Despite being part of a global manufacturing behemoth, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Genesis. It’s a luxury car brand that, like Lexus back in the 90s, hasn’t quite managed to seep into the public consciousness yet, which might explain why it’s only managed to sell 3,500 cars since it arrived in 2021.
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But is that deserved? It might have some flaws, but we love the vast Electrified G80 saloon, and we’ve tried much of the Genesis range. Now we’ve got the keys to the GV60, a modern, sporty, electric crossover that promises to blend luxury and performance. And sorry, Genesis, but we’re going to keep the keys for six months.
Unlike the other electric models in the Genesis range, the GV60 was designed to be powered by batteries and motors from day one rather than being converted from a petrol-powered model. I assume that’s why the GV70 SUV and G80 have the ‘Electrified’ tag, while the GV60 misses out on that. Not that it matters anyway, as Genesis has long declared it’s going to go all-in on EVs, dropping its petrol and diesel models.
Developing a car from scratch isn’t easy, so Genesis has borrowed a lot of the underpinnings from its Hyundai parent company, which means it rides on the E-GMP platform that’s shared with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6 — both great cars in their own right.
It does all of the electric car things that you would expect an electric car to do. In Sport Plus trim, as we’ve got here, it’s unnecessarily quick, hitting 62mph in 4.0 seconds thanks to 490hp and a big button on the steering wheel labelled ‘BOOST’. There’s four-wheel-drive to keep it on the road, and a promised range of 289 miles when you’re not driving like a loon.
It’s all wrapped up in a body that takes a hard turn from the rest of the Genesis range. Gone is the very American, chrome-laden, old-school luxury styling, replaced by something that’s more rounded and a little more anonymous. It’s lifted by some neat touches, like the electric zap ‘Z’ on the rear pillars, and wheels that are more complicated than calculus, while the winged Genesis logo on the grille has already had people asking, “Is that a Bentley?” rather than the less specific “What is that?”.
There are interesting design choices inside, too. There’s a glowing orb in the centre console, but it doesn’t do anything until you turn the car on, at which point it disappears. Helpfully, it’s replaced by a gear selector, but you have to wonder why it exists, considering you need to be in the car to see it, and that’s when it’s not there.
Other than that, it all seems pretty conventional at first glance. Big comfy seats, plenty of room, a sizable if unimaginative swathe of screens from the digital instrument panel to the 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and leather donated by many cows.
We’ll get into the nitty-gritty of the car over the coming months, but our first impressions are mostly positive. I’ve covered many miles on the UK’s motorways in the first few weeks, bouncing between home and airports, and that’s shown some of the good sides of the car.
After a lot of work finding the right position, the seats are incredibly comfortable. The soft Nappa leather can be heated or cooled, and there are multiple massage options, so long journeys are pretty chilled. The thick-rimmed steering wheel feels more connected to the front wheels than on many cars, although the safety systems frequently don’t recognise the fact I’m holding it, especially on the motorway. Cue incessant bongs ringing out every few minutes.
It’s a fine cruiser, although not that efficient. Granted, high-speed motorway runs often don’t show EVs at their best, but 3.1 miles per kWh translates to a range of 240 miles from the 77.4kWh battery pack — a long way short of the promised 289. It charges overnight with ease, at just 8.5p per kWh on my electricity tariff. If I put that money into petrol instead, I’d need to be returning more than 220mpg to get the same value.
Talking of value, the GV60 range starts at £54,105, although this Sport Plus model is a rather more pricey £67,705. And then you’ve got to add the Hanauma Mint paint, the Nappa leather, an ‘Innovation Pack’ which I’ll look into another time, a Bang & Olufsen sound system
, a panoramic sunroof, auto-dimming door mirrors, lime-coloured brake callipers, and a vehicle-to-load adaptor to let you power other things from the car. That’s another £7,150 of options, taking this car to £74,855. Or ‘quite a lot’.
Is it worth the money? We’ll find out over the coming months.
| List price | £67,705 | Price as tested | £74,855 |
| Power | 490 hp | Torque | 700 Nm |
| Max speed | 146 mph | 0-62mph | 4.0 secs |
| Official range | 289 miles | Official economy | 3.9 miles/kWh |
| Real-world range | 240 miles | Real-world economy | 3.1 miles/kWh |
He is the founder of Huff Media, publisher of Professional Pickup, Professional Van, Average Janes, Average Joes, and CALIBRE. His work focuses primarily on light commercial vehicles, pickups, and real-world vehicle use, with much of his time spent on manufacturer launches, industry events, and long-term vehicle testing.