Genesis G70 to reportedly get Sonata N-Line turbo engine

The Genesis G70 is still relatively new, but that doesn’t mean Genesis isn't going to tinker with it. This report from Car and Driver claims that the new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder going in the Hyundai Sonata N-Line will also be making its way into the G70’s engine bay.

Hyundai estimates this engine will produce 290 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque in the Sonata. That’s a significant improvement over the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder used as the base engine in the G70 today, which makes 252 hp and 260 lb-ft. Doing the math, the G70 could be getting a boost of about 38 horsepower and 50 pound-feet of torque.

Increased power from the turbo four would make the 3.3-liter, twin-turbo V6 less of an upgrade at 365 hp and 376 lb-ft, unless Genesis squeezes out more power. We wouldn't complain about that.

The news does casts doubt on the future of a manual transmission option. Genesis offers the manual in only one trim of the G70 now, and that’s paired with the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. Take that engine away, and we can only hope that Genesis feels it’s necessary to mate up a manual with the new 2.5-liter turbo. As of now, the Sonata N-Line is the only Hyundai announced to use this engine, and it’s being paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic in that application. Car and Driver says the manual take rate on the G70 so far is only 4 percent, which isn’t a promising statistic.

The most obvious time for this powertrain news would be paired to a mid-cycle refresh of the G70. As it’s still a relatively new car, we don’t expect to see that until 2021 or 2022. We'll let you know if any of this conjecture becomes reality.