WE LIKE Handsome on the outside, rich on in the inside, performance of the V-6 WE DON'T LIKE Cramped rear seat, 2.0-liter doesnt stack up with the competition Genesis Motors has decided to dive into perhaps the most competitive market in all of luxury landsmall, sporty sedans, also known as the 3 Series segment. Youd better bring your A game because everyone else is. Luckily the G70 is ready and willing to compete. Build a better 3 Series? No problem! From Zach Gale: What an incredible first effort from a new brand. Good balance of sport and luxury. Adds Michael Cantu: Genesis deserves a mountain of credit for building an entry-level sport sedan that can compete with Europes best. The judges to a person loved the potency of the 365-hp 3.3-liter V-6, but we were split on the less powerful 2.0-liter turbo I-4. Some couldnt get past that it was more than a second slower than the competition in 0-60 and quarter-mile tests. But wise man Zach Gale sums up the dilemma: If you didnt know how much quicker others in this class are, this is a perfectly adequate engine. The judges were also split on the G70s ride quality. Theres a distinct lack of polish on this Genesis ride, Christian Seabaugh said. However, Angus Mackenzie counters that the ride is firm but composed, with impacts very well suppressed, and our consensus was that sport sedan ride quality can be a bit less buttery smooth. Most of the negative comments, however, have to do with the G70s rear seat. I think people will take issue with the interior, which feels narrow and cramped, Mark Rechtin said, though adults 5-foot-10 and under felt the rear seat was perfectly fine. READ ABOUT 2019CAR OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS: Buick Regal Ford Mustang Ford Transit Connect Hyundai Accent Hyundai Elantra Honda Clarity Kia Forte Lexus ES Lexus LS Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Nissan Altima Toyota Avalon Toyota Corolla Hatchback Volkswagen Jetta READ ABOUT 2019 SUV OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS: BMW X2 BMW X3 BMW X4 Cadillac XT4 Ford EcoSport Ford Edge Hyundai Santa Fe Infiniti QX50 Jaguar E-Pace Jeep Cherokee Lexus RX L Mercedes-Benz G-Class Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Nissan Kicks Subaru Ascent zz fb s 2.0T (manual) 2.0T 3.3T 3.3T HTRAC BASE PRICE $38,995 $35,895 $44,745 $46,745 PRICE AS TESTED $38,995 $44,895 $44,745 $52,495 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 2.0L/252-hp/260-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 2.0L/252-hp/260-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 3.3L/365-hp/376-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 3.3L/365-hp/376-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual 8-speed automatic 8-speed automatic 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,581 lb (52/48%) 3,659 lb (51/49%) 3,778 lb (53/47%) 3,998 lb (54/46%) WHEELBASE 111.6 in 111.6 in 111.6 in 111.6 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in 184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in 184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in 184.5 x 72.8 x 55.1 in 0-60 MPH 7.2 sec 7.4 sec 4.7 sec 4.8 sec QUARTER MILE 15.7 sec @ 91.0 mph 15.7 sec @ 91.7 mph 13.2 sec @ 107.3 mph 13.3 sec @ 105.7 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 112 ft 110 ft 114 ft 113 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.89 g (avg) 0.90 g (avg) 0.89 g (avg) 0.89 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.0 sec @ 0.68 g (avg) 25.6 sec @ 0.69 g (avg) 25.2 sec @ 0.75 g (avg) 25.2 sec @ 0.76 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 18/28/22 mpg 22/30/25 mpg 18/26/21 mpg 18/25/20 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 187/120 kW-hrs/100 miles 153/112 kW-hrs/100 miles 187/130 kW-hrs/100 miles 187/135 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.90 lb/mile 0.78 lb/mile 0.93 lb/mile 0.94 lb/mile The post Genesis G70: 2019 Motor Trend Car of the Year Finalist appeared first on Motor Trend .