Genesis GV60 long-term test | Is it as good as its rivals?

The GV60 is smallest model in the Genesis line-up, but the brand’s only car built from the ground-up to be an electric car. 

Sharing the E-GMP platform with Kia and Hyundai, Genesis has built a unique model on the proven underpinnings shared with Kia's EV6 and Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and 6. The GV60 represents the brand’s core values of exceptional style, outstanding quality and cutting-edge technology, as well as, they say, delivering a driving experience that delivers unrivalled comfort, refinement and driver engagement.  

The GV60 goes up against some popular and established rivals like the Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX2 and Polestar 2 - so it’s a big statement. 

It’s pricier than some of its rivals, with the BMW and Polestar both coming in under £50,000. The GV60 Premium, at £54,050, is slightly cheaper than the Audi Q4 e-tron 45 Sportback, in S Line trim, costing £55,295. 

When it comes to overall running costs, the GV60 is the most expensive over a typical four-year (80,000-mile) cycle. According to Cap data from the Fleet News Running Costs Tool, our GV60 will cost 56p per mile to run.  

Big savings can be made by opting for the BMW iX2 eDrive20 M Sport, which costs just 47p per mile to run. It does, however, have the smallest battery and the lowest range of the bunch. 

Polestar, like Genesis, is a relatively new brand and it has enjoyed a lot of success in the UK fleet market with the Polestar 2. It’s easy to see why – at £49,095 the Single Motor Long Range has running costs of 50p per mile and the car will comfortably return 300 miles per charge. 

Genesis is all about the ‘Genesis experience’. It refers to the Korean principle of son-nim which says that their customers are their guests. Genesis employs personal assistants to help customers through their buying journey and model ownership. The brand says it is “redefining expectation” and it's all part of what makes Genesis different.  

Genesis has also integrated a Plug & Charge system in partnership with Shell Recharge, which lets drivers charge without requiring a payment card or smartphone app. The system allows Genesis drivers simply pull up, plug in and charge at a compatible charging station.  The car communicates with the charger and starts the charging session automatically. Once charging has ended, the customer’s Shell Recharge account is automatically invoiced, which could be a very useful feature for business drivers claiming mileage. 

Drivers can also use Genesis Charging to manage their home charging and have easy access to over 470,000 public charging points across Europe, which is all controlled by a single app and with all charging sessions being billed to one invoice.  

The GV60 might not be the cheapest model in its class but it does offer a unique ownership experience with some innovative customer service provisions. It competes well for range, performance and specification, too. The main benefit of the Genesis is just how nice it is. It’s a really well-engineered car that looks and feels like something more special than the mainstream models on the road. 

The Genesis difference

Everybody who has seen the GV60 have been impressed with the look and feel and the levels of quality and technology, but nobody has known what it was.  

‘Who makes a Genesis?’, is the most common question. Clearly the company has some more marketing to do, because it is great car which deserves to sit among the leading premium brands. 

Genesis has created an individual and instantly recognisable car – once you know what it is. The distinctive Quad LED matrix style headlamps are incredible and make the car instantly recognisable at night.  

One gripe however is the lack of rear wiper, I’m sure it would undoubtedly spoil the cars smooth, rounded lines but it’s a shame it doesn’t have one as the rake of the rear screen means it gets dirty quickly in poor weather. While I’m on the subject of gripes, Android Auto is only available with a wired connection! 

Last month, I mentioned the Genesis Connected Services app which allows the driver access to useful data from the car. Of course, the app can do much more than that. Offering remote keyless entry direct from your phone and syncing your personal calendar allowing you to send navigation addresses directly to your car. Also, the Last Mile Navigation allows drivers to continue navigating to their final destination, even after they have parked and left the car behind, by sending their onward journey instructions back to their smartphone. 

All Genesis models are offered with a five-year care plan which, according to the brand, sets the standard for worry-free ownership - not just keeping your car in perfect order.  

Each car is maintained free of charge by Genesis technicians using genuine Genesis parts. For up to 5 years or 50,000 miles. 

A convenient touch is that the plan includes home collection and return and they also leave you with a courtesy car in the meantime.  

Also included with the five-year care plan is roadside assistance and free multimedia and map updates so you always have the latest routes and software. 

Range and charging

Now we are heading into the warmer weather the GV60s indicated range has improved dramatically. Only last month I reported a rather disappointing 250 miles compared to the WLTP figure of 321. Well I’m happy to report that now the weather is well into double figures the indicated range at 100% charge is now over 290 miles. (293 at its last charge to be precise) which is an impressive 17.2% increase.

As with most EVs Genesis have an app which allows you to connect to your car to view and control all kinds of useful functions such as checking on the charge status or setting the climate control but the app also shows driving data such as distance, time, idle time, average speed and energy consumption over a given period of time so it’s possible to really drill down into driver behaviour and the cars efficiency.

What we've found is the car's average consumption is improving. Having averaged around 3.0mi/kWh during winter, the GV60 is now regularly getting more than 3.5mi/kWh on journeys. Our overall average stands at 3.2mi/kWh.

With its 800-volt electrical system, the GV60 does offer one major advantage when it comes to charging. The battery is capable of charging at 233kW - enough for a 10%-80% charge in 16 minutes. You do need to find a suitable charger to achieve this, however, as most 'rapid' units are capped at 150kW. In this case the same charge would take around 22 minutes.

To maximise the charging speed the battery needs to be at the correct temperature when you plug it in. This process is called preconditioning and it starts automatically if you're using the car's sat-nav to reach the charging station. You can also start the process manually from the infotainment screen.   

