THAT’S A RAP

FAR FROM PERFECT, BUT DEEPLY LIKEABLE: G70 LEAVES ITS MARK AS A PIVOT POINT FOR KOREA

- ASH WESTERMAN

GENESIS G70 ULTIMATE SPORT

Price as tested: $79,950

This month: 1345km @ 11.4L/100km Overall: 4756km @ 11.7L/100km

MY LOCAL barista Ricky rates himself as a bit of a car guy and relishes the fact that his cafe’s service window faces out onto a quiet street that sees a diverse and often interesting range of metal pulling up as owners arrive for their fix.

“So what’s Genius like, then?” he asked a while ago as he brewed my double shot. We had a slightly awkward moment as I had to point out that it’s Genesis, and explain that the G70 is part of Hyundai’s premium brand. I also had to add that if it had been called a Genius, that would have been stretching the truth just a fraction.

But I’m unsure if Ricky’s lack of brand awareness is a symptom of Genesis not doing enough to promote itself in Australia, or just that he’s not as much of a car guy as he thinks he is. I suspect it’s the former because very few people who took a passing interest in the car during my six-month tenure knew what it was, where it came from, or what segment it was targeting.