bolt

Welcome

Carrying the load

• Price as tested: $81,000 (+ORC)
• This month: 121km @ 10.6L/100km
• Overall: 121km @ 10.6L/100km

Very occasionally, a product-planning decision from a major automotive manufacturer can have you scratching your head while simultaneously trying to give a polite little golf clap. Which can be challenging from an anatomical point of view, trust me.

Case in point: the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake. I must admit its arrival last year did catch me off-guard a little, given the overall decline in the wagon market globally. Consider the fact that Mercedes-Benz no longer offers the CLS shooting brake, while the CLA shooting brake, which is still available overseas, isn’t part of the local line-up.

No matter − Genesis clearly figured that even a small slice of the declining wagon market still justified the development cost of the Shooting Brake, and we’re glad they did.

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I reckon this is a wagon done right –  it’s got a great stance, elegantly sloping roofline, and the fastback rear-end is rakish and eye-catching. In the short time I’ve had it, heads have rotated and a few curious types have strolled up for a proper look and chat, so it seems to tick the street-cred box.

In terms of spec, Genesis Australia clearly figures anyone who’s likely to be tempted by the Shooting Brake will want it fully loaded, so there’s only one rich grade offered at $79,000. But no twin-turbo V6 – the sole engine choice is the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder producing 179kW and 353Nm.

For pricing context within the Genesis line-up, you can get into the base G70 sedan with this engine for $63,000, but the wagon includes as standard two packs that are otherwise optional on that base sedan.

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First is the $10,000 Luxury pack, which includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, matrix LED headlights, 16-way power driver’s seat with memory, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, power tailgate, power adjustment for the steering column, 15-speaker Lexicon sound system, Nappa leather upholstery, suede headliner, and acoustic lamination for the windscreen and front door glass.

Still with me? Okay, to that the Shooting Brake also gets the Sport Line package ($4000 when optioned on the sedan) which includes a limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes (four-piston fronts; twin-piston rears), 19-inch dark-finish alloys, alloy pedals, aluminium trim, dark chrome grille and window surrounds.

So, to spec the 2.0-litre sedan to this level would cost $77,000, meaning the premium for the Shooting Brake body is $2000, which is reasonable when compared to European rivals. (BMW, for example, charges $4000 for the step from 330i sedan to 330i Touring.)

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The only option added to our example is the Bond Silver matte paint at $2000. I think the matte finish really suits the car, and an additional upside, if you’re a bit of an OCD nerd like me, is that the finish is lovely and consistent in areas like the door jambs and under the bonnet, rather than having a rich gloss exterior that suddenly goes matte in the places car companies assume you don’t look.

So, first impressions.

The interior is agreeably luxo in terms of materials and build quality, but the inescapable fact is that the overall design, when compared to the Genesis SUVs, is looking a generation behind, despite the installation of a 10.25-inch multimedia screen that was part of the G70’s update last year.

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There’s nothing wrong with the cockpit ergonomically – I like the traditional HVAC controls, despite the fact the dials feel a bit plasticky – but it lacks the more lavish design of the GV70.

Seat adjustment allows a bum-on-floor position if you like that, and seat support is excellent, especially for my frame when the under-thigh section is fully extended. The quilted leather is lush quality, much better than the regular stuff from BMW.

As for the 2.0-litre turbo four, it’s a workman-like unit, rather than anything really sonorous or especially engaging. While I’m yet to properly extend it outside of suburbia, performance is lively enough, but obviously doesn’t deliver anything like fluid shove of the twin-turbo V6 available in the sedan.

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Further, anyone cross-shopping this car against its 2.0-litre German rivals will notice its outputs are down a bit. Audi’s A4 45 TSI Avante pips it with 183kW/370Nm, BMW’s 330i Touring delivers 190kW/400Nm, while VW’s $10K-cheaper Arteon Shooting Brake trumps all with 206kW/400Nm.

Steering weight (when not in Sport or Sport+ modes) feels a little lighter than I recall from the V6 sedan; maybe it’s a slightly different tune, or possibly less engine weight over the nose is the difference. Either way, the rack is sweetly direct without being anything particularly tactile.

For my taste it’s overly assisted at low speed, meaning its least-endearing element is the flaccid low-speed self-centring action. Straightening out of 90-degree intersections or roundabouts is like a too-limp handshake. At normal driving speeds it’s better, but more mode-fiddling is needed.

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