Photo Credits: Genesis.com

New Standard for Luxury EVs

Overview

Performance: Electric motor, 225 horsepower
Twin elector motors, 314 horsepower
Twin motors, 429 horsepower

Mileage estimate: TBA

Price estimate: $50,000 to $70,000

—

Warranty: TBA

2023 Genesis GV60 Review

Intro

Genesis has some ambitious plans for going the electric route.

The company says it has set a goal of going completely electric by 2025. Genesis’ plans include having eight electric vehicles (EV) and selling roughly 400,000 of them by 2030.

Not familiar with Genesis? It’s the luxury division of Hyundai that was created in 2015. In late 2021, the Genesis brand included five gas-powered vehicles – three sedans and two SUVs – that includes the GV80 that gained instant notoriety in 2021 when Tiger Woods nearly lost his life in a horrific crash in Southern California.

Genesis’s EV shift is underway. The company has already introduced its first EV – Electrified GV80 sedan – and has two more in progress. The G70 is a smaller EV sedan than the G80 and the GV60 is the first EV sport utility vehicle.

The focus here is the GV60, an electric subcompact crossover SUV that could be confused for a hatchback. It shares a platform with the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 SUVs.

Exterior Style

The GV60 is 8 inches shorter in length and 2 inches less in height than the GV70. It has what’s been described as a clamshell-style hood, an oversized grille, and double-striped head and taillights.

Unique to the GV60 are some cool features. One of them is the electric door handles that pop out when the driver nears the vehicle. It also has a face recognition and fingerprint authentication system and utilizes Digital Key, which replaces a physical one and allows users to unlock and start their vehicle via smartphone.

Interior Space

Genesis has created a unique cabin with lots of premium features. One of them is an orb that rests behind the center console’s infotainment knob. The crystal sphere serves as a gear selector and rotates 180 degrees when the SUV is first turned on. The look changes when the viewing angle moves.

The GV60 has a massive, high-tech display screen that acts as a gauge cluster and infotainment system. The SUV is equipped with sustainable materials like plant-based leather seats and armrests. The seat covers use yarn fabrics that originate from recycled fishnets and PET bottles.

Depending on one’s preference, GV60 occupants can forego playing music, and instead opt for virtual driving sounds piped through the 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. It’s the first Genesis to have the premium system.

A downside to the interior is size. It’s the smallest SUV in the Genesis lineup, smaller than both the GV70 and GV80 models. The GV60 cargo space has not been released as of late December 2021.

Battery and Range

Like Tesla and some other EV companies, Genesis will use over-the-air software updates. What the GV60 can’t match head-to-head with Tesla is range. The Genesis EV has three different powertrains and the range varies from 229 to 280 miles, far below the Tesla Y SUV (326 miles).

All versions of the GV60 have a 77.4-kWh battery pack. Using a 350-kW outlet, the GV60 charges between 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes. The Genesis SUV can also serve as a mobile power source capable of powering other electronic devices.

Performance and Features

The standard GV60 has rear-wheel drive and one electric motor that generates 225 horsepower 258 pound-feet of torque. An upgraded model has standard all-wheel drive and twin motors that produce 314 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque.

The highest performance GV60 model also has AWD and two motors, and comes with 429 horsepower. Genesis says it can travel 0-60 mph in around 4.0 seconds.

The GV60 has the i-Pedal that gives the driver the ability to accelerate, decelerate and stop using only the accelerator pedal. It can eliminate using the brake pedal.

Standard safety driver-assist systems include navigation-based adaptive cruise control, rear side monitor, surround-view monitor, and highway driving assistance.

Conclusion

After creating its first EV as a sedan, the next logical step for the brand was introducing an electric SUV. The 2023 Genesis GV60 has an alluring appearance and many unique features that should attract interest among folks looking for an EV model.

–  J.W.

First Look Video: 2023 Genesis GV60