The twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6 that gave the Genesis G70 its reason for being is gone. NHTSA VIN submissions and EPA fuel-economy filings for the 2027 model year show only the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder remaining. No V-6 option. No 365 horsepower. No 4.5-second sprint to 60 mph.
What’s left is a 300-horsepower four-cylinder sedan in a segment that doesn’t forgive mediocrity.
Genesis representatives wouldn’t confirm the change but told Car and Driver that official 2027 model-year details are coming soon. The bureaucratic paper trail, though, doesn’t lie. When a powertrain disappears from both NHTSA and EPA records simultaneously, that’s not a clerical error. That’s a death certificate.
The timing fits a pattern. Rumors have circulated for months that 2027 will be the G70’s last model year entirely. Stripping out the engine that enthusiasts actually wanted signals a car coasting toward the exit, not one fighting for relevance.
When the G70 launched, it genuinely startled the establishment. A Korean sports sedan that could hang with the BMW 3 Series and actually outperform it in certain configurations felt like a turning point. The 3.3T model, with rear-wheel drive and that punchy V-6, earned its place on every credible comparison test shortlist. It was the car that made people take Genesis seriously as more than a rebadged Hyundai with nicer leather.
The 2.5T was always the volume play, the one that penciled out on dealer lots with lease-friendly numbers. But no one wrote love letters to the four-cylinder G70. Nobody cross-shopped it against an M340i and walked away convinced. It existed to fill a price point. The V-6 existed to fill a soul.
Killing the better engine before killing the whole car is a familiar move in the auto industry. It happened to the Chevrolet Camaro, which shed its V-8 options before disappearing. It happened to the Dodge Charger’s naturally aspirated Hemi lineup before the nameplate went electric. Automakers rarely invest in powertrains for models on borrowed time.
The G70 still sits in rear- or all-wheel-drive configurations with the remaining 2.5T, and there are 2026 models with the V-6 still scattered across dealer lots for anyone paying attention. That window won’t stay open long.
Genesis itself is pivoting. The brand recently revealed hybrid details for the GV80 SUV and showed off the lavish, coach-doored GV90. SUVs and electrification are where the corporate oxygen is flowing. A compact, gasoline-powered sport sedan doesn’t fit the narrative Genesis is building for its next chapter.
The cruel irony is that the G70 succeeded at exactly what Genesis needed it to do. It earned credibility, critical praise, and comparison-test victories. It proved the brand could engineer a proper driver’s car. And now, having served its purpose, it’s being hollowed out on the way to the recycling bin.
Plenty of 2027 models will sell with the four-cylinder to buyers who never knew the V-6 existed. But for anyone who drove a 3.3T through a favorite set of corners, the 2027 G70 is already a different car wearing the same skin.
Share this Story