Hyundai has significantly changed the perception of buyers towards its brand over the past couple of years. The South Korea-based automotive manufacturer has transformed itself from a provider of somewhat reliable and cheap vehicles to a formidable contender in the global market. Now, the company has expanded into the luxury sports market with its standalone Genesis luxury brand. The new division apparently wants to take on other offerings from brands such as Lexus, Infiniti, and even BMW.

First compact sports sedan

While Hyundai already has midsize and full-size luxury sedan offerings to take on the likes of the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, it has now unveiled another vehicle to take on the luxury compact segment.

The recently unveiled 2018 Genesis G70 is set to take on the BMW 3-Series and other compact sedans in different markets, starting with South Korea and the United States. The company already has plans to release the vehicle in Europe and China, but it still has yet to reveal an official release date.

Under the hood

To take on its already established competitors, Hyundai has decided to spare no expense at equipping the Genesis G70 with all the latest gadgets and technology. The sedan comes with three engine options, namely a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 engine that generates a whopping 365hp, a 250hp 2.0 -liter turbo four-cylinder gasoline engine, and finally a 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel.

The vehicle can be purchased with either a rear-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive system. While all three engines will become available in South Korea, the diesel variant will unfortunately not be available in North America.

Looks and features

At first glance, onlookers may be forgiven for mistaking the G70 for an Alfa Romeo Giulia or an Infiniti Q50.

It does share some similarities, but the G70 does have its own unique design cues. Interior-wise, the sedan does have some striking similarities to BMW's cabin, which includes the use of a control knob in the center console. The G70 also comes with the latest safety features such as lane-keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and cruise control.

It also comes with other goodies, such as torque vectoring, launch control, and an optional mechanical limited slip differential.

The 2018 Hyundai Genesis G70 will officially become available in South Korea next week, a U.S. launch is expected to take place early next year. Initial reports have pegged the price range to be somewhere between $33,000 to $45,700.