When you open the door of the 2024 Genesis GV60 and push the start button, it greets you with a little showbiz:
The "Crystal Sphere" that rotates into place revealing a gear selector was among the things I thought might be a bit too gimmicky when I first drove the GV60 a year and a half ago. Fact is, it's grown on me. Â
My second weeklong evaluation of a GV60 benefitted from additional time in the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai IONIQ 5, which share the same platform.
Having more recently reviewed those two vehicles makes it easier to appreciate just how successfully Genesis has set the GV60 apart from its cousins---as well as from its other EVs, the Electrified GV70 SUV and the Electrified G80 sedan.
Under the hood of the GV60 Performance (our test vehicle), as with the EV6 and IONIQ 5, is a small storage compartment and access to fluids and such. Hidden from sight are the things that make the GV60 go---two 160kW electric motors, one powering the front wheels, one powering the rears. That translates to a total system output of 429 horsepower.
The GV60 Performance has a 77.4 kWh battery, and the estimated range per charge is 235 miles. There's also the GV60 Advanced AWD with 234kw total system output (314 horsepower) and 248 miles of range. And for 2024, Genesis is introducing a single-motor rear-wheel drive GV60 Extended Range model---168kW (225 horsepower) and 294 miles of range.
A year and a half ago, I had my pick of 350kw chargers and saw a consistent peak of 230kw while charging the GV60.
This time, at a station with four chargers (three 350kw units and one 50kw), one had a tarp over it, one had a black screen, and a third had a working screen with an "Under Maintenance" message ("undermaintenance" might be more accurate).
The one working charger was a 50kw unit....and to its credit, it was close---firing straight up to 44kW and staying there. But topping off from 51% charge to 80% took 36 minutes and 55 seconds---in a vehicle that can, with a properly working 350kW charger, do 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. The final session cost on the app cleared itself as I was taking the screenshot. It was actually $16.09.
I'll say it again: At a critical moment in the adoption of EVs, with vehicles that are not just available and capable, but desirable (put the GV60 at or near the top of that list), we're being let down by the infrastructure.
There are four selectable drive modes---Eco, Comfort, Sport and Custom. Sport takes an already fast car (0-60 in 4.0) and makes it a bit quicker to accelerate.
But this----this is where the fun lives. The "BOOST" button on the right hand side of the steering wheel unlocks an additional 54 horsepower (taking you to 483) for ten seconds. That shaves 0-60 times down to three and a half seconds and will actually squeal---not chirp, squeal---the tires on launch. After my hormones reset back from "16 year old boy", I began to consider how useful that could be in passing maneuvers.
On a 75-mile test loop including freeway, city street and winding Sierra foothill backroads, the GV60's handling was another revelation. Chalk a lot of that sure-footedness up to all four wheels being driven at the same time. While the overall ride is smooth, you can feel the electronically-controlled suspension communicating with the rear wheels on anything but the most flawless pavement...it telegraphs right into the seat of your pants. "Jittery" isn't the right word. "Busy" might be.
There's 24 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear---expandable to 54.7 cubic feet if you fold down the second-row seats.
When those seats are in use, the people riding in them are likely to be pretty happy. The seats are attractive, comfortable and there's 37.6 inches of rear legroom.
The materials, fit and finish are all first-rate. And as Genesis has done with its flagship G90 sedan, they've created a special-feeling cockpit with shapes, textures and ambience unlike any other car.
The base price of the 2024 Genesis GV60 Performance is $70,745 including destination. The list of standard equipment is beyond impressive: A comprehensive suite of active safety features, 21-inch alloy wheels, a "Vision Roof" with power shade, a power hands-free smart liftgate with auto open, high-beam assist, Nappa leather seating surfaces, aluminum trim, microfiber suede headliner and pillars, a leatherette-wrapped instrument panel, power front seats with four-way power lumbar, power cushion extension, bolster and ergonomic motion for the driver, heated and ventilated front seat, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, manual rear door shades, a cargo cover, surround view monitor, remote smart parking assist, head-up display, a 12.3-inch center touchscreen with navigation and a Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, active noise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Genesis Connected Services, a wireless phone charger, Genesis Digital Key, fingerprint authentication to start the vehicle and Face Connect for keyless entry.
Oh, yeah--and carpeted floor mats.
And if other cars have drawer-style gloveboxes, I've missed them. If they don't, they should.
There was only one extra-cost option on our test vehicle, the Uyuni (named after Bolivian Salt Flats) White paint, at $575. So the bottom line on the window sticker reads $71,320.
Given the (typical of Genesis) level of feature content, this is a high-luxury, high-style, high-performance and high-value electric vehicle that's a clear winner among premium EVs.
