Genesis will rock you!

YOU know your car is a beauty when a gaggle of primary school children start taking pictures. So it was with the sleek, new Genesis GV70 Shooting Brake, completed in fetching Havana Red paint, which I tried out this week. Its low-slung, sporty style is a head-turner, whatever your age.

Genesis is the new premium brand from Korea’s Hyundai Group, famous for its value-for-money Kia, but now ready to take on europe’s top carmakers such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

On looks alone, this Genesis would trump the German trio. Its designer is Luc Donckerwolke, previously at Bentley.

I was driving the 2.2-litre diesel 197bhp 8-speed automatic rearwheel drive, which accelerates to 62mph in 7.7seconds, up to a top speed of 140 mph.

It has a smart, cockpit-like interior with a well-designed dashboard — and, stocked with high-tech kit, is fun to drive. expect clever rear-cameras that show you the blind spot when you indicate, lane-keep assist, voice-control, electric lumbar support, heated front seats, and all manner of warning signals.

Drive settings encompass frugal fuel-saving eco as well as cruising-friendly Comfort.

Or you can opt for the more engaging Sport, which you can feel kicking in as the seat grips your sides. Meanwhile, Sport+ disengages some of the traction control safety for full driver engagement.

I stuck mainly to Comfort to glide round town and moved to Sport for more oomph on main highways and country lanes.

Diesel power offers low CO2 emissions of 182g/km and returns 40.7mpg. There’s a bit of diesel rattle from start-up, although that quickly disappears. Alternatively, there’s a 241bhp 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

The Genesis GV70 is not quite as big a car as it appears, being particularly snug in the rear. And it’s definitely a premium price — from £41,430 up to £46,530 with extras. But I like its sporty coupe-like lines, and the 403-litre boot expands to 1,535 litres with the rear seats down.