The Genesis GV60 has been out for a while. It still holds up. In fact, it might be the most advanced electric SUV you can currently buy. The look is… polarising. Some love the split lights and slanted roof. Others squint in confusion. Doesn’t matter though. You can’t argue with the stats. Great range. Insane charging speeds. Less range anxiety.
That crystal ball gear shifter? Yeah, it spins. It looks flashy. But underneath all that swivelling glass and questionable plastic choices, this car rides on the same bones as the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Or the Kia EV6. It’s just dressed up for the opera.
Is it cheap? No. But there is a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. That softens the blow. Just barely.
What actually is the GV60?
It isn’t Genesis’s only EV. The brand also makes an electric G80 sedan and the massive GV70. But the GV60 is special because it wasn’t bolted onto a gas-guzzler platform. It’s bespoke. Or, well, semi-bespoke.
It shares the E-GMP platform with Hyundai and Kia. But where the Ioniq 5 is angular and quirky, and the EV6 is sporty and sharp, the GV60 is plush. It’s focused on luxury. After a mid-life refresh, every new GV60 packs an 84kWh battery (80kWh of that is usable).
They’re also cooking up something called the GV60 Magma. Imagine the EV6 GT but in Genesis clothes. It won’t be here until 2026, though. So, for now, you get what’s available.
We sent Andy Pringle, our chief sub-editor, off with one for six months. He hates nothing. Yet he noted some annoyances.
Money matters
Here is the hit to the wallet:
- Pure (RWD) : Starts just over £54k
- Sport (AWD) : Pushes past £58.5k
- Performance (AWD) : Nearing £68k
You want a discount? Look at our leasing deals. Or buy used. The prices drop, obviously. But even used, these are pricey cars.
Driving it: Comfort over coolness
Let’s get this straight. The GV60 isn’t here to drift corners. Well, not really.
It is biased toward comfort. Very much so. If you throw it around, it complies. But it doesn’t dance like the EV6. The suspension is soft. Too soft? Maybe.
There’s a fidgety quality to the ride at low speeds. Surprising for a luxury cruiser. And if you pick the big 21-inch wheels on the Sport or Performance trims, it gets worse. Rough roads get transferred straight into your spine.
Then there’s the turning circle. Eleven-point-nine metres. That is huge.
The Nissan Ariya is about a metre better. The VW ID.5 is nearly two metres tighter. Try parallel parking in London. Try reversing into a tight garage spot. Good luck. Andy relied heavily on the parking sensors and the 360-camera. You want those aids? Buy the Innovation Pack. That’s another £3k on the sticker price.
But go faster.
Why not.
The entry-level Pure is rear-wheel drive. It makes 226bhp. Zero to 62mph in 7.9 seconds. Adequate. It feels brisk from a standstill, but once you hit highway speeds, it merges into the pack. Top speed is 115mph.
Upgrade to the Sport. Add a front motor. Suddenly, you have 314bhp. That 0-62 time drops to 5.5s. It pulls harder. Top speed bumps to 124mph.
The Performance? This is where things get serious. 483bhp. 700Nm. You hit 62mph in four seconds. Genesis claims 146mph top speed. There’s even a drift mode. It sends power to the rear wheels for oversteer.
Do you actually need drift mode in a luxury family SUV? Probably not. But it’s fun.
The incoming Magma will obliterate all this with 641bhp. We’ll save judgment until then.
One good thing: brake regen. Genesis lets you control it via paddle shifters. Five levels. You can go from complete coasting to one-pedal driving. Some of the engagement feels harsh. But generally, the powertrain is smooth. Slick.
The motorway
Here the GV60 shines.
Floaty is the right word. On a straight stretch, the suspension soaks everything up. It feels sure-footed, not twitchy. Engage the lane-keeping assist (which steers itself for short bursts), lean back. Relax.
It is louder than the Nissan or VW, though. Wind noise creeps in at speed. Not unbearable, but present.
Range and Charging
This is the GV60’s killer app.
While everyone else worries about mileage, the Genesis charges fast. Painfully fast.
Every model gets that 84kWh battery. Ranges vary by weight and wheel size.
- Pure : 348 miles WLTP. This beats the Nissan Ariya (329) but falls short of the Ioniq 5 (354).
- Sport : 318 miles.
- Performance : 311 miles.
Real-world tests? Even better news. We tested the pre-facelift model and got 4.0 miles per kWh. The new Pure got 3.8 mpg. That translates to over 300 usable miles easily. For daily commuting, range isn’t an issue. It rarely will be.
But when you do need to plug in at a public rapid charger? The GV60 pulls away.
It supports 220kW charging.
Get from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. Add roughly 200 miles. Grab a coffee. It’s done.
The Nissan Ariya tops out at 130kW. That same top-up takes 30 minutes. You’ll be standing in a queue watching people finish before you.
Home charging takes about 12 hours on a 7.4kW unit. Standard stuff.
Running costs: Ouch.
Buying is expensive. Keeping it is worse.
Depreciation is brutal. Our data says the GV60 keeps only 35% of its value after three years. The Hyundai Ioni5 keeps up to 42%. The Ford Capri? Over 50%. You’re bleeding money the moment you drive it off the lot.
Insurance? Not great. The Pure is Group 38. The Performance is Group 46. High groups mean higher premiums.
Tax? Since the price starts above £50k, you hit the VED surcharge in years two through six. It adds £310 a year. Ouch.
Interior and Tech: A mixed bag
The exterior changes are subtle. A thinner grille. Better headlight tech called ‘Micro Lens Array’. Inside is where they really spent money.
Gone is the dual screen. In comes one massive 27-inch curved OLED panel. It spans the whole dash. It looks stunning. Bentley-esque in ambition.
The materials? Mostly good. Soft leather on the steering wheel. Contrasting stitching. Real warmth. But peek in the wrong place—say, the lower doors—and you’ll find hard plastic. It feels… budget. For a car nearly £70k, it shouldn’t be there.
The gear shifter again. It retracts into the armrest. You start the car. The crystal sphere rises and spins. It’s dramatic. Is it intuitive? No. Does it make sense? Arguably no.
Then there’s the infotainment.
Here is the problem.
Genesis borrowed software from Kia and Hyundai. But they didn’t just copy-paste it. They changed it. And it got worse.
Menus are buried. Sub-menus within sub-menus. Navigating on the move is a distraction hazard. We found it slower and fiddlier than almost every rival. They added a rotary controller for the screen. It helps a tiny bit. Not enough.
But… physical buttons remain. Climate controls? Physical switches below the screen. Some shortcut keys? On the center console. We like this. In a world of touchscreens everywhere, tangible knobs save lives. Or at least reduce stress.
So you have a gorgeous interior. Great build. A screen that looks like the future but functions like a spreadsheet. And a car that drives comfortably enough for a Sunday run, provided you don’t need to park it between two pillars in a dense city square.
Is it worth the extra cash over the Hyundai? Maybe for the badge. Maybe for the warranty. The technology holds you back. Just a little.
