The 2019 Genesis G70 is Korea's answer to the venerable BMW 3 Series and the compact luxury sport sedan segment. In its quest to take down the legendary Bavarian, Genesis has kitted the G70 up with plenty of features to ensure that it drives as good as or better than it looks. Here are seven key features that help make the Genesis G70 a compelling sport sedan in a highly competitive segment.

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Shorter Wheelbase

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Compared to its platform mate, the Kia Stinger, the 2019 Genesis G70 has a wheelbase that's 2.8 inches shorter, making it more compact. This also affects the car's road manners—it drives smaller and feels lighter from behind the wheel, hinting at its more driver-oriented nature.

Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive or Mechanical Limited-Slip Differential

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All-wheel-drive-equipped versions of the 2019 Genesis G70 come with torque vectoring and feature a rear-biased setup. In Sport mode, the system shifts more torque to the rear wheels, around 80 to 100 percent compared to 60 to 70 percent in Comfort mode. Should you be looking for the purest G70, choose the rear-drive G70 3.3T Dynamic Edition that will be exclusive to the U.S. market. It features a mechanical limited-slip differential to help its power down efficiently to the rear wheels.

Yes You Can Get a Manual. No You Can't Have it with the V-6

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Auto enthusiasts rejoice! Another compact luxury sport sedan will be available with a six-speed manual transmission. The Genesis G70 will be one of the few entries to offer a six-speed manual transmission option when it goes on sale next year; however, it's only available with the base 2.0-liter turbo-four, not the 365-hp twin-turbo V-6. Rest assured, though, you won't be stuck with a stripped-out model. Genesis USA boss Erwin Raphael has revealed that the manual-equipped cars will have options available.

Tailor the Way the Car Drives to Your Taste

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The multiple personalities of the 2019 G70 can be found in its drive mode selector where you can choose between four preprogrammed modes: Eco, Sport, Comfort, and Smart. Its pièce de résistance, however, is its Custom mode, which enables you to alter the engine, transmission, electronically controlled suspension, steering, and all-wheel-drive system (if so equipped) between Eco, Comfort, and Sport modes, allowing the driver to tailor the car to his or her needs.

Even the Exhaust Sound Can Be Altered

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If you thought funneling engine noise or creating fake engine noises through the audio system was crazy, Genesis has taken things to a new level with its Active Sound Design system. Essentially a program that lets you choose how loud your car's exhaust note is, Active Sound Design gives you three sound levels to choose from: Normal, Quiet or Enhanced, the latter being the loudest. You can also turn it completely off if you want to keep the cabin as serene as possible. For the U.S., Genesis has also ordered up a louder exhaust system to further emphasize the G70's sporting character.

Staggered wheels with Performance Tires

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When equipped with the 365-hp twin-turbo V-6, the 2019 G70 comes with some serious rubber, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 performance tires. Up front, the tires measure at 225/40ZR19s, and out back they're 255/40ZR19s. The tires give the G70 excellent grip levels regardless of whether it's rear- or all-wheel drive.

Brembo Brakes for Some Serious Stopping Power

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Standard on all V-6-powered G70s are Brembo front brakes. These brakes give the driver plenty of confidence when doing emergency stops and during enthusiastic driving; however, it's not certain whether it'll also be available with the base 2.0-liter turbo-four.