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The Genesis GV60 is extremely comfortable and refined but it also has a secret naughty side which includes a Virtual Gearshift, Drift Mode, and a rapid 0-62 mph time of 4.0 seconds in the Performance model.
The Genesis GV60, which shares a platform with the Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5, has been updated for 2025, with new features including a Virtual Gearshift as well as a slightly improved electric driving range. So if you want something a bit more exclusive than the EV6 or IONIQ 5, is this the EV for you?
The design of the Genesis GV60 hasn’t changed very much for 2025, apart from new headlights with new Micro-Lens Array (MLA) technology as standard, and two new 20-inch and 21-inch alloy wheel designs.
Inside, the cockpit has been redesigned with a wide 27-inch screen which incorporates the central touchscreen and the driver’s display screen.
The interior features a ‘floating’ centre console, on top of which sits a ‘Crystal Sphere’; when you start the car this rotates to reveal the circular gear selector dial, which has finger-size recesses to help you grip it securely, and to differentiate it from the circular dial for the infotainment system which sits right next to it.
Below the centre console is lots of storage space, and in front of it, the floor extends from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side with no ‘barrier’ between; this means that if a front seat passenger leaves items such as bottles on the floor, they can quite easily roll across into the driver’s footwell.
In a world where many of the latest cars don’t have any physical controls to adjust the door mirrors because they’re buried in the touchscreen, the GV60 has a well designed controller for the mirrors, angled towards the driver.
Another interesting design feature is the glove compartment. In most new cars, the glove compartment has been shrunk so small that it’s often not possible to even fit the car’s manual in it. The GV60 takes another approach: the glove compartment is actually a drawer that pulls out, giving more easily accessible space than is the case in most cars.
The Genesis GV60 is 4,515mm long, so it’s shorter than the 4,655mm length of the IONIQ 5, with the Kia EV6 being the longest at 4,695mm. Boot sizes are also different: the Genesis GV60 has 432 litres of boot space, which is smaller than the Kia EV6 which offers 490 litres, and the IONIQ 5 has the most space, with up to 527 litres.
The GV60 has a front trunk (frunk) of 53 litres, but this shrinks down to just 20 litres for dual-motor AWD models (as tested). Because there’s very little space under the boot floor, or in the frunk, it means that the GV60’s charging cables for the all-wheel drive GV60 models have to sit in a bag in the boot.
The Genesis GV60 has an 84.0 kWh battery, which is larger than the 77.4 kWh unit in the previous generation model. Our test car had a 180 kW electric motor at the front and a 180 kW motor at the rear, combining to deliver a total power output of 490 PS.
The GV60’s key has lots of small buttons which are hard to see at night, however you can also use your phone as a digital key, the EV has face recognition technology which allows you to open the door without a key, and you can use your fingerprint to allow vehicle operations.
The Genesis GV60 Performance has a towing capacity of 1,600 kg.
The Genesis GV60 Performance feels extremely refined, quiet, comfortable and upmarket to drive. Ride quality is excellent, helped by the Preview Electronic Control Suspension (ECS), despite the large 21-inch wheels and relatively low profile tyres, which can transmit impacts from pot holes and speed bumps.
Driving on a motorway at 70mph is so hushed that it feels like you’re doing 30mph, aided by the standard double-glazed soundproof glass and Active Road Noise Cancelling.
But behind this outwardly sensible image there lies a secret: the Genesis GV60 Performance shares more than you might think with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N electric rally car. The GV60 has 490 PS of power and 700 Nm of torque, which results in a 0-62 mph of 4.0 seconds. Thankfully there are twin electric motors delivering all-wheel drive, which means that all that power is accompanied by impressive levels of grip. There’s a 50/50 power split, however the car feels as though it has a slight rear-biased power delivery when you’re driving. And the relatively compact size of the GV60 means reasonably agile handling (for a two-tonne EV).
However there’s more. For 2025 the Genesis GV60 Performance gains a Virtual Gearshift (VGS), which means that when you’ve selected this mode (you can assign the custom button on the steering wheel to activate VGS) you can change gear using the steering wheel-mounted paddles, accompanied by a sporty engine sound. Even though both the gear shift and the noise are simulated, this makes the driving experience more engaging – like the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N. You can even rev the engine when in neutral! Unlike some other EVs, the engine sound is convincingly matched to throttle inputs and gear changes.
