Road Test: Genesis G70 Shooting Brake a stylish executive estate

The Genesis G70 Shooting Brake is a compact executive estate car that features a handsome exterior and a sumptuous cabin.

Designed as a rival to the Audi A4 Avant and BMW 3 Series Touring, it comes with a choice of petrol or diesel engines.

The G70 Shooting Brake makes a very positive first impression. Well-proportioned and elegant with a low, swooping silhouette, it’s a great-looking car with lots of road presence.

The G70 is an alternative to the Audi A4 Avant. Image: Genesis

Under the bonnet, you have the option of a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine with 241bhp or a 2.2 litre diesel with 197bhp. All G70s come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard and power goes through the rear wheels.

With entry-level models starting at a little over £33,000 it’s a very reasonably priced car.

You get three trim levels: Premium, Luxury and Sport. All versions are well equipped and come with more standard kit than the equivalent Audi, BMW or Mercedes.

Engines and drive

I spent a week with the 2.0 litre petrol model. This is definitely the engine to go for. The diesel is clattery on start-up and always feels a bit rumbly.

Compared with the sublime diesel units made by BMW and Audi it’s no contest.

The petrol unit, on the other hand, is smooth, revvy and powerful. It completes the 0-62mph sprint in just 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 146mph.

The only bugbear is economy – it will return around 30mpg, which is at least 5mpg less than you’ll get from a petrol BMW.

The G70 Shooting Brake has a lot of style. Image: Genesis

The Genesis G70 Shooting Brake driving experience is excellent. On a journey to Glasgow it was extremely quiet at 70mph on the M8. Meanwhile, on some backroads near Newburgh its rear-wheel drive and low stance meant bends were handled very adroitly indeed.

In fact, only the superlative BMW 3 Series gets the better of the Genesis when it comes to driving dynamics.

Top quality cabin

The interior of the G70 Shooting Brake is a very pleasant place to be – as long as you’re in the front. The cabin is extremely well-designed and crafted. From the 12.3 in touchscreen to the chrome buttons and the quilted leather upholstery, everything feels of exceptionally high quality.

It’s user-friendly as well, although I did miss the rotary control dial that is in other Genesis models such as the bigger G80. You do, blessedly, get buttons and dials for the heating and fan controls. So many modern cars have you delving into touchscreen submenus to change the temperature or put the blower on.

The interior has quilted leather. Image: Genesis

Where things aren’t as great is in the back. Some compromises had to be made to obtain that svelte shape.

Rear legroom is poorer than in a 3 Series or A4. There’s enough space for anyone up to about average height (as long as they’re not behind a very tall front occupant) but anyone over six feet is going to be uncomfortable back there.

Boot space

At 403 litres, the boot offers around 100 litres less volume than the opposition. It is a flat and usable space though, and if you drop the rear seats there’s a very decent 1,535 litres, which is on a par with rivals.

Genesis, as most people will now know, is the luxury arm of Hyundai. If its cars are as reliable as those of its sister brand they should be virtually trouble-free.

Indeed, Genesis includes five years or 50,000 miles of servicing along with free roadside assistance in its purchase price. The company will even collect your car for servicing and leave you a courtesy car.

Ultimately the G70 Shooting Brake is an impressive but imperfect car. It won’t suit those looking for a real load lugger.

But for people who want a well-mannered executive car with a dash of extra practicality, it’s well worth checking out.