When I connect the car to my 7.4kW wallbox, at home, a full charge takes slightly less than 12 hours.

The GV60 looks and feels like a big car especially when driving through narrow gaps or parallel parking, in fact though, it Is on a par with others in the sector, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Audi Q4 e-tron are all very close in size. Luckily the Genesis has an excellent set of front, rear and overhead cameras which help you winkle it into the tightest of spots.

Boot space in the Genesis isn’t class leading, the Kia EV6 and even the GV60’s sister, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, have bigger boots. Rear seats folded gives 1460 litre, behind the rear seats upto the roof is 680l and behind the rear seats upto the window line is 432l. Still respectable and adequate for most peoples needs. Handily, the charging cables store neatly under the boot floor. There’s also a 53 litre frunk which is big enough for a shopping bag or 2 although it’s worth noting that the dual motor versions have a much smaller 20l frunk.

A new take on luxury

If you think of a ‘luxury car’ it’s probably going to be a big boxy saloon with lashings of leather and wood, a big combustion engine and an equally large price tag. 

That’s perhaps an outdated view, especially in our new world of electrified cars. So, what is a modern luxury car? Well, Genesis think it has the answer. 

The Korean brand has its sights set on creating premium driving experiences and is using a suite of features, to enhance driving pleasure, comfort and efficiency. 

“Balancing elegant premium design and exceptional craftsmanship with spaciousness and state-of-the-art technology,” it says. 

Passenger comfort is key. Inside our GV60 the cream leather and light grey interior certainly has a luxurious feel. The driver gets an Ergo Motion Seat, which includes a massage function, it will also start to auto massage the driver after one hour of driving. 

Our GV60 also has the Premium Relaxation Comfort front seats which can be heated, cooled or fully reclined at the touch of a button, allowing occupants to stretch while waiting for the battery to charge. 

Rear passengers get the standard Second Row Comfort Package which features heated rear seats, plus retractable side blinds for the rear windows and, by locating the battery pack beneath the floor, passengers get a completely flat floor, providing more legroom and a sense of space. 

Active Noise Control-Road (ANC-R) technology uses the audio system’s speakers to create opposing frequencies to those coming into the cabin, to help eliminate unwanted sounds. The setup means that the GV60’s interior is always quiet, even at high speeds. 

Even the windscreen surround, door mirrors and rubber seals, have been engineered to keep wind noise to a minimum. The use of hydraulic bushes for some of the suspension components and subframes also help with the premium feel. There are certainly no complaints that this is anything other than a premium car.  

The GV60 can also be optioned with an advanced Road Preview system. This uses a forward-facing camera to scan the road ahead for speed bumps or potholes, instantly adjusting front and rear damping to optimise ride comfort and handling control. Unfortunately, it’s not fitted to our car. 

While our time with the car, so far, has been largely impressive, there are a couple of negatives about the GV60 that I have to report. 

Firstly, the digital key function – which allows you to use your smartphone instead of the physical key - is limited to Apple, Samsung and Google phone compatibility and as I have none of these, I haven’t been able to try this function.  

Secondly, the WLTP range of 321 is eluding me this winter. The highest 100% charge I’ve seen indicated is around 250 miles, currently the car is returning 3.0mi/kWh. Hopefully this will improve over the warmer months. 

Oh, I’ve also had a couple of people ask me if it’s a Bentley due to the winged logo! 

Genesis GV60 Premium joins our fleet

It’s possible that Genesis is a brand that you’ve never heard of or know little about. Certainly anyone I’ve shown our GV60 test model to outside of the motoring industry didn’t know what it was. 

The company has actually been selling cars in America and Korea since 2016 and in the UK since 2021. It’s part of Hyundai and sold as a premium brand. 

Genesis sell in relatively low numbers in the UK, 1,099 cars were sold in 2024 (YTD) 400 of them being the GV60. To put that in perspective, Ford sold 3,800 Mach E’s while BMW sold 12,000 of the i4 model over the same period. 

The GV60 is the brand’s first dedicated electric vehicle. Our premium spec model has a base price of £53,300 with a range of optional extras including: the innovation pack (£2,810), Bang & Olufsen stereo (£990), sunroof (£1,120), vehicle to load pack (£880), auto dimming door mirrors (£80), copper coloured brake callipers (£280) plus delivery and registration fee the grand total of this model comes to £61,005 which puts it on a par price wise with the BMW i4. 

All versions of GV60 feature a 77.4 kWh battery, which is mounted under the floor to maximise interior space and provide a low centre of gravity. The battery is capable of being charged at up to 240kW allowing a 10-80% charge to be achieved in 18 minutes. The standard RWD Premium model (four wheel drive is available) is equipped with a rear-mounted motor that delivers 229 PS and a maximum torque of 350Nm with a WLTP range of 321 miles. 

“The GV60 represents the true essence of the brand, marking the point where art and technology converge into perfection to present global high-tech luxury for our customers.” - SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Genesis Brand 

Comfort and technology certainly take centre stage here, with the standard ergomotion and relaxation front seats complete with heating and ventilation, massage function and 18 way power adjustment. Rear passengers also get heated seats with adjustable back rests and window blinds. The technology available in the GV60 is vast and includes ‘world-first’ biometric features including keyless face recognition and Digital Key 2.0 which allows owners to share access to their GV60 with up to three different smartphone users which I will cover in the next installment.