The Genesis GV60 Performance also has an Electronic Limited Slip Differential (E-LSD), and if all that wasn’t enough, it also has a Drift Mode. To activate this you need to select Sport drive mode, fully (not partially) disengage the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and then pull the left and right paddle shift levers for more than three seconds. Drift Mode then feels like the rear wheels are actively pushing you around corners to give oversteer characteristics.
The ‘normal’ drive modes are Eco, Comfort, Sport and Snow – all accessed via a user-friendly dial on the steering wheel. Also on the steering wheel is a ‘Boost’ button, which you a 10-second burst of maximum torque for acceleration.
When you’re not in Virtual Gearshift mode, the paddles can be used to adjust the level of regenerative braking – which is the best way of adjusting this feature on an EV.
The entire cabin is well designed and user-friendly, with physical buttons, which is so much better than having all car controls hidden in a touchscreen, and there’s a 27-inch display incorporating the driver’s display and the central touchscreen, with a rotary dial controller and physical shortcut buttons, which is much better than having to reach over for buttons on the screen. You also get a head-up display.
The infotainment system has its own meditation music, and other features include ‘Quiet’ mode, which plays music through the front speakers only – so reducing interruption for rear-seat occupants who want to listen to their own music in peace.
Other good news includes a separate climate screen under the main touchscreen with user-friendly heating and ventilation controls that are always accessible.
There’s even a button on the steering wheel to switch of the lane departure warning system with one press, and you can press the volume control to switch off the speed warning.
A new optional feature for the 2025 model year is a Digital Centre Mirror (DCM), transmitting live footage from the rear-facing camera.
Areas for improvement? Many of the buttons on the dashboard have silver writing on a silver background so they’re not very clear in certain light conditions. The mapping isn’t as clear or as detailed as Apple Maps, and the floating centre console is quite wide and can dig into the driver’s left leg.
The Genesis GV60 Performance has an official WLTP combined electric driving range of 311 miles (compared to 289 miles for the previous Sport Plus AWD model). After a week on test in December, the real-world range was averaging 260 miles. Consumption is 3.3 miles per kWh.
The new 84kWh battery means that two-wheel drive GV60 models now have a WLTP range of 348 miles.
Thanks to the 400V/800V charging system, the Genesis GV60 Performance has a maximum ultra-rapid DC charging rate of 240 kW, resulting in 10%-80% charging being possible in just 18 minutes using a 350 kW ultra-rapid charger.
The GV60 also has an onboard charger that can handle 7 kW domestic charging and 11 kW three-phase charging (which is typically found at a workplace in the UK).
The GV60 also has a heat pump, which should help to minimise the loss of range when warming the cabin in winter. There’s also a button to select cabin heating just for the driver – as well as heated seats and heated steering wheel.
The GV60 has an optional 3-pin plug socket under the rear seat, so you can plug in laptops or other electrical devices. It also has a vehicle-to-load adaptor, which you can attach to the external charging socket; this allows you to power electrical items such as camping equipment.
The Genesis GV60 Performance is priced at £66,900. Our test car had the options of Storr Green metallic paint (£810), Sunroof (£1,180), Vehicle-to-Load (£580), Innovation Plus Pack (£2,090) and Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound System with Active Road Noise Cancelling (£1,340), taking the total price of our test car to £73,715 – so this can’t be described as an affordable EV.
The Genesis GV60 is available in three trim levels: Pure (Single Motor RWD with 229PS and 19-inch alloy wheels), Sport (Dual Motor AWD with 318PS and 20-inch alloy wheels) and Performance, with Dual Motor AWD with 490PS and 21-inch alloy wheels as tested.
Prices and specifications correct at time of review
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The Genesis GV60 Performance has a split personality – in the nicest possible way. It’s basically a very refined, quiet, comfortable and luxurious EV. But if you select Virtual Gearshift, the simulated gear changes and the simulated engine noise provides the interactive driving engagement of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N – one of the best EVs that you can buy. You also have the all-wheel drive powertrain producing 490 PS of power, 700 Nm of torque and delivering impressive performance of 0-62 mph in 4.0 seconds. And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s also the e-LSD and Drift Mode.
The 311-mile range is an improvement compared to the previous model and the ultra-rapid 240 kW charging speed means that public charging stops can be completed before you’ve been to the toilet and grabbed a coffee. And the cockpit is really well designed and very user-friendly.
So the Genesis GV60 Performance is an excellent all-round EV, and so it gains a Green Car Guide rating of 10 out of 10. However at £66,900, or £73,715 in the case of our test car, it isn’t the most affordable of EVs.
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