That Big Step Forward During my week with the 2023 Genesis GV60, I noticed something interesting: electric cars are now making their way. Not long ago, charging stations had a few Nissan Leafs, Chevrolet Bolts, and a rare Mitsubishi i-MiEV parked in front of them. But when I was shipping the Pokémon-like Genesis, I saw a variety of vehicles that made me realize how far EVs have come. There were Rivians, Benzes, a Polestar or two, and a VW across the street. That was great.
The GV60 and its platform companions, the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, are examples of this monumental achievement. These vehicles cost less, but the GV60 was designed to be a real show of luxury. However, it is more than just a premium electric car. It touches on the aspects of cars that I adore. The design of the vehicle and its ability to make you feel like things are essential to creating a relationship. This is how the GV60 feels.
2023 Genesis GV60 performance specs
- Base price (high performance): $59,290 ($69,990)
- Movement: 77.4 kWh Lithium-ion battery | Permanent magnet double electric motor | Single Speed Transmission | All-wheel drive
- Power: 429 (482 with boost mode)
- Torque: 479 lb-ft (516 lb-ft with boost mode)
- Seating capacity: 5
- Curb weight: 4,872 pounds
- EPA range: 235 miles
- Quick Look: The GV60 goes above and beyond to be unique in the growing electric vehicle market and pulls it off great. But its basics still need some work.
- Score: 8.5/10
basics
The GV60 is a new contender for 2023 because it’s the first Genesis EV. The Advanced and Performance varieties are available in the United States. Both feature a 77.4 kWh battery and two-wheel drive. There’s a modest difference in range and horsepower, with the Advanced gaining 248 miles on the Performance’s 235 miles but losing 169 horsepower.
On the other hand, the Performance boasts impressive handling features such as a rear clutch-type electronic limited-slip differential and adjustable dampers. Internally, they’re both identical, except the Advanced got brass brake callipers and silver callipers, and the Perfo Romance got silver callipers and black brake callipers. It’s the little things.
Inside, it’s stunning. The mix of materials, textures, and free-form design creates an inviting and wonderful environment in which to spend time. It’s also surprisingly roomy and adaptable, with a large trunk, plenty of rear legroom, and comfortable, supportive front seats.
There are interesting features throughout, such as a glove box that pulls out like a tray or seats that can recline so the car becomes a desk during a charging stop. It also features practicality, enough room to stretch out while driving, and a functional trunk. With stark fashion and attention to detail, this is a great interior design school. Examples include the GV60 and its platform mates, the Kia EV6, and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The same attention to detail pervades the ergonomics. There are three or four ways to handle most features in a car. The traditional button and scroll track, the large touch-sensitive central knob way, the touch screen way, and the steering wheel track are all options. This may sound confusing, but it provides greater use for a wider range of drivers.
It’s especially useful because the programmable buttons allow you to create shortcuts, and most scroll wheels can also act as buttons, adding another layer of utility to the vehicle. Allowing too many inputs would have been disastrous, but the GV60 pulls it off flawlessly. As an added bonus, you can unlock the car with face recognition and start it using the fingerprint scanner and la Black Mirror.
Genesis GV60 performance
There has been a lot of discussion about how similar electric vehicles are, but the truth is that every car takes years of research and modification. Electric drive motors offer engineers the chance to advance because of their smooth, powerful, and built-in efficiency, but anyone who’s tried to build anything from scratch knows that the last 10 per cent is the hardest, but also the most important. Genesis, as seen in its predecessor vehicles, has a strong staff – a team that contributed to the brilliance of the GV60.
The throttle is precisely calibrated, with a progressive map that makes boost adjustment simple. This mapping becomes more precise as the modes get more sporty, providing more power early in the pedal stroke. The brakes are the same story, with regenerative braking merging seamlessly with the standard brakes. Four degrees of the ride are available, ranging from coasting to single-pedal driving. Yes, and it has tons of torque. On the other hand, electric vehicles easily achieve this.
The GV60 is fairly damp in terms of comfort, with particularly soft rebound damping in the rear, contributing to the impressive ride quality in all conditions. Small impacts fade into the suspension glass, while large body motions are treated as if occupants were classed as “fragile”. On the floating side, but it works very well. It was never bothered by tough city streets or interstate travel and was always comfortable.
However, handling suffers as a result of this softness. Excuse me for the zeal, but the soft rear rebound lets the vehicle put its weight nicely through turns with little understeer, but don’t try to figure out the limits. The physics quickly reminds you of its nearly 5,000-pound curb weight, and the damper suspension fails on low-speed, winding backroads. It tilts, dives hard, slows down, and wobbles while changing directions. Breathtaking canyons are closer to home, but the GV60 was built for highway driving.
