Genesis GV60 Review 2024

There was a danger that the Genesis GV60 was going to be little more than a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 in a fancy suit. But – while it does share many technical similarities – it manages to be very different from its Korean counterparts. It strikes a near-perfect balance between comfort and performance, while also packing loads of interior space and an upmarket cabin. The GV60's biggest stumbling blocks are the price... and the fact barely anyone will know what it is.

Hyundai's premium brand Genesis arrived back in 2020 with bold ambitions to change the way we buy cars. It doesn't do conventional dealers – instead, it has a handful of 'studios' and personal assistants available to answer any questions you may have and even deliver a demo car to your house.

The brand's first offerings were a bit old-school, available solely with old-fashioned petrol or diesel power and not even a hint of electrical assistance between them. But the Genesis GV60 is an electric SUV which shares its platform with the aforementioned Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 – two of the best EVs on sale today. And that means it has more than a bit of potential.

It's not a budget option (but, apart from the MG ZS EV, no electric SUV is). Prices start from around £47,000, pitching it against the Volkswagen ID.5, Jaguar I-Pace and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Even the entry-level Genesis GV60 Premium feels quite posh, though, while its single motor setup provides more than adequate performance. In fact, we'd probably say it's the one to go for, thanks to its sweet handling and relatively soft suspension.

Genesis GV60 Sport and Sport Plus models are, well, sportier. Both feature an extra electric motor and all-wheel drive with the Sport Plus featuring such headline-grabbing highlights as a 'boost' mode. It's more than a bit sprightly, its combined 490PS and 700Nm of torque (with the 10-second boost mode engage) meaning it can cover 0-62mph in just 4.0 seconds.

It's that kind of performance that might tempt Tesla drivers to reconsider their choice of electric car, but most buyers will be trading in their petrol or diesel vehicle and will be more interested in how far the Genesis GV60 can travel between charges. And the official answer is up to 321 miles.

Charging the Genesis GV60 is a speedy process, too. Plug it into a rapid charger and you'll be able to top it up from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 20 minutes. It works the other way, too – spec the optional Outdoor Pack and you'll get an inside and outside socket, allowing you to use the GV60 as a massive portable battery (ideal for charging your laptop, plugging in a camping kettle... maybe even charging another electric car).

There are other gimmicks, too, like the (optional) digital door mirrors and a crystal ball which spins around when the car's switched on to reveal the gear selector. But they don't (mirrors aside, perhaps) interfere with how easy the Genesis GV60 is to live with. The infotainment system, for example, is much more user-friendly than you'd get in VW Group alternatives like the Volkswagen ID.4 or Skoda Enyaq IV. You even get a rotary controller rather than having to rely on the touchscreen display.

While the Genesis GV60 looks quite compact in the pictures, it's actually a pretty big car. That space isn't wasted, though – it feels enormous inside, with rear legroom being particularly impressive.

Want one? So do we. A lot of EV buyers will stick with the recognisable badge of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6, but we reckon the Genesis GV60 stands out enough that it's worth experimenting with a brand your neighbours won't have heard of, bought in a way that still feels a bit futuristic even in 2022.

Looking for a second opinion? Read heycar's Genesis GV60 review

As electric SUVs go, the Genesis GV60 is one of the sportier choices in terms of handling. Sure, it never entirely hides its mass, but the steering is eager and it remains surprisingly flat during cornering (that'll be the low centre of gravity provided by positioning the batteries under the floor).

We really like the way the (relatively) affordable GV60 Premium goes about its business. As its sole electric motor powers the rear axle, the GV60's front wheels are left to handle the, er, handling. As a result, it feels nimble both in and out of town, while there's loads of grip on hand so you don't need to worry about the rear tyres spinning up or trying to thrust you into the scenery.

More powerful models are four-wheel drive but this doesn't ruin the fun. You can get the GV60 Sport Plus with a drift mode, which we're yet to try out but will apparently allow you to control a sideways slide should you ever venture on to a circuit in your electric family car.

There's quite a noticeable difference between the drive modes in the GV60, with 'sport' adding a hefty chunk of weight to the steering, sharpening up the accelerator response and (if fitted) firming up the adaptive dampers. You can also adjust the amount of regenerative braking using paddles behind the steering wheel (a feature we wish more electric cars had... ahem, Volkswagen ID.5 we're looking at you). With recuperation set to the max, it'll slow down quite significantly as soon as you lift off the accelerator – allowing you to negotiate the city streets without having to touch the brake pedal (it takes a bit of practice but is a masterclass in planning ahead).

With its 19-inch alloy wheels, the GV60 Premium has the chunkiest tyres so is also the most comfortable in terms of ride quality. Generally, the GV60 does a pretty good job of smoothing over broken road surfaces but, like most electric cars, it has its limits. Don't expect to take speed bumps at warp 10 and expect not to notice them.

All Genesis GV60 models come with a 77kWh battery pack, powering one or two electric motors (depending on spec).

The entry-level Genesis GV60 Premium features a single electric motor on the rear axle, providing 229PS and 350Nm of torque. Those are almost the kind of figures you'd expect from a hot hatch not that long ago – and, with the instant oomph provided by the electric motor, it feels more than lively enough at town speeds. If you're looking to sprint to 62mph from a standstill, you'll find it does it in around 7.8 seconds.

