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The Genesis GV60 Sport Plus offers a power output of 490 PS, torque of 700 Nm, a maximum speed of 146 mph, a 0-62 mph time of 4.0 seconds… and all-wheel drive to try and keep all that performance under control.
We’ve tested the Genesis GV60 before in rear-wheel drive guise and we were impressed with its comfort and its luxury. In Sport Plus trim, the GV60, which shares the same platform as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 (the GV60 aims to be the most luxurious), adds more performance. So should you opt for the Sport Plus model, with its higher price?
The Genesis GV60 Sport Plus shares the same body style as the rear-wheel drive GV60, but the Sport Plus model is visually set apart by its large 21-inch wheels (with lime green brake callipers on our test car).
The Genesis GV60 is described by some as an SUV, but essentially it’s a hatchback with a slightly raised ground clearance – a crossover is probably a more accurate description.
The interior features a ‘floating’ centre console, on top of which sits the same ‘crystal ball’ as in other GV60 models: it’s not actually a crystal ball of course, but it looks like one, and when you start the car it rotates to reveal the circular gear selector dial, which features 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, 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 to the driver’s footwell.
The boot is a decent size at 432-litres (with a 52-litre ‘front trunk’), but this is no SUV-like cavernous space, and luggage height is constrained by the low ‘fastback’ rear window. For comparison, the Kia EV6 and the IONIQ 5, which both sit on the same platform, have larger boot sizes of 490 litres and 527 litres respectively.
Under the skin of the GV60 is a 77.4 kWh (gross) lithium-ion battery, with 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 has a new feature for 2023: Genesis says that it’s the first car in the world with face recognition technology, which allows you to open the door without a key. You can then use your fingerprint to allow vehicle operations. Face recognition was set up when the car arrived (you need both car keys to do this), but it was done in the middle of a torrential downpour and the assumption was that this was the reason that it never worked. Once in the car, having to press your finger on a pad is also a hassle (if it doesn’t work you can enter a four-digit code to allow access to the touchscreen contents), so on balance we’re happy to stick with a key, even though the key does seem to have too many buttons on it (you can also use your phone as a digital key).
One of our favourite design features of the GV60 is the controller for the door mirrors. In most cars, these controls are very fiddly and often not very clear to see, and some new cars don’t have these traditional physical controls at all – you have to adjust the mirrors using controls on the touchscreen. Not so in the GV60 – the door mirror controls are a design feature that face towards the driver, and are easy to see and easy to operate.
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 Sport Plus has a towing capacity of 1,600 kg.
The rear-wheel drive Genesis GV60 is a comfortable and luxurious car. The Sport Plus model adds a whole load of extra performance. The GV60 Sport Plus’ statistics include power output of 490 PS, torque of 700 Nm, a maximum speed of 146 mph and a 0-62 mph time of 4.0 seconds. A boost button on the steering wheel delivers a 10-second burst of maximum output. This means that the performance of the GV60 Sport Plus is very impressive.
Thankfully an all-wheel drive chassis provides more traction than the rear-wheel drive models to cope with the extra performance, which is particularly helpful in the wet. There’s a 50/50 power split, with 180 kW output at the front and 180 kW at the rear, however the car feels as though it has a slight rear-biased power delivery when you’re driving (even without the car’s Drift mode, which can be selected by pulling both steering-wheel mounted paddles for three seconds). The low centre of gravity thanks to the floor-mounted battery means that the car’s handling is excellent, and even the steering is responsive.
Life on the motorway is very quiet and refined (helped by standard double-glazed soundproof glass), with excellent ride quality. But the larger wheels on the Sport Plus model do mean that the ride comfort evident at all times in the rear-wheel drive model isn’t quite the case with the Sport Plus version (especially in Sport mode), as you can feel more impact from pot holes and rough road surfaces.
There are three drive modes, Eco, Comfort and Sport, and the best thing is that, like the Boost button, the drive mode button is located on the steering wheel, so it’s really easy to access – just one press and you’re in Sport mode (apart from the improved throttle responses, you’ll also note that the driver’s seat grips you tighter).
Steering wheel-mounted paddles allow you to increase (or decrease) the degree of brake regeneration, which is the best way of adjusting this feature on an EV.
And yet another brilliant button on the steering wheel is one that allows you to switch off the lane departure warning system, which stops lots of beeping when you drive near a white line.
The central touchscreen can be controlled by a rotary dial and shortcut buttons (which are located lower down the dashboard), which is much better than having to reach over to touch the screen, and under the main central touchscreen sits a separate screen for heating and ventilation controls, so you’ve always got the ability to easily change the cabin climate settings.
The infotainment system works well and even 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.
The Genesis GV60 Sport Plus AWD has a WLTP combined electric driving range of 289 miles; this is less than the 321-mile range of the rear-wheel drive GV60, and the larger 21-inch wheels of the AWD model will be a factor in this.
Although we’ve achieved impressive real-world driving ranges in the Kia EV6 and IONIQ 5, unfortunately this wasn’t the case with the GV60 Sport Plus. After a week on test comprised of mixed driving, the GV60 Sport Plus averaged 226 miles on a full charge, which is quite a way off the official 289-mile range.
The good news is that GV60 has an 800v electrical architecture allowing it to ultra-rapid charge at up to 233 kW. This can translate to a 10% to 80% DC charge taking just 18 minutes.
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 a 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.
Electric cars do not charge at their maximum charge rate for an entire charging session – their charge rate typically starts off high with a battery with a low state of charge, then the charge rate decreases as the battery charge increases. See the charge curve for the Genesis GV60 from Fastned:
The Genesis GV60 Sport Plus AWD costs £67,505. Our test car had quite a few options, including Innovation Pack (£2,810), Comfort Seat Pack (£2,790), Nappa Leather Seats Pack (£2,310), Sunroof (£1,120), Digital exterior mirror (£1,240), Outdoor Pack (£880), Bang & Olufsen audio system (£990), Vehicle to load (£880), lime brake callipers (£280), door mirrors with auto-dimming (£80), Adriatic blue paint (£740) and Navy Nappa leather with quilting (£250), taking the total price of our test car to £75,535 – which is quite a lot…
The Genesis GV60 trim levels are Premium (RWD single motor) from £54,105, Sport (AWD dual motor) from £58,565, and Sport Plus (AWD dual motor) from £67,505.
For comparison, Hyundai IONIQ 5 prices start from £43,445 and Kia EV6 prices start from £45,245.
Prices and specifications correct at time of review
The Genesis GV60 Sport Plus AWD is a very impressive all-round EV. It offers huge performance, it delivers reassuring traction thanks to its all-wheel drive chassis, it has comfortable ride quality on most roads, although the large 21-inch wheels don’t cope with pot holes as well as smaller wheels, and overall refinement is excellent. The interior has been thoughtfully designed and it works well from a functional point of view. Although the official driving range of 289 miles isn’t as good as other GV60 models, the 233 kW maximum charging rate is very useful for ultra-rapid top-ups on long journeys.
So it’s generally all good news, but so it should be for a price of £67,505 – or £75,535 in the case of our test car. The Genesis GV60 Sport Plus AWD gains a Green Car Guide rating of 10 out of 10.
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