Genesis Electrified GV70 2023 review

At $127,800, before on-road costs, the Electrified GV70 is offered in a single ‘Luxury Package’ grade, and competes with a broad range of premium SUVs. But when your talking zero tailpipe emissions the field narrows to include the Audi e-Tron 55 quattro $147,400, BMW iX xDrive40 DSport $149,900, Jaguar I-Pace EV400 SE $142,580, Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 $122,724, plus the upcoming Volvo EX90 (circa $120K).

Part of the Genesis proposition is aggressive pricing in like-for-like model comparisons, and the Electrified GV70 is loaded with the kind of standard features you’d expect in models at the top of the segment.

The equipment list is… extensive, but the highlight reel includes, 14-speaker ‘Lexicon by HARMAN’ audio (with 1050W, 14 channel digital amp) with digital radio as well as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity, 18-way power-adjustable front seats (with two-position memory for the driver), three-zone climate control (managed by a 6.0-inch colour display screen with haptic feedback), unique 20-inch alloy rims, a 14.5-inch multimedia display (with augmented reality navigation function), a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (with 3D view), and a configurable, multi-function head-up display.

Inside is a 14.5-inch multimedia display with augmented reality navigation function. (Image: James Cleary)

The Electrified GV70 has 18-way power-adjustable front seats (with two-position memory for the driver). (Image: James Cleary)

There’s also Nappa leather-appointed seats, dash and doors (with contrast piping and stitching), a ‘Panorama’ glass sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats (rears are heated in the outer positions and centre cushion), the leather-trimmed steering wheel is also heated, and there’s interior ambient lighting.

All the exterior lighting is LED (including the headlights with ‘High-beam assist’ and ‘Intelligent Front Lighting System’), there’s also keyless entry and start (including remote start and ‘Remote Smart Parking Assist’), rain-sensing wipers, and wireless device charging.

For goodness sake, there’s even fingerprint authentication for personalised settings and the rotary media controller features a handwriting recognition pad.

There’s a lot more, but you get the idea. This car is easily equipped to the level of a $130K SUV, and some way beyond.

If you’re new to the party it pays to make a big entrance, and Genesis Chief Creative Officer, Luc Donckerwolke and his design team have applied a distinctive look and feel across the brand’s emerging range.

The two-tier, split headlight (and tail-light) treatment stands any Genesis apart, as does the diamond quilted grille and lower vent.

A combination of smooth, aero-influenced curves and harder keylines define a neatly proportioned SUV. Big snowflake-style 20-inch alloys fill the arches nicely and an angular (third) side window into the cargo section reflects an almost fastback sweep to the rear of the roof.

A quoted coefficient of drag figure of 0.29 is impressively slippery for a five-seat SUV measuring just over 4.7 metres long. And it’s worth calling out the most common mis-attribution for Genesis models that have passed through CarsGuide garage so far is that they’re a Bentley, and not just because the brand logo has wings.

Inside, the look and feel is relatively restrained but premium and visually interesting, with a dual-level dash design topped by a broad, 14.5-inch multimedia display and the heating and ventilation controls housed within a neatly curved fascia panel.

A simple, raised binnacle surrounds the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, while quilted Nappa leather on the seats, more genuine hide on the dash, doors and steering wheel, as well as suede headlining and ambient lighting enhance the top-shelf vibe.

One niggle is that I occasionally confused the two rotary controllers on the centre console, one managing multimedia, and the other, the transmission. Maybe it’s the length of my forearms, but more than once I found myself reaching for the larger media dial (placed ahead of the gearshift) when I wanted to switch gear positions. Likely something familiarity would fix.

At just over 4.7m long, 1.9m wide, and a bit more than 1.6m high, the Electrified GV70 is a substantial machine and interior space is generous.

Plenty of head and shoulder room up front and a close to 2.9m wheelbase means there’s lots of space for those in the back, as well.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I enjoyed ample head and legroom, and the car is broad enough that three full-size adults will be okay on short journeys, but would be best for two grown-ups or three (cooperative) kids on longer road trips.

Storage in the front includes a decent glove box (although a phone book-sized owner’s manual folder takes up much of it), two big cupholders and a lidded device charging bay in the centre console, a large storage box between the seats (that doubles as a centre armrest), and big bins in the doors, with plenty of room for large bottles.

