It doesn’t feel like the current Genesis G70 has been on sale all that long, but it’s now getting a refresh that will bring its styling in line with the brand’s current look. This week Genesis revealed an updated G70 sedan, which looks closer to a complete redesign than a mid-cycle facelift. For 2022, the G70 wearing a new shield-shaped grille and two-tier headlights, replacing a hexagonal grille and much more conventional headlights. In fact, the updated Genesis G70 looks so much like its larger G80 sibling that we suspect some will have trouble telling them apart from afar without looking at the badging on the trunklid.
Speaking of the trunklid, Genesis has updated it as well, reshaping the taillights and the frame of the trunk itself, while inserting a body-colored stripe that bisects the taillights, like on the old W221-generation S-Class. It’s a different enough look to appear like a different generation of the G70. And the sides of the body have been tweaked as well, though to a lesser degree. The chrome-trimmed vertical vent behind the front wheel is gone, replaced by a smaller and rounder vent closer to the bottom of the fender, eliminating a design feature that may have been too flashy for its own good on the debut version of the G70.
The result is a slightly more conservative look, but one that still features an aggressive wheel design.
Speaking of wheels, note their size by looking at how close to the ground the bottom edge of the wheel sits. This doesn’t leave the sedan much in the way of a rubber cushion, but the G70 has not shied away from making dramatic styling statements since its debut. We hope that this is the optional, larger wheel size for the sake of the ride quality.
Interior updates these days tend to focus on larger infotainment screen sizes, and the Genesis G70 is no exception. The cabin now features a new 10.25-inch infotainment screen, with over-the-air updates and a user interface design unique to Genesis models. Smaller changes in the cabin include a wireless phone charging system now switched to a horizontal layout.
Overall, this mid-cycle refresh is more about exterior changes than interior tech, and this underscores the fact that the G70 is still fresh and modern inside. But the company still has a few updates inside that it hasn’t disclosed.
“The new Genesis G70 will engage customers with its dynamic design and the latest innovations in safety and luxury,” a Genesis official said. “We are thrilled to reveal more detailed specifications next month.”
While Genesis hasn’t indicated whether the updated G70 will receive any changes underhood, there is a chance the larger engine in the range, a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, could be swapped out for a newer V6 from the G80. The base 2.0-liter turbo four, meanwhile, could also be replaced by the engine in the Kia Stinger — a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder — good for 300 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. This would be a logical swap for the refreshed G70, which would gain almost 50 hp in the process.
When will we see the refreshed G70 on sale? Likely not until next year as a 2022 model, which gives Genesis some time to detail more changes to its smallest (but by no means small) sedan.
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