2022 Genesis G70 Luggage Test | Pack lightly
Fri, Aug 13 2021In terms of size and driving demeanor, the 2022 Genesis G70 and Cadillac CT4 are closely aligned. They're rear-wheel-drive, which makes them inherently different from the Mercedes A-Classes of the world that are more akin to them in price. They're also smaller than the BMW 3 Series and others, which has its benefits in terms of agility. It's also a detriment in terms of interior and cargo space. The G70 trunk measures only 10.5 cubic feet, while the CT4 trunk slightly outdoes it at 10.9.
However, please don't automatically read that as a con. These cars are ultimately better for their size, much as the BMW 3 Series has not coincidentally lost a few steps since its started packing on pounds and inches. You just have to accept the tradeoff. Not everyone needs to fit four NBA point guards in their car at the same time. Not everyone needs to carry six suitcases at once. Personally, I'd be just peachy with either of these.
That said, how many of those six suitcases are we talking about here? And how does it compare with the G70? Let's find out.
Here is the trunk. Immediately, it's apparent that this space does not have a lot of height.
Confirmed, there is not much height at all, even compared to the CT4. Above left is a bag that's 16 inches tall, and it won't fit that way in the G70. Pictured above right is the CT4 trunk with the same bag (left side of the trunk) that has no problem fitting that way.
There are other inherent issues.
There is a large structural crossmember behind the back seat. This reduces height even more. Only one of my roller bags could fit under it -- the two shown above are virtually the same dimensions (24L x 15W x 10D), but their different wheel placements are enough to make a difference in this rare case.
If the bag can't clear this crossmember, there's a big useless gap between bags and bulkheads.
Let's see how much fits in total. As in every luggage test I do, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).
Because of the height limitation and cross member, loading is significantly compromised and I was left with a lot of leftover space that's too small to hold any of my bags (pictured below). The fancy bag only just barely fit. Having a few soft-sided duffle bags around is definitely a good idea if you own a G70.
In total, at least the two biggest bags and one of the medium-sized roll-aboards fit inside, plus whatever soft-sided duffle bags you can manage.
The CT4 could manage all but the biggest bag and its greater height ultimately makes it more versatile and useful. Hell, the BMW 4 Series Convertible was better at storing my bags than the G70.
So yeah, that's not very good. Maybe I wouldn't be so peachy with this after all.
By James Riswick
See also: 2022 Genesis G70 3.3T First Drive | If it's not broken, just restyle it, Porsche 911 Turbos, and the new Lotus Emira | Autoblog Podcast #686, 2022 Genesis G80 Sport model shown for the first time.