Genesis is getting ready to give its BMW 3 Series-rival a major makeover.
Photos of the updated G70 published on KoreanCarBlog reveal the mid-sized sedan will get a heavy facelift to bring it into line with the new Genesis G80 and GV80.
The front end has been completely overhauled, with new headlights and a bold new grille to match the larger G80 sedan. There’s lashings of chrome on the grille and lower air intakes, and the Genesis badge sits prominently at the end of the bonnet.
Down back, the taillights have a similar two-piece design to the G80. But they don’t extend into the boot lid, instead stopping short.
Inside, the updated G70 is likely to feature a 10.25-inch infotainment screen in place of the 8.0-inch display in the current car. Detail changes to the interior trim are also expected, along with a new steering wheel in keeping with more recent Genesis models.
Also new for 2021 is a Shooting Brake variant. It’s not clear whether Genesis will reveal the sedan side-by-side with the wagon, or whether the long-roofed G70 will follow at some point in 2021.
An updated BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class rival is another key cog in Genesis’s push into Australia.
Hyundai’s luxury brand will welcome the BMW X5-sized GV80 SUV in the third quarter of 2020, with the G80 large sedan to follow late in the third quarter or early in the fourth. A BMW X3-rivalling GV70 SUV is also in the works.
Hyundai’s luxury brand has only sold 42 cars in Australia this year which, while fractionally more than during the same period last year, puts it behind even Bentley.
The brand currently has one retail location in Sydney, with boutique-style locations in Melbourne and Brisbane to follow.
The additional dealers should help increase volume, though the brand has said from the outset it’s not focused on toppling Mercedes-Benz and BMW on the sales charts.
