The new Genesis GV60 marks a subtle reinvention of Genesis. Which might surprise you, since it seems like barely a year since Hyundai brought its premium brand to the UK – because, of course, it is.
While there’s nothing in the name to give it away, the GV60 is the first bespoke electric car from Genesis and as such showcases its impending future as an electric-only brand offering a Korean-spiced alternative to the premium Germans.
While they’ve been generally likeable, Genesis’s ICE offerings so far have failed to really sell that vision – but there are good reasons to think the GV60 can change that.
That’s because the GV60 has good family genetics in the form of the Hyundai Motor Group’s advanced E-GMP platform, as used by the excellent Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. You probably know the chief traits of that by now: flat floor, good efficiency, 800V electrics, 350kW ultra-fast charging. But how will E-GMP’s potential translate to a properly premium experience?
Our first dynamic taste of the GV60 comes in a pre-production car (you can tell from the big stickers that read ‘PRE-PRODUCTION’) and isn’t in a specification that will reach the UK. The suspension on this EV is a mash-up of Korean and US spec and the software isn’t the final version. Hence the lack of a star rating.
It has the Sport Plus powertrain: two 215bhp motors that combine to offer 429bhp, rising to 482bhp if you press the big ‘Boost’ button on the steering wheel. Predictably, it has a mound of torque and a 0-62mph time of 4.0sec. So it’s the most powerful E-GMP car yet to reach the market, albeit at the punchy price of £65,405.
The fresh styling approach Genesis has taken with the GV60 is readily apparent, with a smoother, softer and perhaps slightly less austere feel than the firm’s ICE range. It certainly has presence, especially when finished in Day-Glo-style São Paulo Lime paint.
Just like the Ioniq 5 and EV6, the GV60 somehow tricks your sense of scale: in photographs, the rounded bodywork suggests a somewhat compact car, but it’s actually close in size to the Audi Q4 E-tron. That said, at 4515mm, it’s about 100mm shorter than its Hyundai and Kia siblings. There’s a family resemblance to the interior layout. The ‘floating’ centre console, twin-screen dashboard and spacious feel are all familiar. But there’s plenty of difference, too: blue nappa leather adds an upmarket feel and there’s a pleasing number of shiny silver buttons and switches.
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This Genesis looks the part, but as others have said - the range is disappointing.
I kept banging on about range too, then someone mentioned how often do you drive a couple of hundred miles?, and how often do you drive in a week and how far?,and of course how far have you driven during the Pandemic?, 170-190 would cover my week,and when they get the recharge times down to ICE cars, we'll wonder what all the fuss was about!