2023 Genesis GV60 First Drive Review: The Definitive Delivery (2023)

Good things come in threes. Someone in the boardroom at Hyundai in South Korea must have thought that as they gave the go-ahead for the brand's first three-pronged move toward electric crossovers. The first and second acts, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6 both received rave reviews. Now it's time to wrap up, with the Genesis GV60 2023.

But while all good things come in threes, in a place like Hollywood, where I hosted, you can have a threesomeGV60, is traditionally a tense affair. Brilliant franchises have struggled to arc their stories or simply have not matched the excellence of their predecessors. But that is not the caseGodfather Part III,back to the future III, Öalien 3. The GV60 isThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King- an ambitious, unique and beautifully executed addition to its predecessor.

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Gallery: 2023 Genesis GV60: First Drive Report

Lights, Camera, Action

Starting from the famous Mulholland Drive, this uniqueness became apparent for the first time. The GV60 is based on the same Electrical Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) as theIoniq 5jEV6, but adds some specific cheats. Begin,GenesisThe smaller 58.0-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery does not exist: every GV60 will be equipped with the 77.4 kWh package as standard. And at 394 kilowatts, the output is higher than that of the Hyundai/Kia models with a maximum of 272 kW.

From there, a new Performance trim (the only trim available for testing) tops the range with 429bhp, 109 more than the Ioniq 5 or twin-engine EV6, although torque remains low. The same is at 446 pound-feet. But if you need one more touch go,A boost function increases power to 483 hp and 516 lb-ft for ten seconds. Genesis claims the GV60 can hit 62mph in 4.0 seconds, but it feels quicker.

Turning on Boost is an always tempting option, not so much for the extra power, but because turning it on means pressing a big neon yellow button on the steering wheel that says 'BOOST'. Like a nine-year-old trapped in the body of a 37-year-old man, my thumb constantly hovered over the button, looking for an excuse to press it.

In practice, however, Boost is overkill. The GV60 has so much torque and puts it on so instantly that the dual motors make the Michelin Primacy all-season tires feel hopelessly inferior. Baking all four hoops is fun in small doses but seems like a waste. You can activate Boost while you're already on the move, but I can't think of a realistic scenario where you really need the extra boost.

With 429 horsepower, the GV60 still feels like a competitor to more performance-oriented EVs like thisFord Mustang Mach-E. There's just so much torque and it's so sudden that a stomp on the accelerator is more than enough to trigger any technical magic. So Boost feels like a party trick: I'd welcome it in a petrol-powered car, where acceleration is less linear and where it depends on the car being in the right gear or having the right engine speed. , but EVs just don't need this feature.

musical number

The extra power on demand isn't the only novelty in the GV60. Instead of one sound profile when accelerating, the GV60 has three (and they work independently of driving mode). Futuristic is typical of today's electric vehicles, with a lower pitch that would fit as background noise in an episode ofStar Trek. An electric motor sound produces a higher pitch and less volume, which was my preferred setting. After all, the G motor is there to mimic an internal combustion engine. But for reasons I can't figure out, Genesis seems to have modeled the sound profile on an undamped, ill-balanced three-cylinder. It sounds terrible.

Throwing the GV60 into turns shifts the weight sideways neatly, but with more roll than the aforementioned Mach-E.

If you can't decide between those three modes, there's a custom setting that lets the rider choose a profile and adjust the volume and sensitivity to throttle inputs. Aside from the questionable G-Engine option, I really appreciate that the Genesis GV60 offers owners such a fun feature, but there's also no shame in turning the feature off altogether and enjoying the silence. Active noise cancellation as standard and the absence of a petrol engine make it one of the quietest premium compact cars on the market.

Luckily, I figured out my chosen sound profile before I hit the best parts of Mulholland, where the GV60's surprising agility caught my attention. With the body battery running low, all GV60s boast an impressively low center of gravity, but the Performance adds electronically controlled suspension with Trail Preview and a rear electronic limited-slip differential.

Throwing the GV60 into turns shifts the weight sideways neatly, albeit with more roll than the aforementioned Mach-E. Compared to the related Ioniq 5, however, the GV60 feels a lot more agile and dynamic, thanks in no small part to the fast, direct steering rack. There's little play in the middle and a 12.6:1 ratio that's tighter than the Ioniq 5/EV6's 14.3:1. Still, I wouldn't mind firming the shocks a bit in Sport mode to better control vertical movement on bumps mid-corner. And grippier tires would be a big help, as the GV60's all-season rubber was low on grip and would fly through Mulholland.

Unlike the GV70 3.5T, which I felt was too focused on handling at the expense of ride quality, the GV60 is better balanced. Those ups and downs, which were fatiguing in corners, meant the suspension was able to absorb bumps and bumps, which was no doubt helped by the suspension's road preview feature, which relies on information from the camera and GPS to help prepare the shock absorbers for impending impacts. Stability at high speeds is good despite the Performance model's faster steering ratio.

backstage

I won't make a big fuss about itthe exterior design of the GV60– for me it is the first real Genesis error. I will get involved in the cockpit and defend the work of the design team.