Upfront, the interior space is generous with plenty of storage spaces. (Image: James Cleary)

There are adjustable vents and temperature adjust, as well as ample head and leg room for the second row passengers. (Image: James Cleary)

Move to the rear and standard three-zone climate control means there adjustable vents and temperature adjust for back seaters, as well as netted map pockets on the front seat backs, door bins, again with enough room for bottles, and two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

Thoughtful touches include electric slide and recline controls on the centre side of the front passenger seat backrest so those in the rear can give themselves more space as required, as well as a two-way (manual) backrest recline function for the rear seat itself.

Parents of younger kids will also appreciate the ‘Quiet Mode’ function that mutes audio volume in the second row only.

Power and connectivity options include two USB-A jacks in the front (one for media connection, one for charging only) the Qi wireless device charging pad, and a 12V socket in the centre storage box. There are another two USB-A outlets in the back seat and a second 12V socket in the boot.

Speaking of which, boot space is a more than decent 503 litres (VDA) with all seats upright. Lower the 60/40 split folding rear seat and that number grows to 1678L, and there are six anchor points for securing loose loads. There’s also a handy 22-litre front cargo area under the bonnet.

The power tailgate works hands-free and features adjustable height and speed, and those keen on towing will be pleased to see a 1.8-tonne braked trailer capacity (750kg unbraked) with trailer stability assist included.

Don’t bother looking for a spare of any description, though. A repair/inflator kit is your only option.

The electrified GV70 is powered by two permanent magnet synchronous motors; one on each axle.

They each produce 160kW/350Nm in ‘normal’ operation, their combined output quoted as 320kW/605Nm. But press the steering-wheel mounted ‘Boost’ button and those numbers tick up to 360kW/700Nm for a 10-second burst of extra performance.

Transmission is via a single-speed reduction gear front and rear, while the drivetrain is tuned for rear-wheel drive bias, and features a ‘Disconnector Actuator System’ that can decouple and reconnect the front motor and drive shaft in line with driving conditions. The switch between RWD and AWD is designed to maximise efficiency through reduction of transmission losses.

Power is provided by a 77.4kWh Lithium-ion battery, configured as a flat pack sitting under the floor and putting out a solid 394kW. Claimed driving range is 445km.

The official Genesis energy consumption number is 19.9kWh/100km, and over a mix of city, freeway, and some B-road diving on the roughly 300km launch drive program we saw a dash-indicated figure of 18.1kWh/100km. Not bad for a 2.3-tonne, five-seat SUV, and regen braking, including single ‘i-Pedal’ operation, makes a useful contribution along the way.

A 400V/800V ‘multi-rapid’ charging system allows use of various charging set ups without the need for an additional converter, and the plugs are Type 2 for AC and CCS Combo2 for DC.

Genesis says charging from 10 to 80 per cent battery capacity takes around 18 minutes when plugged into an ultra-rapid 350kW DC charger.

Drop the input power to a more typical 50kW fast charger and that time grows to 73min, while a 10.5kW AC charge blows out to just under 12 hours. Use the ‘Emergency’ charging cable connected to house power and you’re staring down the barrel of more than 34 hours.

In terms of charging costs, for the first five years of ownership that’s potentially academic because Genesis EV buyers are given the choice of a five-year subscription to the Chargefox network (currently Australia’s largest) or an AC charger and installation.

Also worth noting, ‘Vehicle To Load’ (V2L) capability means you can plug in things like a laptop inside the car as well as camping or work equipment from the outside.

The Electrified version of the GV70 hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP, but its petrol and diesel stablemates were awarded a maximum five-star rating in 2021.

Of course, the hefty battery pack, not to mention the size and location of the two electric motors makes for a markedly changed profile under the skin. But this car boasts a full complement of active and passive safety tech, and would be highly likely to achieve the same outcome.

Crash avoidance features amount to a laundry list of assists, warnings, and monitors, the headline inclusion being AEB (city and inter-urban speed) with junction turning and crossing as well as pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-change function (oncoming and side), and ‘Evasive Steering Assist”. Phew!

