[Auto] Genesis GV60 review

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The Genesis brand has been (back) in Europe for about a year now, and so far its models have been fairly conventional. They are good looking and decent to drive, but the range has been wanting for something to truly distinguish it.

It would have made sense for Genesis to launch as an electric brand. Instead, it has offered only petrol and diesel engines until now. It does plan to go electric-only by 2030 and the new Genesis GV60 crossover is the first step towards that goal.

The GV60’s design is fairly clean, with smooth shapes and few fussy details. Exceptions are the black ducktail spoiler and the ‘Chrome Volt’ window surrounds that mimic a lightning bolt. Split LED lights are a Genesis signature.

Illya Verpraet | Road Tester

The fundamentals immediately look good. The GV60 uses the same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6, two of our favourite medium-sized EVs. Genesis says it’s here for the long haul, and it has two more EVs – electric versions of the G80 saloon and GV70 crossover – waiting in the wings. It plans to build the brand gradually, though, relying on both the strength of its products and its friendlier, more personal approach to selling its cars.

That said, it has quite a lot of brand building to do. In July, it sold just 62 cars. Is the GV60 going to supercharge those sales? The recipe of Kia EV6 with a generous dose of premium appeal sounds like a good start. Let’s see how it stacks up.

Range at a glance

The GV60 range is relatively simple: there are three trim levels, and they are tied to the power output. Premium uses a single rear motor, while Sport and Sport Plus have dual motors and all-wheel drive. All versions use the same 77.4kWh battery pack.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/genesis/gv60