SWINGING SIXTY (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The Genesis GV60 brings something new to the market for mid-sized EV crossovers. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 36

This the car that should properly establish the Genesis brand, the all-electric GV60. It's yet another mid-sized EV with premium aspirations. But in this case, there's some really clever new technology to back up the hype.

Backgroundword count: 136

You might by now have some vague recognition for the Genesis brand, the Hyundai Motor Group's premium car maker. But it's probably quite unlikely that you can picture one of its products. The company needs a definitive model; and this is it, the GV60. It's the Genesis brand's sixth European market model and its third EV offering - the others are the slightly larger GV70 electric crossover and the G80 electric large luxury saloon. The GV60 though, is the model that will sell in the numbers Genesis needs for better European recognition. It uses the engineering already seen in the Hyundai IONIQ5 and the Kia EV6 - so e-GMP platform, advanced 800V electrical architecture and 73kWh battery pack. But this GV60 also has a few extra tricks up its sleeve - as we're going to see.

Driving Experienceword count: 253

There are some drive features here we haven't seen before here, but they don't apply to the base 'Premium' and mid-range 'Sport' models that most GV60 customers will choose. All models in the range feature the same 73kWh battery pack, with the entry-level 'Premium' variant using it to drive a 225bhp motor on the rear axle, this confection delivering 280 mile range. Next up is the mid-range 'Sport' version, which has a 215bhp motor on the rear axle and a further 99bhp motor at the front, creating an AWD model with 314bhp of total power output, 605Nm of torque and a 248 mile range. The new stuff is saved for the top 'Sport Plus' variant, which borrows its potent 429bhp Dual Motor AWD powertrain from the uber-rapid Kia EV6 GT. As a result, a GV60 'Sport Plus' will sprint to 62mph in just four seconds, though if you exercise that acceleration frequently, you won't get anywhere near the claimed 228 mile range figure. Stuff we haven't seen before but featuring on this 'Sport Plus' model includes a 'Boost Mode' that you activate via a button on the steering wheel, which gives the car an extra 54bhp and 95Nm of pulling power for easier overtaking. The second unique feature is a 'Drift Mode' - which you might think a little weird on an electric SUV. This alters the torque split of the All-Wheel Drive system to send more power to the rear motor and maximises the impact of the GV60's electronic limited slip differential.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227