EXPECT to start seeing cars adorning new badging on the roads as Genesis - the premium arm of Hyundai - has finally landed in the UK.

And it's hit the ground running with the high-end German marques in its sights.

Genesis recently unveiled its large G80 saloon and GV80 SUV and following closely on their wheels are the G70 and GV70.

We had an opportunity to drive them both and first up was the GV70 which is a spacious, feature-rich, five-door SUV model that is packed with luxurious design specifications and easily holds up when challenged by the established names.

But the Genesis car has a unique selling point and that is the price.

Like its Korean sibling, it comes with an excellent five-year warranty and also in keeping with the Hyundai ethos, the pricing structure is exceptionally competitive.

With the brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes seen as key rivals, Genesis has its strategy just right with the GV70 starting from £39,450 and rising to £43,350. And instead of massive price hikes due to optional extras, Genesis models are offered with additional packs so any increases to the final outlay are clearly highlighted.

The GV70 is available in three trim levels called Premium Line, Luxury Line and Sport Line with a 2.2 diesel RWD version matched to an eight-speed auto gearbox or a 2.5T petrol AWD model also mated to the same transmission.

We took to the road in the petrol model in high-end Sport Line specification and it certainly lived up to the big build up.

Boasting a distinctive design with a large grille, split head and tail lights, large round exhaust pipes and tinted windows, the GV70 looks the business and certainly turned heads as it passed by.

Our car had stunning Mauna Red paintwork that conveyed its sporty characteristics perfectly.

Moving inside, the elegantly designed interior oozes quality and class with the finest leather upholstery, powered seats, a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with click-wheel dial that can be used for access (very BMW-esque), plus a head-up display.

Everything is finished to an exceptionally high standard and a special mention to the striking 3D instrument cluster behind the wheel that looks futuristic and stylish.

The car was priced at £43,350 although it also included a few packs which bumped the cost up to £50,810.

With 304ps and 421Nm of torque, the GV70 could complete the 0-62mph dash in 6.1 seconds and maxed out at 149mph. According to official WLTP testing, it can achieve a combined 29.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 218g/km.

The acceleration through the gearbox is smooth and responsive with steering wheel-mounted paddles for added driver fun. There are also drive modes called Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ that alter the characteristics of the car.

It feels quite weighty on the road, but is also nicely planted through fast bends with good levels of grip and minimal body sway. The steering is well weighted with plenty of feedback and the GV70 cruises well on motorways as well as fizzing through the lanes.

The all-round visibility is good thanks to the elevated driving position and all the controls, dials and readouts are easy to operate and digest on the fly.

There is bags of space within the car with room for a trio of rear seat passengers to sit comfortably. And storage options are good too with a boot that can swallow 542 litres of luggage, increasing to 1,678 litres with the rear seats dropped flat.

Yes, there are more dynamically driven rivals out there, but for all-round appeal and outstanding value for money, the GV70 will certainly make its mark.

We also took a shorter drive in the G70 saloon model in Luxury Line trim priced at £38,510 (£46,490 with extras). This car with dynamic, streamlined styling, was powered by the 2.2-litre diesel engine delivering 197bhp and 440Nm of torque.

That translates into interesting performance stats with a 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds and maximum speed of 143mph. It can deliver a combined 44.4mpg with carbon emissions of 171g/km.

Once again, the G70 handled beautifully when unleashed on the country lanes with a reassuring sure-footedness that meant tight curves could be attacked with confidence.

The acceleration is good with plenty of power on tap and just like the GV70, the G70 is packed with a wealth of safety kit and driver assist systems.

Features include the likes of highway driving assistance, a blind spot view monitor that shows a camera view of the blind spot in the tft display as soon as you indicate, rear cross traffic collision avoidance, intelligent front lighting, Brembo premium brakes and lots more besides.

Being a saloon, the G70 has a smaller boot with a 330-litre capacity, but there are plenty of storage compartments throughout the cabin on both vehicles.

Genesis has also adopted a somewhat unusual approach to its sales and servicing procedure. There will be no physical showrooms as such, but anyone interested will have their very own Genesis Personal Assistant to see them through the entire process from test driving, selecting the right model and even delivering it.

When a service is needed, the car will be collected and a courtesy vehicle will be left in its place. This will be a five-year plan and will be transferable if the car is sold on.

It's always good to welcome a new marque onto the motoring scene and hopefully Genesis will prove to be as successful as Lexus has become over the years.

There are lots of plans in the Genesis pipeline including electrified models - but only time will tell.