GV60 debut puts Genesis ahead in EV race

By Jack McKeown

May 18 2022, 5:00 pm

The GV60 is the first fully electric Genesis.

A mid-size luxury crossover, it goes on sale in the UK on June 6. Ahead of its launch I headed to Frankfurt where I was one of the first British journalists to drive it.

Genesis is a new premium car company that’s owned by Hyundai. Last year saw it launch four models in the UK – two SUVs and two saloon cars.

An efficient, ultra-fast charger

The hotly-anticipated GV60 is the company’s first electric car. It shares a platform with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, but adds an extra layer of luxury.

What it gets from its parent company’s architecture is excellent efficiency, 800V electrics and ultrafast 360kW charging.

Three models are available: Premium, Sport and Sport Plus.

Prices start at a little over £47,000 for the Premium version, which has one 226bhp electric motor powering the rear wheels (Facts below are for this model) and does 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds.

Recently, we held the press launch event for our all-electric Genesis GV60 at the B'mine Hotel, in Frankfurt, Germany. Invited guests experienced our We Come To You promise with a GV60 delivered straight to their balcony.#GenesisEurope #GV60 pic.twitter.com/79atoLm9EV

— Genesis Europe (@Genesis_Europe) May 13, 2022

For around £55,000 you can have the Sport version. This has motors on the front and rear axle, making it four-wheel drive.

The GV60 excels at luxury

Power rises from 226bhp to 314bhp and the 0-62mph time drops to 5.5 seconds.

At the top of range and costing £65,405 is the Sport Plus, which uses a more powerful front motor to develop a mighty 429bhp – enough to do 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds.

With its lower power and lighter weight the Premium model has the best range, at 321 miles. The Sport and Sport Plus versions both cover around 290 miles.

Genesis designed the GV60 to be luxurious and here is where the car succeeds best.

A composed and quiet ride

Active suspension uses cameras to scan the road ahead and prepare the car for bumps and potholes. In practise this makes for a ride quality that borders on sublime.

Hurtling towards 120mph on Germany’s speed limit free autobahn the GV60 remained composed and whisper quiet.

Through town it handled speedbumps and awkward cambers with equal aplomb.

The GV60’s interior is superb. Start the car and a glass sphere on the centre console rotates to reveal a gear selector.

A large infotainment touchscreen is clear and easy to use. Blessedly, Genesis has avoided the route taken by other manufacturers in trying to get rid of buttons altogether.

Good old knobs and dials control temperature, fan speed and other functions you want to use without taking your eyes off the road.

The GV60 is a mid-size SUV that’s comparable in dimensions to the Audi Q4 e-tron and Volkwagen ID4.

Spacious interior

There’s plenty of space for four six footers to sit comfortably. At 432 litres, the boot is a good size – though that rakish rear window will restrict headroom for large dogs.

There’s more space under the boot floor and a 50 litre compartment under the bonnet where you can stash the charging cables.

Genesis had Premium and Sports Plus versions for us to test out. Both are excellent. With less power the Premium version isn’t as fast, but it still surges to 62mph in under eight seconds and has the best range at 321 miles.

At £47,000 it’s excellent value for money and is the most sensible one to go for.

However, if you like thrills the Sport Plus model supplies them. It has a ‘Boost’ button on the steering wheel. This gives you an extra burst of power for 10 seconds – upping it from 429bhp to a whopping 483bhp.

It’s fun to play with but seems a needless gimmick – if I’m overtaking quickly I want full power without having to press a button first.

Shaking up the premium market

With or without the boost function, it’s seriously fast. Floor the throttle and you’ll absolutely rocket towards the horizon. At more than £65,000, it is expensive though.

The Sport version is around £10,000 cheaper, also offers four-wheel drive and is nearly as fast.

Genesis is hoping to shake up the premium car market. All of their cars are extremely well equipped and competitively priced against the equivalent Audi, BMW or Mercedes.

The company’s business model is another game changer. You get a personal assistant for the buying process. They’re not on commission so won’t give you the hard sell.

Prices are fixed so there’s no haggling. There’s five years’ warranty and servicing. The company even picks up the car from your home for servicing, leaving a courtesy car.