Genesis GV60 review

In the metal, the GV60 is an eye-catching machine, thanks to its space-age design and the fact that Genesis is new to Britain. The unfamiliar design language leaves people taking a second glance. So, it’s a perfect pick for those of you who want to (still relatively subtly) stand out from the crowd.

The car's sleek roofline is a standout design feature, and the handle-less doors add to the futuristic ethos. With 21-inch wheels, it packs real road presence.

The GV60 took inspiration from models elsewhere in the wider Hyundai family, including the even more futuristic Ioniq 5, and, in other places, the Kia EV6. But with its cars firmly in the premium end of the market, Genesis has been more elaborate with the finishing touches to its GV60. We think the brand's designers have done a terrific job of making the car look like a posh pick.

Genesis has kept it nice and simple when it comes to GV60 trim levels on offer. There are just three to choose from: Premium, Sport and Sport Plus. The Premium is the cheapest model, with a starting price of £53,605. The Sport model is an extra £6,600 while the Sport Plus tops the range at £65,405.

The Premium model is the entry point and offers the most range because it uses just one electric motor at the rear. The Sport Plus is the fastest version with two electric motors, giving it four-wheel drive. The Sport Plus officially does 289 miles while the Premium can handle 321 claimed miles on a single charge.

The GV60 gets a ‘boost’ button which at first may seem like a gimmick, but actually does have a notable impact. All models share the rear same 77.4 kWh battery, but press the boost button and the top model's twin motors will together produce 490hp! This is over 100hp more than the Kia EV6. In the Sport Plus, you can do 0-62mph in just 4 seconds flat. Not only does it give you a whole heap of power, but you get the satisfaction of your digital dashboard turning red and the seat snuggly pinching your lower back, so you’re primed for the boost. There's also a drift button for those looking for even more thrills...

Keep the pace down though, and the GV60 is blissfully quiet, with the sounds of the electric motor only just becoming audible when you reach motorway speeds. It comfortably rides over bumps and the responsive steering makes it fun to drive. To make the car even quieter, you can pay £909 for a state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen sound system, which has a noise cancelling feature, ensuring you can have a peaceful drive behind the wheel. Unless you stick on your favourite dance playlist.

When driving the GV60 you sit high on the road, giving you great view ahead. Despite the sloping roof, you still have good rear visibility too, thanks in part to the rear camera display and birds-eye view – making it easy to safely manoeuvre the car into tight spots.

The GV60 maintains its futuristic and modern characteristics when you get inside the car. With Genesis looking to deliver a premium experience, the interior doesn’t fall short. When you turn on the car you will notice a glass ball that turns over and becomes your drive selector – which you can move like an old rotary telephone. Lovely.

The cool tech doesn’t stop there, with a pair of 12.3-inch screens, one for your infotainment system and one as the dashboard. This gives you plenty of driving info and allows you to easily monitor the range. As you'd expect, this comes with a sat-nav and you can easily hook your smartphone up via Bluetooth. Within the settings menu, you can also adjust how your electric car sounds to suit your tastes. A feature we love about the GV60 is that for all its tech and infotainment screens, there are still physical buttons for you to press, which allow you to control the music and temperature without taking your eyes off the road.

The GV60 is brilliantly spacious. You won’t hear any moaning from passengers who are over six feet, whether they’re sat in the front or back seats. Unlike many other wannabe-coupe SUVs, the sloping roofline doesn’t mean you feel boxed in when you’re sat in the back.

There are charging ports in the front and two for passengers in the back, so everyone can plug in their gadgets while you’re on the road. There are cup holders and fairly large door bins in the front seats, while the middle seat in the back folds down to act as an armrest or cup holder. Making it a comfy cruiser for everyone in the GV60.

When it comes to boot space, you get 423 litres (680 litres up to the roof) which is slightly less than its rivals but it’s enough to fit roughly seven carry-on suitcases. So plenty of space for a long road trip or enough to throw a couple of buggies in the boot if required. Also, a sneaky bonus is the froot (front boot, or frunk if you're American), which is fairly shallow with only 53 litres of space, but it's a perfect spot to store your charging cables and free up space in the boot.

It's too soon to comment on the reliability and longevity of Genesis's GV60, because it's brand new. But with its ties to Hyundai, we're optimistic that build quality and longevity will be good.

The million-dollar question on everyone’s lips when it comes to new electric cars is: “how long does it take to charge?”.

Well, you can get the battery from 10-80% in as little as 18 minutes, with the GV60 capable of using super-fast 350kW chargers. While the range of the GV60 is claimed to be 321 miles, meaning you can complete long journeys on the motorway off a single charge.

We love the electric revolution, and to see a new brand and a new car land at this end of the market so effectively has us extremely impressed. We weren’t disappointed at all with the GV60; it's fun to drive, super practical and premium-feeling. The car's fast charging capabilities are a huge bonus too! The ‘boost’ button can make the car exciting, so much so that it may leave you taking the long journey home.