Earlier this month, our team of spy photographers managed to capture a disguised Genesis G70 out doing testing ahead of its mid-life cycle refresh. The G70, a direct and worthy competitor to likes of the BMW 3 Series, was only introduced to the US market in 2018 and it's already nearly time for the compact sports sedan to receive some updates to keep it competitive.

Those earlier spy shots showed a test mule with covered front and rear ends, a dead giveaway indicating styling changes expected to borrow design cues from the just revealed Genesis G80, which competes against the larger 5 Series. Expect to see the G70 adopt the G80's split headlights and taillights. Along with the cosmetic changes, Genesis also appears to be dabbling in the handling and performance improvement department.

YouTuber Automotive Mike spotted a G70 prototype testing on the one and only Nurburgring late last week and it appears to be the same vehicle we saw earlier. None of its camouflage wrap has been removed. However, the test driver was clearly pushing the vehicle hard around the Green Hell. Under the hood, there will be a new 2.5-liter turbocharged engine instead of the current 2.0-liter turbo, a fact already confirmed by the South Korean automaker. The new engine is expected to produce 290 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque.

The upcoming Hyundai Sonata N-Line will also utilize this engine with the same output. The 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 with 365 hp is also expected to return though we don't know yet if any updates are planned.

What's also quite interesting in the video that this G70 mule is sharing the track with its corporate cousin, the Kia Stinger. It too features some front and rear camo, thus clearly indicating it's the refreshed 2021 model we've been hearing a fair amount about lately.

So, when will this visually updated and improved Genesis G70 debut? An official date hasn't been announced but it will definitely debut as either a 2021 or 2022 model.