Genesis GV60 Review & Prices

Genesis is the premium arm of Korean brand Hyundai, which makes the all-electric GV60 the equivalent of shelling out for that particularly nice bottle of wine. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an intelligent and rewarding choice, but the GV60 is that little bit more extravagant and special.

The GV60 is described as an SUV, such is the fashion with cars these days, but it’s more of a hatchback shape and doesn’t have the commanding driving position of more jacked-up SUVs. But it would be reasonable to consider the GV60 alongside big-selling EVs such as the Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron, as well as popular electric cars such as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5.

The GV60 comes in three distinct levels, with each trim level equating to a step up on performance, as well as equipment. The Premium is rear-wheel drive with 229hp and the best range at an official 321 miles, while the Sport is all-wheel drive thanks to a second motor for the front wheels and the figures move to 318hp and 292 miles of range.

The high-performance Sport Plus is a big jump cost-wise, but then it has 490hp, although the range drops slightly to an official 289 miles. The Sport Plus also has a childishly amusing Boost button on the steering wheel that instantly liberates the power that will take the top-spec GV60 from 0-62mph in a frankly ludicrous 4.0 seconds. 

Range Test: Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback v Genesis GV60 v Mercedes EQA v Nissan Ariya v Tesla Model Y v Volkswagen ID Buzz

On the inside, Genesis is creating a reputation for high-quality interiors, even against the established premium cars it’s competing with, and the cabin quality is up with the best that Audi, BMW, Mercedes or Volvo can offer. The materials are impressive, even on lower areas of the car where others have been known to cut costs.

The two 12.3-inch displays for the dashboard and the infotainment dominate the interior, and the graphics are cutting-edge, although it’s not always the easiest system to navigate your way around. Continuing that theme, the steering wheel has a total of more than 20 different buttons, touchpads and controls for various systems including the cruise control, audio and drive modes. 

Hitting the start button kicks off a nice little bit of theatre as the crystal orb rotates to reveal the gear selector, and it’s useful that the climate controls are kept separate from the touchscreen. Stowage is adequate rather than expansive up-front, and rear passengers will be comfortable without feeling able to spread out. 

The boot is reasonable and has a wide opening and almost no lip, making loading and unloading heavier items easy. The canvas parcel shelf is a bit flimsy though.

On the road, the GV60 has the typical punchy acceleration of electric vehicles no matter which version you go for, although that does noticeably increase with the warp speed of the 490hp range-topper.

Less pleasing is that the Genesis wants to communicate every bump or road join it encounters back to those in the cabin, so it’s not the smooth ride you might expect. But otherwise it's a quiet and capable cruiser rather than a sporting electric vehicle, and is adept at covering the 200-plus miles between charges with minimal fuss. 

On one of our range tests, which is mostly motorway miles, the GV60 managed 253 miles, which is 79% of its claimed 321-mile range. That's at 3.5 miles per kWh, just under the 3.7 miles per kWh it's officially capable of.

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Genesis is pitching itself as a premium brand, so we’re not looking at the cheap end of the market here, but you get a lot of equipment and a lot of high-quality style for the money, certainly when compared to the interior of a Tesla Model Y, for example. 

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 - which is closely related to the Genesis - is significantly cheaper if not quite so elegantly appointed, and the excellent Kia EV6 also undercuts the GV60, while the Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron both start at a significantly lower entry price than the Genesis. 

The GV60’s big jumps between trim levels - over £4500 from entry to middle and nearly £10,000 from middle to top - are mainly to reflect the big gaps in performance rather than increases on the already healthy list of standard equipment in the Premium model. In fact the only major difference is that the middle Sport model gets an upgrade from 19-inch to 20-inch alloy wheels. The Sport Plus does also get black brake calipers, electronic limited slip differential, metal sports pedals and an improved interior including leather seats, as well as the hyperspeed Boost button and 21-inch alloys, all of which helps justify the much higher price.

The Genesis GV60 is refined and, in the fastest model, so much quicker than it looks like it should be. But it's not the most comfortable car to drive around town

In town

In town is where the five levels of brake energy regeneration are most noticeable and useful, allowing you to alter how much the car slows when you lift off the accelerator to recoup energy back into the battery. 

Visibility is decent looking ahead, although there is a bit of a blind spot, and it’s less good looking behind thanks to a combination of the bar across the middle of the rear screen and the lack of a rear wiper, as well as a hefty rear pillar blocking some over-the-shoulder view.

The harsh ride quality is most noticeable in town, with all models suffering but the higher spec ones even more so thanks to the larger alloy wheels. The light steering is helpful for manoeuvring, especially as the turning circle isn’t the best, while the brakes can be a bit snatchy at low speed.

Front and rear sensors and a rear camera help with parking, and at night the car shines some handy white lines onto the surface behind the car to track where it’s heading.

On the motorway

The GV60 is most at home on the motorway where you’re protected well from any wind or road noise intruding into the serene and comfortable cabin. The ride quality is also better, suffering less at higher speed than around town where every bump is transmitted into the cabin. 

The car has an impressive suite of every safety system you could name, helping make longer runs a relaxed experience. Slightly less so is the over intrusive lane keep assist. It’s easy to disengage, but seems to kick back in again every time you resume the otherwise seamless adaptive cruise control.

On a twisty road

The quickest GV60 feels like a regular car fitted with a powerful motor, rather than a full-on performance car. There is a sport setting alongside the comfort and economy modes, but it still doesn’t transform the Genesis into a wannabe hot hatch as the steering is still a bit light and it doesn’t have the poise of a performance car. The top-spec model in particular is very very fast between the bends, but it’s not a car most at home going round them with gusto.