Then you can factor in blind-spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, multi-collision brake (minimises the chance of secondary impacts after an initial collision), rear cross-traffic alert, rear AEB, ‘Safe exit assist’, adaptive cruise control, ‘High-beam assist’ (with ‘Intelligent Front Lighting System’), a surround view monitor, ‘Smart parking assist’ (including remote smart parking assist), tyre pressure monitoring and a driver attention warning. That’s pretty much an active safety burger with the lot!

But, if despite all of that, a crash is unavoidable there are eight airbags included (driver and front passenger front and side, front centre, driver’s knee and full-length side curtain).

There’s also an active bonnet to minimise pedestrian injuries in a front-on collision, three top tether points for baby capsules/child seats across the back seat, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

There’s even a first aid kit, hazard warning triangle and ‘Roadside assistance kit’ on-board. Hard to fault such a comprehensive approach.

Several decades ago, Lexus repositioned the local luxury car market with an unprecedented focus on the ownership experience. It woke the established players from their post-purchase slumber and things have never been better for luxury car owners. More recently, Genesis has entered the customer benefits arms race with its heavy artillery blazing.

Purchase an Electrified GV70 and it will be covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty (now the norm in the luxury segment), with eight-year/160,000km cover for the battery.

Then, under the umbrella of ‘Genesis Service Concierge’ you’ll also receive five years complimentary servicing with the choice of a valet pick-up and return, or a courtesy vehicle.

You can also factor in 10-year 24/7 roadside assistance and complimentary nav map updates for the same period.

Throw in a choice of a five-year Chargefox subscription or home A/C charger and installation and things are looking pretty much pain-free for at least the first five years.

It must be said the Lexus ‘Encore’ program adds extra layers in the form of rewards and access to exclusive events. But the benefits similar to the Genesis perks listed above are limited to three years and only owners of top-tier Platinum-eligible models pick up the full package.

Quiet, smooth and powerful, the Electrified GV70 incorporates a range of tech features to enhance the natural attributes of its dual-motor set-up.

Not surprisingly, low noise levels are an inherent EV trait, but Genesis adds active noise control and acoustic laminated windscreen and door glass to create a serene interior environment.

Suspension is a strut front, multi-link rear design, with the impact of the battery pack’s lowdown weight managed via the ‘Road-Preview adaptive Electronic Control Suspension’ system.

The set-up uses a front windscreen-mounted camera to scan the road ahead and optimise the electronically-controlled suspension’s tune on the fly. It works beautifully.

There are four drive settings – ‘Eco’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’, and the custom ‘My’ mode, the latter allowing personalisation of the motor, steering and suspension.

But, no matter which mode you’re in, this GV70 is fast. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is a rapid 4.8 seconds, but press the steering wheel-mounted Boost button, for a 10-second burst of extra performance, and that time drops to a properly quick 4.2 seconds.

On the move it’s the equivalent of a ‘push-to-pass’ button, adding extra urgency for safe overtaking and lane changes.

The front seats proved comfortable on long stints, although it was disconcerting the first time the ‘Ergo Motion’ massage function kicked in automatically after one hour behind the wheel. I’m sure that setting can be altered but it took me by surprise.

Steering assistance is variable and road feel is good. In fact, the car feels lighter and more responsive in cornering than its 2.3-tonne weight would suggest.

If you really want to push through your favourite set of bends a torque vectoring system, using a combination of braking and torque control, keeps understeer in check, and the 20-inch rims are shod with grippy Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber (265/45).

In slower going on loose surfaces like dirt or snow an ‘e-Terrain Mode’ manages drive distribution between the front and rear axles to maximise stability and traction.

And as well as the regenerative braking functionality on-board the physical braking spec is impressive with big ventilated rotors (360mm fr / 345mm rr) and four-piston monobloc fixed calipers at the front, and single-piston floating units at the rear.

They can be a bit sharp in low-speed maneuvering but proved progressive and strong at highway speeds. A big plus for those hooking up the van, boat or horse float.

Speaking of low-speed maneuvering, despite the GV70’s sizeable footprint, parking is straight-forward thanks to proximity sensors front and rear, an overhead view, and a hi-res reversing camera.