Genesis retains manual transmission for 2021 G70

Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Take a look behind the scenes at the making of the Genesis GV80 Concept.

Genesis will continue to offer a manual transmission on its G70 for the 2021 model year, making it one of the last luxury sedans to offer three pedals.

That's according to official EPA fuel consumption ratings discovered by MotorTrend. The Americans found that the G70 will keep its 188kW 2.0-litre turbocharged engine along with a manual gearbox or an optional eight-speed automatic.

The engine might seem a little down on power compared to the larger V6 but the do-it-yourself shifter could make up some of the driving thrills.

The Genesis G70 will have a manual transmission for at least one more model year. Unfortunately, it isn't offered in New Zealand... Yet.

Speaking of the bent-six, it's unclear if Genesis will retain the 3.3-litre biturbo unit or swap it for the GV80's new twin-turbo 3.5-litre V-6. The changeover will happen at some point but it might not be for the 2021 model year.

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At some point in the near future, Genesis will give the G70 a design overhaul to bring it closer to the G80 and GV80. We're not mad at that, the G80 here looks brilliant.

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The G70 will also receive some powertrain updates, those being the new 2.5-litre inline-four and the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6. Don't expect the manual gearbox to carry over, however.

* Is the manual gearbox dead? Numbers seem to hint our love affair for stick driving is over

* Five small cars that you can still buy with a manual transmission**

We'd expect the 2.0-litre to give way to the newer 2.5-litre four-banger as well, at which point the manual transmission could be dropped as well.

Aside from the oily bits, the '21 G70 is said to undergo some facial reconstruction surgery to give it a look closer to the GV80 and recently announced G80 fastback.

However, nothing has been officially announced or revealed by the South Korean manufacturer. It's possible Genesis is saving the facelift for the new powertrains and next year's G70 will be a continuation of the current model.

If you're waiting for a local launch, it's not looking good. The G70 has been listed on the Hyundai New Zealand website as 'Coming Soon' and it's been that way for a while.

Last we heard, Hyundai NZ was undergoing a market analysis to introduce the Genesis brand to New Zealand.

'Hyundai Motor Group plans to open new stand-alone dealerships for Genesis to enhance the overall buying and ownership experience,' the local arm said.

Additionally, given the size and buying preferences of our market, the manual option probably wouldn't be offered here in order to maximise profits.