A brand you’re going to hear more of
Doctor on the Road: Genesis GV60
The GV60 will appeal to any medic who wants a premium electric vehicle – but not from the obvious brands, reckons Independent Practitioner Today’s motoring correspondent Dr Tony Rimmer.
When looking for a new car, we like to be able to trust the brand.
And you probably haven’t heard of the Genesis brand, but that is no great surprise; they are still a rare sight on our roads.
It is the luxury branch of the Korean Hyundai/Kia group, which launched its first car in 2017 and only came to the UK in 2021.
The first cars to come here were conventional premium petrol and diesel models and sales have been slow. But now we have a car that could do great things for the brand: the all-electric GV60.
In the same way that Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota and uses Toyota tech, Genesis uses the same all-electric floorplan used for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6.
Fortunately, these are well sorted and impressive medium-sized electric vehicle (EV) cross-overs, so the Genesis is off to a good start. Like those cars, the GV60 is a medium- sized SUV, so its practicality will appeal to the urban medic with a growing family.
Luxury features
There are three model options: the £47,005 226bhp rear-wheel drive Premium, the £53,605 314bhp all-wheel drive Sport and the £65,405 458bhp all-wheel drive Sport Plus.
All use a battery of 77.4 kWh and claimed ranges are 321, 292 and 289 miles respectively. As with Lexus cars, the Genesis is extensively equipped with many luxury features as standard, so you are unlikely to spend a lot more on options, which is a welcome relief compared to its German competitors from Audi, Mercedes and BMW.
The styling is very rounded and neatly proportioned but, to my eye, suits darker colours than the pale metallic blue or white finishes available. The Genesis signature horizontally split headlights give it a futuristic look that fits well with this all-electric car.
There are no unnecessary aerodynamic addenda either and this is also welcome. The interior is like a modern, welcoming lounge. Plenty of leather trim and the lack of hard plastics make this a plush place to spend time while travelling.
The gear selector is a crystal sphere that rotates into place when you turn the car on – dramatic but a bit glitzy for my taste. The plastic that is made to look like metal that surrounds the selector also feels a little overdone.
Physical buttons
Apart from these minor niggles, the driving seat is very comfortable and the electronic dashboard is large and really clear.
Thankfully, the infotainment and ventilation systems are controlled by physical buttons which makes life a lot easier.
Rear space benefits from the dedicated EV platform, so there is more legroom and headroom than you would expect, the seats can actually recline and the lack of transmission tunnel helps the middle rear-seat passenger get comfortable.
Boot space is pretty good, but the floor is high to accommodate the batteries and motor. Charging the EV60 should be easy, as it accepts the public network’s fast chargers although they are not as numerous as Tesla’s supercharger.
Real-world range from the 77.4kWh battery in the Sport model is likely to be around 230 miles, but the less powerful Premium rear-wheel drive model should break the 250 mile barrier.
Out on the road, the first impression is that this is a smooth, quiet, solid quality car. It definitely feels like a premium step up from its Hyundai and Kia siblings, just as it should.
Smooth and supple
Performance is swift in the Premium model, fast in the Sport model and super-fast like a Tesla Performance model in the Sport Plus. The ride is smooth and supple and the handling is pretty good for a heavy electric car.
The steering is nicely direct but lacks a degree of feedback that would be appreciated by keen drivers.
My overall reaction is that it drives like a swift but not overtly sporty luxury hatchback and this is exactly how it is promoted.
I think that the Premium model would fit the bill for most of us, but the mid-range Sport has more dynamism.
The GV60 will appeal to an EV-buying medic who wants a premium car but not from the obvious brands and not a ubiquitous Tesla either.
It is very well built, benefits from all the positive elements that the Hyundai/Kia group can deliver and is overall, a really good package. You can embrace the new Genesis badge with confidence.
Dr Tony Rimmer (right) is a former NHS GP practising in Guildford, Surrey