The interior stowage space is pretty good, although the door bins are a bit small, and while the boot will swallow a week’s shopping, others such as the Tesla Model Y and VW ID4 have larger luggage areas

There is a decent array of stowage space in the front of the GV60, although none of them are huge. The door bins will take one reasonably sized bottle, although they narrow as they run down the door, and there’s under-armrest space that again is of medium size. There are a pair of cupholders alongside the gear lever and rotary controller for the screen, although the touchscreen is close enough to the driver (unlike most other Genesis models) that the controller is almost redundant. The GV60 also gets a wireless charging pad and USB sockets, as well as the biggest stowage spot, which is an open area at the foot of the dashboard. 

The glovebox is a natty sliding draw, rather than hinged, although it too isn’t the most vast of spaces. 

Space in the back seats

Rear seat passengers will be satisfied rather than delighted by their lot, with the plus points including the luxury of heated rear seats and an optional three-pin socket below the rear bench, which trumps rear USB sockets! Of which there are also two in USB-C form. Passengers in the back also get a big stowage area facing them from between the front seats, as well as pockets in the front seat.  

Less good is the actual space. If you’re a taller rear passenger you’ll find yourself rubbing knees against the front seats, which is amplified by the hard backs to the front seats. It’s also tight to tuck feet under the front seats, which is a shame. Door pockets are again small, although there’s a nicely designed circular cupholder in the door. 

The centre rear seat is a bit narrower than the other two, so three adults won’t be enjoying their trip as much as those in the front, but at least the floor is flat and there’s no significant rise to the seat cushion. When there’s no-one between the two rear passengers, the armrest drops down to reveal a pair of cupholders. There are ISOFIX points in the back, which are easy to get at.

Boot space

The GV60’s 432 litres lags some way behind the 520 litres of an Audi Q4 e-tron, which itself is smaller than the likes of the Skoda Enyaq or Volkswagen ID4, so if load-lugging is important then the GV60 isn’t likely to be top of the list. But it’s a decent enough space, and the hatch opens wide for easy access, while a tiny lip means it’s easy to slide heavier stuff in and out. 

There are four tie points and a 12-volt socket, as well as a useful space under the floor for stashing messy charging cables so they don’t mingle with your weekly shop. It’s a shame you can’t drop the rear seats from the boot, you have to reach through to the button on the back of the seats, but they at least fold pretty much flat.

With the seats folded, space extends to 1550 litres.

The GV60 also has a 20-litre stowage space under the bonnet, a front boot, or froot if you will. It’s small, but gives another option for charge cable stashing. 

The interior is certainly stylish and high quality throughout, although the crisp and responsive infotainment falls down a little in the usability stakes

Genesis continues to build cars with interior quality befitting or exceeding cars of this price bracket. It’s hard to find any evidence of cheaper materials, even lower down the cabin where some manufacturers save money by swapping in cheaper hard plastics. The only exceptions are a couple of the controls, such as the mirror adjustment button, which looks a little out of place and not such high-quality.  

The seat comfort is excellent, although it could do with dropping a touch further for those that like to sit lower down. 

The huge 12.3-inch double screens are crisp and visually very pleasing, and the nice tiled approach makes it easy to find everything. At the top level at least - there are times when things don’t operate in the most logical way, especially in the connection between the steering wheel controls and the dashboard. 

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard, and the GV60 gets some plus points for keeping the climate controls off the touchscreen system. They even get their own sharp-looking little display screen. There are also shortcut buttons for the likes of the sat nav and radio, as well as a favourite button to take you straight to your screen of choice.

The GV60 gets a choice of three power options, with each trim having a different performance level, all mated to the same 77.4kWh battery. The Premium has a 229hp single motor that’s good enough to not feel sluggish, without being quite as stand-out as the other two, but as well as being the cheapest GV60, it’s also the most efficient, offering an official range figure of 321 miles. 

Going up to Sport takes the range down as it adds all-wheel drive rather than rear-drive, and the extra weight and increased performance (318hp) reduces efficiency to 292 miles. The top Sport Plus model boasts a hefty 490hp, but loses another three miles on the middle model, taking its official range figure down to 289 miles. But that car does have a rather impressive 4.0-second 0-62mph time, while at the other end of the scale, the entry car completes the same dash in 7.8 seconds. The Sport model sits somewhere between the two at 5.5 seconds.

The good news for company car drivers is that running an EV is the best way to mitigate your tax payments, with electric cars sitting in the lowest possible band. They are also exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty, as well as the various low emission schemes popping up across the country. 

In terms of charging, the GV60 will, Genesis says, go from 10-80% charged in a very impressive best of just 18 minutes on an ultra-fast 350kW public charger, if you can find one, or 73 minutes on a 50kW charger. At home, going from 10-100% will take just over seven hours on an 11kW wallbox, or more than 34 hours on a three-pin plug.

In its Euro NCAP crash test, the Genesis GV60 scored the maximum five stars, although its rating for protecting vulnerable road users wasn’t up with the absolute best cars. 

But all GV60s get a raft of safety tech, including smart cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot warning, speed limit assist and forward collision avoidance.

Genesis is looking to differentiate through its customer experience, be that collect-and-deliver for warranty and servicing work including a courtesy car, or the five-year unlimited mileage warranty itself, which dwarfs most premium brands. 

The cover includes 60 months of Europe-wide roadside assistance, as well as five years or 50,000 miles of servicing cost, and five years of navigation system updates, something other brands such as BMW charge for much sooner into the ownership experience. 

As the brand is still new to these shores, any reliability issues are still to make themselves apparent, although sister brand Hyundai, which shares much of the underpinnings with Genesis, has a good reliability record.