FORECOURT
GENESIS GV60 Under the bonnet
Powered by a single electric motor the entry-level Premium produces 226bhp and 350Nm of torque
THE KNOWLEDGE Genesis GV60 Premium Price as tested: £56,865 Engine: Single motor, 77.4kWh battery Power: 226bhp Torque: 350Nm Max speed: 115mph O-60mph: 7.6 seconds Range: 321 miles Emissions: 0g/km CO2
Genesis is pretty new to Europe, but in the GV60 it has an intriguing electric vehicle aimed at shaking up the premium car segment. Darren Cassey reports. WHAT IS IT? After initially launching with a bunch of combustion-engined executive models as a brandbuilding exercise, the real genesis of Genesis has now arrived. The GV60 represents the company’s first fully electric model, and the figurehead for its future plans. WHAT’S NEW? In some ways everything’s new, with this being a completely new model in the young firm’s line-up. However, Genesis is part of the same company that owns Hyundai and Kia, so this shares its underpinnings with the highly regarded Ioniq 5 and EV6. Some noteworthy features include optional digital door mirrors, cabin materials made from organic and recycled sources and twin 12.3-inch displays. But it has a distinctive appearance that’s nothing like the aforementioned EVs with which it shares its base. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? The entry-level Premium powertrain uses a single electric motor that powers the rear wheels with an output of 226bhp and 350Nm of torque. The middle Sport model has two motors that make a combined 315bhp and 605Nm of torque, while the top-specification Sport Plus ups this dual-motor power output to a mildly absurd 483bhp and 700Nm of torque. Both have all-wheel-drive with 0-60mph times of 5.5 and 4.0 seconds respectively. All get the same battery capacity of 77.4kWh, resulting in a range of 321, 292 and 289 miles respectively. This essentially gives the choice of going really fast or really far. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The first thing you’ll notice is just how refined the GV60 is. It’s incredibly comfortable, particularly at lower speeds, and largely without the annoyingly stiff suspension you’ll often find in EVs. The powertrain is sharp in its response and ludicrously, unnecessarily fast in the full-fat Sport Plus version. HOW DOES IT LOOK? At first glance there are some awkward angles to the GV60, but overall it’s a cool and characterful thing. There’s a fun face up front, with the brand-wide quad headlight design and low front grille, while there’s quite a lot of unbroken bodywork in the upper section of
36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
