Genesis G70 Shooting Brake review: Brand’s first ‘car for Europe’ is sporty, stylish and practical

It’s been a busy year for Genesis.

The Korean upstart only arrived in Europe’s premium segment in May and since then has launched five models and announced plans for another three.

The first four - G70, G80, GV70 and GV80 - are global models, sold in Genesis’s more established markets in Asia, the Middle East and United States as well as the UK and Europe.

But this year’s fifth model is a different story. The G70 Shooting Brake has been designed and developed specifically for Europe, to cash in on the region’s ongoing love for premium estate cars.

Design

The G70 Shooting Brake is based on the existing saloon but heavily reworked to meet the more demanding whims of buyers who would normally be considering a BMW 3 Series Touring, Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes C-Class or Volvo V60.

That reworking is most obvious in the new body shape which extends and enhances the saloon to eye-catching effect.

From every angle the G70 Shooting Brake looks fantastic and draws attention. Big grilles and sleek lines are standard among the G70’s competitors but the inverted triangle of the “crest grille” and the four thin slices of headlight are completely individual. It’s just a shame we have to break up the front with a chunk of numberplate.

The quad light motif is expanded at the rear where not only are the tail lights split vertically but also break horizontally and are incorporated into the angled tailgate with its floating spoiler and large rear screen. This and the elliptical exhuast pipes create an impression of width and a rear profile and light signature unlike anything else in the segment.

Side-on, there are only so many ways you can draw an estate car but Genesis’ designers have done a sterling job of coming up with a low, sporty style where a handful of carefully traced lines give it a slippery pinched-back look without actually sacrificing head room.

The interior is less eye-catching, based as it is on a car that’s now four years old. There is no faulting the quality of materials - including Nappa leather upholstery and aluminium inserts - or the exemplary fit and finish but, compared with German rivals and others models in the Genesis line-up the design feels a little safe and dull.

At 465 litres the boot is smaller than the Audi, BMW or Volvo but behind the powered tailgate is a wide opening and flat, square load space. While there’s plenty of space in the front, the G70 won’t win any awards for rear passenger space, an issue exacerbated by the chunky transmission tunnel.

Engines, performance and driving

Genesis says that it’s not angling to be a sporty brand but the G70 Shooting Brake is clearly its most dynamic model. The car is launching with a 238bhp petrol engine, rear-drive chassis and sport trim level that throws in a limited slip differential. The other options are a 192bhp version of the turbo petrol or a 2.2-litre diesel and  “luxury” or “premium” trims.

While it’s not a proper performance car, the G70 Shooting Brake does manage to inject a bit of fun on more interesting roads. It’s definitely a more lively and involving chassis than an A4 Avant, with more steering feel and the benefits of being driven from the rear. On winding mountain roads it proved agile and responsive, although I’m not sure it’s quiet up there with a 3 Series Touring or Jaguar XE.

Thankfully, with the focus on being a luxurious premium brand, Genesis has spent time tuning the suspension for European and UK roads. The G70 Shooting Brake gets unique components and calibration that allow for an impressively composed ride. Sport and Luxury line models get adaptive dampers and while Sport mode’s firmer setup degrades the ride a little it is still impressively comfortable.

It’s a shame, then, that the engines feel less premium. LIke so many turbocharged four-cylinder units, the G70’s 2.0-litre petrol lump sounds and feels like it’s working hard to produce that 238bhp. Even at a cruise it’s audible and the “enhanced” note in sport mode is actively unpleasant. Performance is decent - 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds - although the tranmission works better when plodding along than when asked to get all that power down in a hurry.