Hyundai Motors (parent company of Kia and Genesis) continues to expand its electric vehicle lineup with new products that cater to different consumers. One of their latest offerings is by their luxury brand, Genesis. The Genesis GV60 has been on sale in other parts of the world for a while, North America finally started to see sales begin in late spring/early summer.
Genesis is planning on becoming an EV-only carmaker by 2025, meaning all new cars starting in 2025 will be electric. Consumers will still be able to buy gasoline-powered cars but Genesis will only develop new EVs and by 2030 sales of gasoline-powered cars will stop completely.
Genesis also currently offers the GV70 and G80 Electrified, which are based on existing gasoline models. The GV60 uses the E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) dedicated EV platform, which it shares with the excellent Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and the recently released Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan.
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2023 Genesis GV60 Canadian Prices
In Canada, the Genesis GV60 is offered in two trims. The GV60 Advanced has a price of $71,000 and the fully loaded GV60 Performance is priced at $79,000. Unlike European luxury carmakers, there are no expensive packages to add, the only options are different paint colors and interior colors. These prices are inclusive of Freight & PDI, and local sales taxes are extra.
The Genesis GV60 does not qualify for Federal or Provincial iZEV rebates.
Our review car for the week was the 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance, with a price tag of $79,000. This is not a cheap vehicle, but it is about $8,000 cheaper than the Tesla Model Y Long Range, which is a vehicle the GV60 competes with the most closely.
I know Genesis is a luxury brand, so I do expect to pay a premium for their products. However, spending $79,000 (before taxes) seems like a bit of a stretch for an EV. I know people are paying these high prices for all EVs, but prices do need to come down somehow.
What Are The Battery Sizes For the Genesis GV60 in Canada
Both trims of the Genesis GV60 come with a 77.4-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, the exact same battery pack found on the long rage Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, and the Kia EV6. I’m sure this battery pack will be used in other E-GMP-based vehicles that will be released in the near future.
The GV60 Advanced trim comes with a pair of electric motors producing 234 kW (314 horsepower) and 446 pound-feet of torque. The GV60 Performance’s electric motors produce 320 kW (429 horsepower) and 446 pound-feet of torque. However, the Performance version has a little trick up its sleeve, in the form of a “Boost” button. Pressing the boost button gives an additional 54 horsepower (483 total) and 70 pound-feet of torque (516 total) for 10 seconds.
One of the biggest questions asked about electric vehicles is their range. What is the driving range of the 2023 Genesis GV60? According to Genesis, the GV60 Advanced should be able to travel 399 kilometers on a full charge and the GV60 Performance should be able to travel 378 kilometers. These ranges are based on ideal conditions and you do lose range in cold weather, which is not unique to the GV60, every electric vehicle loses range in the winter, the colder the outside temperature, the greater the loss.
Our review took place in cold weather, with temperatures in the mid-single digits Celsius. At fully charged, the onboard computer showed a range of 380 – 383 kilometers in the Eco mode, which is spot on with the claimed range. The range was pretty accurate with my daily commute lasting about 35 kilometers, the onboard computer showed 345. However, this was without using the heater, which showed a reduction of around 30-ish kilometers from the fully charged battery. Driving the Comfort and Sport modes further reduces the range.
Driving the 2022 Genesis GV60
I’m already quite familiar with the E-GMP-based vehicles, but the GV60 Performance takes things up a notch. It’s currently the most powerful vehicle on this platform, available in North America. The Kia EV6 GT is even more powerful but it isn’t available here yet.
The Genesis GV60 comes with different driving modes ranging from Eco, and Comfort, to Sport and Snow. For normal daily driving, the Eco mode is more than enough. In this mode there’s plenty of power for normal city driving and highway driving is also fine with plenty of passing power. This mode also gives you the most range; I mostly drove in this mode to maximize my range. The Comfort mode gives you a bit more power, it’s a nice blend between the Eco and Sport mode. In this mode range slightly decreases but you do get quicker acceleration. The Sport mode turns things up a few notches, the GV60 accelerates quite quickly. The GV60 is based on the same underpinnings as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, but with more power and it certainly feels like it.
