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Genesis G70 Shooting Brake
This smart coupé style estate is from a new brand name in the UK. The Genesis G70 is a really a posh Hyundai with good low-end power from a sizeable diesel engine. Bet you haven’t seen one.
Details
Seats: 5
Engine: 2199cc (Diesel)
Towing capacity: 1,500kg
Power: 197 bhp (engine and battery combined)
Gearbox : 8-speed auto – rear-wheel drive
0-60mph: 7.5secs
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Top speed: 140mph
Economy: 41.8mpg (officially)
CO2: 175g/km
Economy
About average for this size of car and for the available amount of power and performance. Go easily and you’ll crack the 40 mpg barrier. A strong diesel engine won’t be overly affected when towing either.
Towing ability
The Genesis G70 Shooting Brake is a really good car but the 1,500kg towing capacity will limit the amount of people for whom it would be relevant. However, if you have one of the smaller horse boxes (the Equi-Trek we have used previously had an unladen weight of 855kg) and a small-ish horse, then the Genesis will be a wonderful tool. It has loads of low-end power. It feels as though it could easily tow a heavier load – it really does make things effortless. The rear camera is situated low down and is perfect for hitching a trailer. It’s only rear wheel drive, which is better than front wheel drive, but all-wheel drive would have been handy. It’s rumoured that the next version will be AWD.
Performance
Good. The Genesis G70 pulls away sharply from standstill and actually feels quicker than the figures suggest. The 8-speed automatic gearbox is seamless and makes for smooth progress. As you’d expect it handles very much like a Hyundai which means that it is very predictable, is quite softly sprung and über comfy.
Day-to-day
One typical comment is that the G70 feels a bit old school, but that is actually part of the attraction. Under the handsome exterior you’ll find a Hyundai. The Korean manufacturer is trying to do what Toyota do with Lexus. Genesis are marketing themselves as an alternative to BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Jaguar. This means there is a quality look and feel to the interior. It’s really smart, and quiet, too. If you flop down the seats, you end up with 1,535 litres of space in the boot, which is pretty good. The sloping roofline does mean you sacrifice some height for the good exterior looks though.
Value for money
Decent. Buying the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake is unlike anything you’ll have done previously in terms of a vehicle purchase. There are no dealerships with flashy showrooms. The company attends events and they have “pop-up” displays at shopping centres or where there’s going to be a lot of footfall (you can find events near you on their website), but if you fancy a test drive, give them a call and they’ll bring a car to your home or office. Everything is done online. When the car needs servicing or a repair, Genesis will collect it.
You get plenty of kit as standard including a head-up display which means vital information like speed and sat nav directions are projected onto the windscreen. There are front and rear parking sensors, powered front seats, electric tailgate, a 360° camera and a clever gadget called a blind spot detector that shows you a camera image on the dashboard in front of you whenever you change lanes. The smart cruise control adjusts whenever you approach a corner or get too close to the car in front. Clever huh?
Verdict
We’ve included the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake in our round-up of the cars for towing horses for the simple reason that it’s different. Yes, it will do the job of towing a horse box as well as working really well as a day-to-day commuter/school run shuttle or holiday transportation, but it also gives you the option of having a car that encourages people to ask “What is it?” It tends to be more of a family car that will tow, rather than a workhorse that suits for the Monday–Friday routine, but it you are looking for an alternative model that has a premium feel and, because it’s from the Hyundai stable, should be very reliable, it’s certainly worth considering. Good value, too.
Who tested this car?
Graham Courtney has road tested in excess of 2,000 cars in his career so far. He writes for a number of magazines and newspapers that require a motoring expert and coming from a farming community, he’s well placed to advise equestrians seeking a towing vehicle.
Find out more about how Horse & Hound tests products
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