The steering is exceptional, almost outdated. A fast ratio, yet well-balanced, with weight in the middle and off-centre gain. When combined with the snappy steering, it feels almost like unsupported cornering in Sport mode. The weight is still there for parking lots and slow motions, but it’s more supportive. Other modes are becoming more popular, but I appreciate how heavy the sport is. All that delicious weight and subtlety don’t make for a real feel, but it’s enough to have a good time on a winding road.
The only unique feature is GPS-based adaptive cruise control, which seems to slow the car whenever it feels like taking a break. Overall, it was a calm and pleasant environment to spend some time in, day or night.
The highs and lows
There’s no denying that the GV60’s interior is the centrepiece. It has a lot of characters, is adorable, and is very trendy. It’s hard not to fall in love with it and its details, especially in the bold blue and yellow colour combination. The doors have colour-changing ambient lighting and a small LED in the side mirror adjuster changes colour as you move the positions. This is the price of any other vehicle component.
On the other hand, low light is a much more difficult issue and is very dependent on the use case. During my time in the car, I was only able to get a real-world range of just under 200 miles, which is well short of the EPA’s 235 miles.
This comes with the caveat that I’m based at about 2,500 feet, I’ve been to sea level many times, and it’s been a bit cool, about 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. Downhill highway travel is fun, but downhill driving takes twice as much energy. It didn’t fare so well on this mountain road, averaging about 2.2 miles per kWh, but highways aren’t an electric vehicle’s strong suit. It averaged 2.8 miles per kWh during the week, but my use could be extreme.
This is a common problem with electric cars, and I think the 200-mile maximum range is fine for everyday use, as long as a few rules are followed. This wouldn’t be a good electric car for the road if it relied on charging facilities, which are often unreliable. It supports 350kW fast charging, though I found the car preferred the 150kW fast charge.
This could be due to the temperature, but the 150kW charges faster, and connections are more plentiful. In the end, you will charge him more. In the long run, unless you’re charging at home, using a longevity strategy of quickly charging your battery from 20% to 70% will get you less range than you think. Sadly, it’s a topic of long debate, but the range is a small concern with the GV60.
Genesis GV60 performance characteristics, options, and competition
The $55K to $70K electric vehicle market is competitive right now, with Tesla’s Model Y, Polestar 2, and top-of-the-line trims of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and Audi’s E-Tron among the contenders. The GV60 is an SUV. However, cars in this market such as the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4 M50 should also be considered. In terms of technology, features, and overall luxury, it’s competitive in this category. It’s also reasonably priced, albeit somewhat below average in terms of range.
The GV60 has a few options. The differences between the two levels mentioned above are in range and performance. All of the latest driver-assistance systems are standard, as are a head-up display, excellent Bang & Olufsen audio, 360-degree parking cameras, and a 12.3-inch centre display. There’s so much standard equipment crammed into the car that it’s impossible to list them all, and there’s no shortage of wow-factor technology. But, if you want to check out any options, Genesis offers select paint colours for an additional $575.
sustainability
Being an EV, one of the GV60’s main selling points is its environmental friendliness, no matter how much “cost” it is to build. There are no emissions on the road, but the battery pack isn’t very efficient. After about 500 miles of largely highway driving, with about 50 miles in the twists and 30 in the city, it averaged 2.8 miles per kWh. It’s not terrible, but it’s not amazing either.
Genesis states that environmentally friendly materials are used throughout the GV60. In fact, the chairs include a little sticker that says “sustainable.” The seats and armrests are made of vegan leather, as well as other materials made from recovered polymers, according to the company.
Judgment and value
It’s not cheap, tested at around $70,000, and it must somehow justify itself against its cheaper platform mates, the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 (and eventually, the impending Ioniq 6). These vehicles are great, with versions offering rear-wheel drive, a single engine, and a range of more than 300 miles. Until the future rear-wheel drive long-term variant is released, the GV60 will continue to use the heavier and less economical twin-engine system. I see a great opportunity to get a Genesis cabin with a little more range. Power and smoothness are expected of an EV, but the GV60 goes above and beyond.
The GV60 makes a compelling case for an impulse purchase. He’s endearingly weird, but also really clever and cool. It’s a unique combination of features in a new car, and I think it should be applauded. After experiencing it, it’s hard not to fall in love with it.