The driving dynamics are better than the Kia EV6, which is sportier than the Ioniq 5. The GV60 has a sportier suspension than the Ioniq 5’s and is almost identical to the EV6’s. The brake feel is also excellent, the transition between regenerative braking and mechanical brakes is seamless.
Like all electric vehicles, the Genesis GV60 comes with regenerative braking, which sends back some of the kinetic energy into the batteries, making the drive even more efficient. However, not all EVs come with different settings for regeneration, they either come with one-pedal driving or minimal regeneration. On the GV60 you can choose between different regeneration levels with the steering wheel-mounted paddles; the left one increases the regen level and the right one decreases it. There are four levels of regen: L1, L2, L3, and i-Pedal. The i-Pedal is one-pedal driving and will bring the GV60 to a complete stop. There’s an Auto regen setting as well, by holding the right paddle for a second or two, the regeneration is done automatically based on the road conditions, and the camera system adjusts regeneration based on the vehicle in front of you. This setting does not bring to vehicle to a full stop and you’ll need to be ready to apply the brakes manually.
Overall, the Genesis GV60 is a fun vehicle to drive and is sportier than its other E-GMP-based siblings.
Genesis GV60 Styling
If you’ve read my review of the Ioniq 5, you’ll know how huge of a fan I am of the styling and most automotive journalists share my views on the Ioniq 5’s styling. I also like the styling on the Kia EV6, but not as much as the Ioniq 5. However, the Genesis GV60 does not look attractive to me at all. It just looks too cartoonish to me and most people I talked to about it didn’t particularly like the styling.
However, the GV60’s shape is quite aerodynamic, which is what’s needed to get the most out of the energy stored in the batteries. Another benefit of the aerodynamic shape of the GV60 is the fact that you don’t need a wiper on the rear window. Hyundai didn’t include a rear wiper on the Ioniq 5 because they said the aerodynamic shape of the Ioniq 5 should keep the rear window clean, which was not the case in our experience. However, the Genesis GV60’s shape does what the Ioniq 5 couldn’t do. During our review, it rained quite often, and even at low speeds, the GV60’s rear window was crystal clear.
I have been a big fan of the design language of Genesis vehicles, but unfortunately, I can’t say that about the GV60. It looks cartoonishly small, even though I like small cars, but for some reason, it just doesn’t work in my opinion. If I was in the market for a Genesis electric CUV, I’d spend my money on the GV70, which does not feature a dedicated EV platform but is an amazing EV and definitely worth checking out. It’s also an attractive-looking vehicle.
Genesis GV60 Interior
I may not be a big fan of the exterior of the GV60 but I do love the interior. It takes the best features from the Ioniq 5 and EV6 and presents them in a luxurious package. The interior materials are top-notch with soft-touch materials everywhere. The layout is similar to the EV6’s, with a floating center console that houses the trick gear lever globe thing. When the car is off, there’s a crystal ball with lights inside it that flips over to reveal an indented metal ball-like thing that’s used for changing gears.
The floating center console also features another knob for controlling the infotainment system, and buttons for the heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, auto hold, camera, and parking brake buttons.
Like its E-GMP siblings, the GV60 also features dual-12” displays for the infotainment system and the gauge cluster. These displays feature crisp graphics and the infotainment system is responsive to the touch.
The interior is also quite roomy, which you wouldn’t expect based on how small the GV60 looks from the outside. There is a lot of leg and even headroom, despite the sloping rear window. However, that slowing rear end does take away from the cargo area.
The interior is super quiet, which is to be expected in an electric car, but this is a luxury electric car, making the interior even quieter. The seats are comfortable and supportive and can be adjusted to fit many sizes of people.
Final Thoughts on The Genesis GV60 EV
The 2023 Genesis GV60 is yet another choice for people looking for an electric vehicle. It’s a fun-to-drive vehicle with more than enough range for most peoples’ daily/weekly commutes. Thanks to its fast-charging abilities, even taking it on long trips should be no problem, provided you can find enough DC fast chargers.
The styling might not be for everyone, but the interior more than makes up for it.
For more information on the GV60, please visit Genesis Canada’s website.