The overall design is familiar to anyone who has driven an EV6 or Ioniq 5. A single sheet of glass houses both the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and underneath is a small pill-shaped capsule for climate control. . A floating center console housing the gear selector and infotainment scroll wheel juts out into the open space created by the completely flat floor. But that's where the GV60's similarities to its conventional siblings end.

The steering wheel, with its horizontal spokes that extend from the center and thicken towards the edge, mimics the Genesis logo on the airbag cover. The gear selector itself is a work of art and shows aBacklit, laser engraved crystal dialWhen the car is off, it flips over and reveals a shape that looks and feels like an old rotary phone. The switch from park to drive mode is wonderfully tactile despite the total lack of a mechanical linkage.

As expected, the quality of the material is quite high. But Genesis has also worked to source sustainable materials: the faux leather comes from plants, while the fabric upholstery on the seats and doors is based on recycled plastic bottles. The eco-friendly upholstery feels indistinguishable from real fur and makes the front and rear seats very comfortable. Front-seat support is good for long drives, with adequate bolsters and plenty of padding, while the Performance comes standard with heating and ventilation (a big plus on a hot Los Angeles day).

The highlight, however, was the interior color scheme of my Sao Paulo Lime test vehicle. The Torrent Navy upholstery (check out our Instagram post to see what it looks like) has matching neon stitching and piping. It's all nice, but unfortunately it takes the power to get the best color scheme out of the GV60's interior.

practical implications

The broader technology suite is familiar, with an operating system and digital cluster carried over from other Genesis models. That means a 12.3-inch touchscreen (with a redundant click-wheel controller) and a 12.3-inch cluster, quick responsiveness through the aforementioned graphics, and a nice overall look. But the GV60 has two unique touches that make getting in and out even more convenient, even without a key:a facial recognition cameraand a fingerprint reader.

The camera is located on the driver's B-pillar. Just touch a button on the grip and a ring around the camera will glow white; After a second, the ring turns green and the car is unlocked. In my testing, it worked accurately about 75 percent of the time (a bright red ring meant you had to give it a second try), though it's still faster if you keep the key fob in your pocket and touch the door handle.

The fingerprint reader works significantly better than the face recognition camera. Located at the front of the center console, it is as responsive as any smartphone. Just place your finger on it and the digital instrument cluster will flash a message that the car is ready. Then press the start button and drive off. I can only imagine that Genesis improves the system by integrating the sensor and home button so that one button press is all it takes. You'll also find innovative features similar to the EV6 and Ioniq 5, including V2L charging.

(Not so) Big budget blockbusters

Pricing for the 2023 GV60 starts at $59,980 including a $1,090 destination chargeand without any federal income tax credits or state/local incentives. This base model (for now), the Advanced AWD, is generously equipped with the latest Genesis active safety system, heated and ventilated front seats, a Bang & Olufsen audio system, a heads-up display and screen pairing. 12.3 inches. The GV60 is more expensive than an Ioniq 5 ($57,245) or a twin-engine EV6 ($57,155), but the difference is negligible, especially given the power available and the much-improved interior.

Meanwhile, the GV60 Performance I tested costs $68,980, which is $9,000 more than the base model. The closest competitor in terms of EV performance is the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, which is cheaper at $63,095 (including destination) to start with. You can add hands-free driver assistance and you'll find sportier handling in the Mach-E, but finding the all-electric Ford might be more of a challenge than getting your hands on a GV60 (which is no doubt more comfortable and convenient too). feels premium).

However, the higher price of the GV60 does not mean an improvement in performance or charging range. In fact, the most powerful of Hyundai's three EVs (unsurprisingly) has the worst range at just 235 miles per charge. However, with a peak output of 240 kilowatts on a compatible DC fast charger, it can keep up with its charger brethren. That's fast enough to take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. With a 50-kilowatt charger, the same process takes 73 minutes, while a 240-volt home charger on a 48-amp circuit will charge the battery in seven hours.

So what you're really paying for is the extra performance, content and fine detailing of the GV60's cabin. It's usually hard to justify an upgrade to a premium product over the previous product, and while I particularly love the Ioniq 5, the GV60 version seems worth the extra expense. It's just more refined and better equipped, and the balance between comfort and agility is hard to beat.

The GV60 version seems worth the extra expense.

But beyond that, the GV60 occupies an interesting place in the market. Its closest premium competitors, the Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace and BMW iX, are significantly larger and more expensive. At the same time, it sets itself apart from the premium competition in the same size class (until the appearance of the Audi Q4 E-Tron) and outperforms mainstream models of a similar price range. Genesis has the ability to leverage the value proposition in every segment it competes in, and this is no different.

Successful trilogies take what came before and wrap their stories in unique ways. Genesis has done just that, taking the best qualities of the Ioniq 5 and EV6 but telling an exciting new story that gives the viewer (or the customer in this case) a fitting conclusion to what came before.

GV60 Competition Reviews:

• Audi Q4 E-Tron: Not classified