It’s been a while since an Asian luxury brand offered a sports wagon, but Hyundai’s upstart Genesis marque is about to break that long drought.
The brand is preparing to launch in Europe in 2022 and is readying a wagon version of its G70 sedan.
The last sports wagons from an Asian luxury brand were the 2011-2014 Acura TSX Sport Wagon – just a rebadged Accord Euro wagon – and the 2000-2005 Lexus IS SportCross.
As we’ve seen in early spy photos, the G70 Shooting Brake will keep the sedan’s front end and doors.
Genesis styling elements, such as the two-line headlights and tail lights and large five-point crest grille, will all feature in the Shooting Brake.
With the extended but arched roofline, and fast tailgate angle, the Shooting Brake will certainly be more practical than the sedan, but if you’re expecting Falcon-esque levels of load-lugging space, you’ll be disappointed.
Drivetrains will be shared with the sedan, which includes a 185kW/353Nm 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder and a 272kW/510Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6.
A 149kW/441Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel is also offered in some markets. Overseas the G70 is available with either rear- or all-wheel drive.
While wagons may be niche products here and in South Korea and the US, they are big business in Europe.
As such as the G70 Shooting Brake will play a big role in launching the luxury marque in Europe in 2022.
According to industry analyst Felipe Munoz, wagons accounted for 51 per cent of BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class sales in Europe in 2020.
Lexus IS SportCross 
Acura TSX Sport Wagon
Figures for the Audi A4 were even more skewed towards the wagon, with the practical five-door representing 80 per cent of the car’s European sales.
Even more impressive were the Volvo V60 and V90 which outsold their sedan brethren by an even larger margin, with the wagons totalling 88 per cent and 83 per cent of 60 Series and 90 Series sales, respectively.
