Genesis GV60 long-term test

The car Genesis GV60 168kW RWD single motor (Premium) Run by Stuart Milne, digital editor

Why it’s here Can a sprinkling of ‘premiumness’ elevate the upmarket Genesis GV60 clear of the family SUV pack – and into luxury SUV territory?

Needs to Be as comfortable and quiet as the best electric SUVs, yet offer the all-important tangible appeal buyers of premium models want.

Mileage 11,126 Price £54,105 Target price £54,105 Price as tested £59,605 Dealer price now £33,250 Private price now £30,600 Test range 343 miles Official range 321 miles Running costs (excluding depreciation) £330 (electricity)

5 July 2024 – Grand designs

Can you create something that’s properly premium off the bat? Or can history alone distinguish what will stand the test of time from the passing fads? It’s a trend that’s easy to see in architecture. Some buildings are old, ornate and will remain part of the landscape for many years. Some pretend to be old, yet you might call them a passing pastiche. 

It’s something that’s been on my mind during my time with my Genesis GV60: can a new entrant to the market immediately dice with the establishment with smart design and a barrow-load of tech? The question was pulled into sharp focus because several, admittedly non-car people, thought my car was from brands as varied as Bentley (because of the winged badge) and Tesla.

I wanted to find out if the GV60 was quiet and comfortable – both cornerstones of premium models. It's a yes to both, because it's soothed away many hours on free-flowing and congested motorways alike. There’s no faulting the material quality inside, either. It feels genuinely high quality and as well built as you’d expect given its pricing – and importantly, it feels more special to me than its sister cars, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

The comparison with those models is relevant, because the tech is similar across all three models, although the GV60 has more physical controls, which make it easier to use. That’s just as well, because there are an awful lot of functions. Thankfully, the voice control was unwavering in its obedience; a short press of a button on the steering wheel enacts the car’s own voice recognition, a longer press wakes Siri to control Apple CarPlay functions.

Special marks go to proper buttons for the heating, and although functions like fan speed are on a dedicated screen, they’re sensibly positioned and provide haptic feedback.

I also liked the car’s 360-degree camera, which in addition to the usual views, augments the car on the screen allowing you to swipe to 'walk' around the car. This proved a boon in cramped multi-storey car parks where it allowed a good view of kerbs and pillars, front, back and sides.

The car’s 'self-driving' features were great, too. So good, in fact, that I found myself using them as soon as the opportunity came. 

However, the GV60 wasn’t perfect. I wasn’t keen on the rotating gear selector or oft-clumsy door handles, nor the door mirror cameras which I found fairly pointless because they beam their camera feeds onto the instrument panel, rather than screens on the doors. And I didn’t like having to log into my driver profile before every journey, especially after the fingerprint recognition stopped reading my dabs. Frustratingly, I even needed to log in for something as simple as changing the volume.

I wasn’t bowled over by the space offered by this family SUV, either. The rear seats were fine for my young kids, but a couple of adults mentioned that it felt claustrophobic back there, compounded by hardly any space under the front seats to slide their feet. 

What I found harder to swallow was the boot, which is smaller than those of the Tesla Model Y and VW ID 4. It meant it was filled to overflowing on my kids’ rugby tour, and struggled with any larger than usual weekly shops. Packets and tins dumped on the back seat don’t feel all that premium.

Another un-premium feeling is spending time in the corner of a car park hooked up to a public charger. Yet this is the GV60’s strongest suit: I saw has much as 343 miles from a charge – almost 7% more than the official range figure of 321 miles. That was aided by a 3.9mi/kWh economy figure, which was particularly impressive because 2024 hasn't been exactly warm. Its 6.5sec 0-62mph is the slowest of any GV60, but it’s no slouch – and I’d take improved range over straight-line speed any day.

Whilst relatively infrequent, those charging stops were made more convenient by the optional £880 Vehicle to Load option, which allowed me to charge my laptop, and more enjoyable with the excellent Bang & Olufsen audio upgrade, even though it was a costly £990.

So does the Genesis GV60 genuinely represent the premiumness it promises? Certainly, it ticks all the boxes objectively, and right now the brand is enigmatic enough to have huge appeal with drivers looking for something that little bit different. And I like that. 

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