"The Genesis GV60 is the new brand’s only dedicated electric car, but it’s also one of its most impressive models"
- Genesis GV60 range and charging
- Insurance groups
- Genesis GV60 electric motor
- Genesis GV60 dashboard
- Genesis GV60 interior space & storage
- Boot space
- Genesis GV60 reliability
Pros
- Excellent driving range and fast charging
- Luxurious interior with lots of tech
- Good to drive and comfortable
Cons
- Expensive to buy
- Boot isn’t very big
- Limited headroom in models with a sunroof
The Genesis GV60 is a new model that uses electricity only. Other cars in the Genesis range include petrol and diesel-powered SUVs and saloon cars; this model is the first to use plug-in power.
The GV60 is often seen in an eye-catching colour to grab your attention, but it’s available in more subtle shades and is well worth considering if you are looking for an electric family car. It’s closely related to the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, two new electric cars that are among the best on sale right now.
Other rivals to be aware of include the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y. The GV60 has a range of up to 321 miles (depending on which version you choose), plus it can charge faster than many other electric cars.
The range is quite simple, with just three versions to choose from. Premium is the entry-level model, then there’s Sport and the top-spec Sport Plus. Premium comes with one electric motor driving the rear wheels, while Sport and Sport Plus use two electric motors and are four-wheel drive as a result.
The Premium model has 225bhp, Sport has a similar figure plus an extra 99bhp from the added front motor (totalling 315bhp), and Sport Plus has two 215bhp motors (a maximum of 483bhp in the car’s ‘Boost’ mode).
All versions use clever high-speed charging tech for a 10-80 per cent charge in just 18 minutes, but their driving ranges differ. Premium has the longest, with 321 miles on a single charge, Sport can drive for 292 miles and Sport Plus manages 289 miles. It means the GV60 isn’t as efficient as the Kia EV6, for example, which has up to 328 miles of range; even the four-wheel-drive EV6 can travel for 314 miles between charges.
The GV60 is well equipped whichever version you choose, with twin 12.3-inch infotainment screens as standard plus LED headlights, 19-inch alloys and a reversing camera. The equipment on higher-spec models is mostly cosmetic, so you’re paying for the added performance rather than more toys to play with.
The interior is very smart and well made, and the technology feels modern while also being easy to use and it has loads of features. It’s not the roomiest EV around, but there’s a good amount of space in the back seats, so the GV60 will work as a family car.
It’s good to drive, too. On our test drive in Germany we found that the GV60 was comfortable, enjoyable and smooth to drive, plus of course since it’s an electric car it’s quiet and relaxing in traffic.
The Genesis GV60 has a good electric range, especially in the entry-level model that can cover more than 300 miles. What’s more impressive about the car’s set-up, though, is the cutting-edge charging technology that allows for incredibly rapid top-ups while out and about.
Genesis GV60 range and charging
There are three versions of the GV60: Premium, Sport and Sport Plus. Premium has the longest driving range, at 321 miles, while Sport drops to 292 miles and Sport Plus can drive for 289 miles on a charge.
This is because the higher-spec models have extra motors that are more powerful and add weight, so the range reduces slightly. We’d expect around 280 to 290 miles in the real world from the Premium model, so the Sport versions should manage up to 250 miles in normal driving. However, in our experience high-speed driving doesn’t reduce the range by as much as in some electric cars, so you can make the most of the range for longer trips.
Long trips are also made very convenient by the 800-volt charging technology. All versions can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes on a 350kW rapid charger. There aren’t too many of these around in the UK at the moment, but more are appearing all the time.
Most charging will be done at home, though. A 7.4kW home wallbox charger will fill the battery in less than 12 hours, so it’s suitable for overnight charging even if you use almost all the car’s potential range.
At the UK average energy cost of 14.4p per kWh, the GV60 costs about £11 to fully charge, which in the Premium model (with the longest range) works out at about 29p per mile. That will make it cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car but the real savings for company drivers come from the ultra-low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate applied to electric cars.
