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2019 Genesis G70 gets exact same base price as BMW 3 Series

The enthusiast-focused manual starts under $40,000, too

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The Genesis G70, the smaller, entry-level luxury sedan of the lineup, goes on sale this week and starts at $35,895 including destination charges. That just happens to be the exact same base price as a 2018 BMW 3 Series to the dollar. We see what you did there, Genesis.

Anyway, the base G70 comes with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder that makes 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, as well as plenty of tech gizmos for that price. Whereas you'll have to pay extra to get driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist in other luxury cars, those and a whole suite of features like them are standard in the G70. If you're like us, though, the trim you're probably most interested in is the row-your-own four-cylinder Sport model. This car starts at $38,895. So for $3,000 you'll get the limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes with performance pads, a sport exhaust system and 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped with Michelin PS4 summer rubber. Genesis tosses in a few other cool bits from higher trim levels like full LED headlights, the Lexicon 15-speaker audio system, a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel plus heated and cooled front seats. That's a pretty good deal, especially when you take into account how much we liked driving the darn thing.

Of course, the price only goes up from there. The cheapest you'll be able to get the 3.3-liter turbo V6 is $44,745 — a good bit more than the four-cylinder. Optioning all-wheel drive onto any of the trim levels that aren't one of the two launch editions will set you back an extra $2,000. Speaking of those launch editions: The Design Edition builds on the top-tier Prestige trim and gives you an exclusive green exterior with cream colored leather seats for $51,245. There are some matching green accents on the interior, as well as a steering wheel wrapped in Italian leather. The Dynamic Edition is much cooler, and is based on the Sport trim, but this comes with the boosted V6 and eight-speed auto. Genesis played with the suspension tuning for this one in addition to using performance brake pads and summer tires. "Upgraded thermal capacity" is another feature listed, but we'll get back to you on exactly what that means once Genesis tells us. Both the Design and Dynamic launch edition cars will be limited to 400 each.

Besides these limited edition trims, all G70s with either four or six cylinders are available in the following trims: Advanced, Elite, Prestige and Sport. Each trim gets a few extra luxury features and more cost. It's also important to note that there's a major cost difference between the manual four-cylinder Sport and the regular automatic one. The automatic four-cylinder Sport goes for $45,895, $7,000 more than the manual one. It doesn't get the Brembo brakes, sports exhaust or manual handbrake, either. But it does still offer a limited-slip differential, the option of all-wheel-drive, and the eight-speed automatic that many will probably desire. The V6 Sport model is $50,495, and it also comes with Brembo brakes (like all V6 models) plus an electronically controlled suspension similar to the limited edition Dynamic trim. Yes, there is a lot to digest here. We're a bit partial to the enthusiast-focused manual trim ourselves.

You can apparently pick one up this week, though. The dealer system where you'll do that is still developing, so we'll see if it's capable of handling what the new luxury car maker expects to be its highest volume car yet.

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