The Genesis GV60 Sport lives up to its name by adding an extra electric motor to the front axle. This four-wheel-drive model packs a combined 318PS and 605Nm of torque, meaning it's quite a bit quicker than the Premium derivative. Standstill to 62mph takes just 5.5 seconds.

The fastest Genesis GV60 is badged the Sport Plus. This is pretty rapid, even by electric car standards, helped by a 'boost' button which can increase its power output to 490PS for short periods (great for a quick getaway or hasty overtake). It'll accelerate to 62mph in four seconds flat.

The crash test experts at Euro NCAP are yet to smash the GV60 to smithereens, but it'd be a bit of a blow for Genesis if it was awarded anything less than the full five stars (the platform-sharing Hyundai Ioniq 5 was handed five out of five, after all).

In the case of a collision, the Genesis GV60 has no fewer than eight airbags ready to deploy within a fraction of a second (including a handy central airbag that'll prevent the driver clashing with the front-seat passenger).

Hopefully it won't come to that, though, as there's all the usual tech on hand to prevent a crash in the first place. This includes an autonomous emergency braking system (which can apply the anchors if it detects danger) as well as an evasive steering assist feature that'll help you swerve around a potential collision.

The beauty of cars built on dedicated electric vehicle platforms like Hyundai's E-GMP architecture (which underpins the Genesis GV60) is they're often designed to maximise interior space. Without the need to cram in an engine, transmission and fuel tank means manufacturers have a lot more freedom – the batteries can be laid out flat underneath the floor.

As a result, the Genesis GV60 feels huge inside. While you don't sit quite as high as you do in the Skoda Enyaq iV, the cabin feels extraordinarily spacious. Passengers in the back could well be sitting in the back of a Mercedes S-Class, such is the space on offer. There are cubbies aplenty, too, while there's even a fancy drawer which slides out where you'd normally find a glove box.

While passenger space has clearly been a priority in the Genesis GV60, the boot can still carry up to 432 litres of luggage. That's less than rivals and access is quite high, although a standard-fit false floor reduces the lip for lifting things over (as well as giving you somewhere to hide things away). There's a small 'frunk' under the bonnet, too, providing a convenient place to store charging cables.

From its fancy crystal ball gear selector to the leather-covered dash, the Genesis GV60 feels sufficiently different from its Hyundai and Kia relations. It's actually quite posh and goes some way towards justifying its steep price tag, although some of the switchgear and plastic door handles do give the game away that you're not in something like an Audi Q4 e-tron.

Genesis has resisted the urge to follow Tesla's lead with a minimalist cabin – we'd actually go as far as describing the interior as 'anti-minimalist'. You get a pair of 12.3-inch digital displays, with the one in the middle of the dash providing access to all the usual infotainment functions (including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).

The infotainment is easy to operate, while it's not reliant purely on touchscreen – you can navigate it using a rotary controller on the centre console. This is much easier, in our experience, when driving than having to lean forward and press the touchscreen display.

We're not quite so keen on the (optional) digital door mirrors, which replace conventional mirrors with cameras and OLED monitors on each of the front doors. Maybe we'd get used to them with time, but they feel a bit like tech for tech's sake. We found that using them to judge the distance of an approaching vehicle on the motorway can be difficult.

The Genesis GV60 isn't cheap. It starts from around £47,000 for the GV60 Premium, while the dual-motor GV60 Sport is nearly £54,000. The desirable Genesis GV60 Sport Plus is more than £65,000.

If you're looking for an affordable electric car, you'd be better looking at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 instead (or even budget alternatives like the MG ZS EV). But, like-for-like, the Genesis GV60 is only slightly pricier than its Korean brethren. And it's priced in-line with premium competitors like the Audi Q4 e-tron.

High demand and limited UK allocation means we're unlikely to see nearly-new Genesis GV60s offered with huge savings any time soon.

Depending on which model you buy, the Genesis GV60 has a range of up to 321 miles – meaning you can travel further between charges than in a Polestar 2 or Mercedes EQA, and almost as far as a Tesla Model Y Long Range. Even the powerful Genesis GV60 Sport Plus can cover 290 miles between charges, providing you're not being overzealous with the boost button.

The Genesis GV60 can take charging at a rate of 350kW which means that, if you find a rapid enough public charger, you can top it up from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 20 minutes. Suddenly, the idea of using an electric car for a long journey seems a lot more palatable.

We'd always recommend charging an electric car at home overnight, if possible. It'll take around 11 hours to fully charge a Genesis GV60 using a 7kW home charger.

Charging aside, the Genesis GV60 will be extremely cheap to run. You won't pay anything in VED (road tax) – a considerable saving compared to a premium petrol or diesel car. Servicing's included for five years through the Genesis Care Plan, while they'll even pick the car up from your home or workplace and drop off a courtesy car.

There's no need to be concerned about reliability, either. While Genesis is a relatively unknown brand in the UK, don't forget that the GV60's mechanicals are pretty much identical to the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. We haven't heard of many issues with either of these, while electric cars are generally very dependable.

While the Genesis GV60 is available in three trim levels (Premium, Sport and Sport Plus), exact UK specifications are yet to be confirmed.