Insurance groups
Even the entry-level GV60 sits in group 41 for insurance, which is higher than the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. The Sport model is in group 45 and the Sport Plus model is in group 49, one away from the maximum 50, so the GV60 will be rather expensive to insure for most people. Even the fast and fun Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range is only in group 37, so it’s certainly possible to have a quick EV that’s cheaper to insure than the Genesis.
Warranty
The Genesis GV60 comes with a five-year warranty as standard, which is the same as you get with a Hyundai Ioniq 5. The five-year plan actually also includes servicing and the brand even collects the car from your door. It’s a great service and may even appeal more than the seven-year cover you get with a Kia EV6.
The Genesis GV60 uses the same electric car tech as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Since these models have already impressed us with the way they drive, it’s not too much of a surprise to learn that the GV60 is also good to drive.
On our test route in Germany the GV60 was enjoyable to drive and comfortable. The entry-level Premium model was the best in this respect, because its smaller wheels meant it was better at dealing with bumps in the road.
The is very quiet inside, especially with optional noise-cancelling tech fitted. We found it was only at high speed that wind and road noise really made themselves known in the cabin, and around town it was really quiet and relaxing to drive.
Genesis GV60 electric motor
There are three different versions of the Genesis GV60, and they all have a slightly different layout in terms of their electric motors – but all have the same 77.4kWh battery pack. You can click back to the previous page to find out more about how much range each version has, but the maximum claimed range is 321 miles.
The Premium is the entry-level car and it has a single electric motor with 225bhp. This version is all you really need, because performance is great – it goes from 0-62mph in a brisk 7.8 seconds and feels very powerful from low speeds (like almost all electric cars do).
This model is rear-wheel drive only, but the higher-spec models are four-wheel drive because they have an additional motor at the front. Sport has a total of 315bhp, and Sport Plus has two 215bhp motors with a total of 423bhp.
The GV60 Sport Plus has a button on the dash that sets it to ‘Boost’ mode, which brings performance to the forefront and allows a maximum of 483bhp from the two powerful motors. This version is very quick and accelerates from 0-62mph in around four seconds, which is faster than most sports cars and some supercars.
The Sport model sits somewhere between those two, taking 5.5 seconds to get to 62mph – more than fast enough for anyone. All versions have lots of performance and are quiet and smooth when driving around town.
Comfort is a strong point for the Genesis GV60. It’s at its best in entry-level Premium trim, which has smaller wheels than the high-spec Sport Plus version. Although the top-spec car has fancy suspension tech to help it be smoother over bumps, the cheaper model is simpler, lighter and more comfortable.
You don’t get much noise in the cabin from the motor, so the only intrusive noise comes from high motorway speeds, where wind and tyre noise are audible. You can add clever noise-cancelling tech to combat this (as part of a Bang & Olufsen stereo upgrade), so the GV60 is really quiet inside overall.
Genesis GV60 dashboard
The GV60’s interior is excellent – it feels very well made and the materials are high quality, so it justifies its high price tag quite well. The plush steering wheel feels good to hold, and contrast stitching for the leather seats is another nice touch.
The interior is similar in some ways to the Kia EV6 that the GV60 shares parts with, but that’s no bad thing – parts such as the twin 12.3-inch display screens and useful centre console are really impressive to look at and have plenty of functionality as well. It’s more stylised than the Kia, though – there are some touches that won’t be for everyone, the same as with the exterior styling, but it has its own personality and some buyers will love that.
Equipment
The GV60 range is nice and simple; there are three trim levels and each has its own equipment as well as a different electric motor set-up. You can read about the technical details on the previous pages covering performance and economy.
Premium is the entry-level model, and it comes with LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, two 12.3-inch infotainment screens (one in place of traditional dials and the other in the centre), an electric tailgate and a reversing camera.
There’s loads of safety kit, too, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision assist with AEB, blind spot warning, lane follow assist and rear cross-traffic assist.
