On February we shared an interview of Genesis CEO William Lee with Car and Driver, and to the question of whether Genesis is preparing to bring a shooting-brake (wagon) version of the G70 to market, Mr. Lee said: “Yes, we have a study for that,”. Today and thanks to our colleagues at AutoPost we have the very first pictures of the prototype that looks more ready to production than we expected.
[ads id=”9″]
What we know so far?
Iniatially, we thought this was just another study that brands usually do and finally is nothing, but after seeing the first spy pictures looks like Genesis were working on the G70 shooting brake for more time that they told us. The G70 SB will be based on the facelifted G70, which is expected to be unveiled at the end of this year. The G70 will be the last Genesis model to be treated to the brand’s new styling language, characterized by quad headlights and taillights and a new signature grille that the brand calls “crest grille.”
It will follow the lead of the recently unveiled G80 luxury sedan and GV80 SUV, as well as the upcoming mid-size GV70 crossover SUV which take it underpinnings. The G70 shooting brake will be especially target for European markets, where models like the BMW 3-series Touring and the Audi A4 Avant are wildly popular and generating far more sales than the sedan models they are based on.
[ads id=”8″]
It is unclear whether a G70 shooting brake would be offered in North America. But we think it would be a perfect extension of the G70 nameplate, which has been showered with accolades and whose credentials are underscored both by its performance-oriented rear-wheel-drive platform and by the fact it is the only vehicle in its competitive set that is still available with a manual transmission.
As German premium carmakers, and also Cadillac, are killing quirky extensions of their lineup such as manual-transmission versions and station wagons, it is encouraging to see that Genesis is taking up the baton. Let’s hope the Koreans take it a step further: by fast-tracking the shooting brake for the U.S. market as well.
Photo Copyright: AutoPost
