Tesla Model Y Vs. Genesis GV60 Performance: Which Is Faster?

2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range With Acceleration Boost
2023 Genesis GV60 Performance With Boost Mode
Acceleration Results

Within the Tesla mobile app for our long-term 2021 Model Y is an Acceleration Boost option that at the press of a button — and disappearance of $2,000 from our ledger — claims to drop the electric vehicle’s 0-60 mph time from 4.8 seconds to 4.2 seconds. We timed the unlocking of this mode with the arrival of the 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance in our test fleet because the GV60’s claimed 0-62 mph time of 4 seconds should make for a pretty close matchup.

With our Model Y’s Acceleration Boost now available and the GV60 Performance’s own Boost Mode unlocking its max performance, we tested 0-60 and quarter-mile acceleration to see which is quickest. Is acceleration alone a reason to buy one EV over another? No, of course not, but if there’s one thing that’s exciting about luxury electric SUVs, it’s that they can have sports-car levels of acceleration with relatively little impact on drivability and efficiency.

2021 Tesla Model Y | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry

2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range With Acceleration Boost

We added our Model Y, a Long Range model with an optional third row and tow package, to our long-term fleet to use as a benchmark against the exploding availability of EVs. During our ownership, the $2,000 Acceleration Boost option was staring at us every time we opened the Tesla app, saying “click me, click me!” So we clicked it. In less than 5 minutes, with the car connected to home Wi-Fi, the screen inside the car rebooted and, voila, we just tuned our Model Y with extra power and a new acceleration mode by literally only hitting a button; now, the “Normal” acceleration mode was replaced by “Sport.”

In previous testing, our Model Y sprinted from 0-60 in 4.79 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 12.77 seconds at 114.35 mph, which we thought was respectable, but the Model Y was going to need all the acceleration boost it could get against the GV60 Performance.

2023 Genesis GV60 Performance With Boost Mode

The Tesla isn’t the only EV with juiced boost. The all-new GV60 Performance has a Boost Mode, activated by a button on the steering wheel, that gives the car 54 more horsepower for 10 seconds to help it accelerate from 0-62 in a claimed 4 seconds. But what does that mean for 0-60 mph? And more importantly for this test, what does that mean for someone interested in a $70,000 electric SUV? These SUVs are only $805 apart in price: the GV60 Performance starts at $69,385 with destination, while a Model Y Long Range with $2,000 Acceleration Boost is $69,190.

Acceleration Results

With both EVs charged to over 90% battery, the GV60 Performance felt like it had a massive advantage and wow factor over our Model Y from the seat-of-the-pants feel behind the wheel, and the numbers reflected a big difference, too. The Model Y’s 0-60 time of 4.32 seconds with Acceleration Boost was noticeably laggier than the 3.77 seconds of the GV60 Performance using Boost Mode. We observed acceleration parity, however, not using the GV60’s Boost Mode, as it slowed its 0-60 time to 4.35 seconds, much closer to the Model Y’s 4.32 seconds with Acceleration Boost. In the quarter-mile, the GV60 Performance’s 12.03 seconds at 112.27 mph similarly trounced the Model Y’s 12.4 seconds at 113.7 mph; and without Boost Mode, the GV60 Performance’s quarter-mile time was 12.6 seconds at 109.83 mph.

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In their respective boost modes, the difference between these two is most notable from 0-60, where the GV60 Performance blasts away from a stop with a violent launch and hit of wheelspin, versus the Model Y’s more reserved power application that doesn’t immediately indicate a new acceleration mode has been unlocked. After 10 seconds, however, the GV60’s acceleration chills out when Boost Mode is depleted and they accelerate very similarly to the quarter-mile mark.

Would a Model Y Performance have been a closer competitor to the GV60 Performance? Yes, with its 0-60 claim of 3.5 seconds. Does a Model Y Performance cost as much as a Model Y Long Range with Acceleration Boost unlocked? Close, at $2,000 more when comparing a base Model Y Performance with a base Model Y Long Range. Do we regret spending $2,000 on Acceleration Boost? Well, that conclusion will have to wait as we continue to monitor efficiency and performance over the long haul.

The bummer about what we learned in this test is that, yes, the GV60 Performance is a wild ride for the price. Behind the wheel, there’s no confusion as to which one is the more aggressive accelerator; it’s the GV60. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s also a rare one. Right now, GV60s are sold only in select states (Arizona, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Utah and Washington) and have extremely limited availability.