Sport models get larger 20-inch alloys and Sport Plus versions also have larger alloys and different interior trim. It means the entry-level car is the best value for money.
Technology
The GV60 has two 12.3-inch screens, no matter which version you go for, and they work really well. There are five USB ports and wireless phone charging, too, so you can make the most of your smart devices and enjoy Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity for apps and navigation. Of course, there’s a built-in sat-nav as well.
The graphics on the screen are sharp and although they are similar to Hyundai and Kia’s layouts, this means it’s easy to use. It’s responsive and has all the features you need, so the GV60 scores highly for technology.
The Genesis GV60 was designed from the start as an electric car, so the designers never had to work around fitting an engine up front. This means there’s more storage, including a front boot that’s good for keeping charging cables in, and the interior is surprisingly spacious. It’s not the most roomy EV of its type, though.
Genesis GV60 interior space & storage
The dedicated electric car design means that the wheels are pushed right out to the corners of the car, and this creates added interior space over a similar-size petrol car. There’s lots of space in the rear seats of the GV60 as a result, with enough legroom and headroom for most.
Be aware that models with a panoramic sunroof (an optional extra) have significantly less headroom and so aren’t ideal for people planning to carry tall passengers in the back.
Up front there’s loads of space and the open design means that it feels very airy and spacious. The centre console is useful as an armrest as well as for storage (with two cupholders) and there’s a spot for your phone while it charges. There are lots of USB ports for everyone to use.
You can add a Comfort seat package for the front and rear on the options list. This adds heated and cooled seats and ambient lighting in the front and retractable blinds, tinted windows and heating for the rear seats.
Boot space
Boot space in the GV60 isn’t a strong point, but it’s still practical enough for most families. There’s 432 litres of rear boot space in all models, which expands to 1,550 litres with the seats folded down.
That’s smaller than that of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and even the Kia EV6 has 490 litres of space. The Volkswagen ID.4 also has a roomier boot. Still, you don’t have to store the charging cables for the car in the back, because there’s 53 litres of storage space under the bonnet – at least in the entry-level version.
In higher-spec models, which have four-wheel drive and therefore an electric motor at the front, this space shrinks to just 20 litres. It’s rather small and not very useful in these versions.
Genesis is a relatively new brand in the UK – its first models only arrived in 2021 and the GV60 is its first electric car. It’s not starting completely from scratch, because Genesis is closely linked to Hyundai – it’s actually spun off from the Hyundai Genesis luxury car name that has been successful in the US but never took off in the UK.
This means it’s tough to get a long-term idea of the reliability, especially because the car is also brand new. Since electric cars have far fewer moving parts than a petrol or diesel car, they tend to be much more reliable overall, so there’s no reason to think the GV60 will be unreliable.
Genesis GV60 reliability
The GV60 feels very well built inside, so we expect the interior to stand the test of time – although there is a lot of technology, which would be the only question mark when it comes to reliability of the parts you interact with.
The motor itself should be really reliable and since Genesis offers a five-year warranty and service plan for free with every car, it’s bound to stay in excellent condition for the first ownership at least.
Since the GV60 uses the same platform as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, it’s likely to be similarly reliable. Neither of these models has appeared in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey yet, but when they do, we might have a better idea about how reliable and good they are to live with.
Safety
The Genesis GV60 hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP yet, but it probably won’t be too long before the testing body assigns this new model a safety score. We’d expect it to do very well, especially for technology – it’s fitted with loads of hi-tech kit as standard.
Every version comes with adaptive cruise control with functions to assist with changing lane, and it even learns your driving style and adapts to it.
There’s also autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and forward-collision assist, which helps with braking and avoiding a crash. It detects pedestrians, which is more useful in town driving.
Blind-spot assist monitors the sides of the car, while lane-follow assist keeps you in your lane and junction turning assist will brake for you if you accidentally move away from a junction when traffic is approaching. It has the same tech at the rear as well to help with reversing out of a parking space.
Keyword: Genesis GV60 SUV review