Genesis GV60 long-term test | A new take on luxury

If you think of a ‘luxury car’ it’s probably going to be a big boxy saloon with lashings of leather and wood, a big combustion engine and an equally large price tag. 

That’s perhaps an outdated view, especially in our new world of electrified cars. So, what is a modern luxury car? Well, Genesis think it has the answer. 

The Korean brand has its sights set on creating premium driving experiences and is using a suite of features, to enhance driving pleasure, comfort and efficiency. 

“Balancing elegant premium design and exceptional craftsmanship with spaciousness and state-of-the-art technology,” it says. 

Passenger comfort is key. Inside our GV60 the cream leather and light grey interior certainly has a luxurious feel. The driver gets an Ergo Motion Seat, which includes a massage function, it will also start to auto massage the driver after one hour of driving. 

Our GV60 also has the Premium Relaxation Comfort front seats which can be heated, cooled or fully reclined at the touch of a button, allowing occupants to stretch while waiting for the battery to charge. 

Rear passengers get the standard Second Row Comfort Package which features heated rear seats, plus retractable side blinds for the rear windows and, by locating the battery pack beneath the floor, passengers get a completely flat floor, providing more legroom and a sense of space. 

Active Noise Control-Road (ANC-R) technology uses the audio system’s speakers to create opposing frequencies to those coming into the cabin, to help eliminate unwanted sounds. The setup means that the GV60’s interior is always quiet, even at high speeds. 

Even the windscreen surround, door mirrors and rubber seals, have been engineered to keep wind noise to a minimum. The use of hydraulic bushes for some of the suspension components and subframes also help with the premium feel. There are certainly no complaints that this is anything other than a premium car.  

The GV60 can also be optioned with an advanced Road Preview system. This uses a forward-facing camera to scan the road ahead for speed bumps or potholes, instantly adjusting front and rear damping to optimise ride comfort and handling control. Unfortunately, it’s not fitted to our car. 

While our time with the car, so far, has been largely impressive, there are a couple of negatives about the GV60 that I have to report. 

Firstly, the digital key function – which allows you to use your smartphone instead of the physical key - is limited to Apple, Samsung and Google phone compatibility and as I have none of these, I haven’t been able to try this function.  

Secondly, the WLTP range of 321 is eluding me this winter. The highest 100% charge I’ve seen indicated is around 250 miles, currently the car is returning 3.0mi/kWh. Hopefully this will improve over the warmer months. 

Oh, I’ve also had a couple of people ask me if it’s a Bentley due to the winged logo! 

Genesis GV60 Premium joins our fleet

It’s possible that Genesis is a brand that you’ve never heard of or know little about. Certainly anyone I’ve shown our GV60 test model to outside of the motoring industry didn’t know what it was. 

The company has actually been selling cars in America and Korea since 2016 and in the UK since 2021. It’s part of Hyundai and sold as a premium brand. 

Genesis sell in relatively low numbers in the UK, 1,099 cars were sold in 2024 (YTD) 400 of them being the GV60. To put that in perspective, Ford sold 3,800 Mach E’s while BMW sold 12,000 of the i4 model over the same period. 

The GV60 is the brand’s first dedicated electric vehicle. Our premium spec model has a base price of £53,300 with a range of optional extras including: the innovation pack (£2,810), Bang & Olufsen stereo (£990), sunroof (£1,120), vehicle to load pack (£880), auto dimming door mirrors (£80), copper coloured brake callipers (£280) plus delivery and registration fee the grand total of this model comes to £61,005 which puts it on a par price wise with the BMW i4. 

All versions of GV60 feature a 77.4 kWh battery, which is mounted under the floor to maximise interior space and provide a low centre of gravity. The battery is capable of being charged at up to 240kW allowing a 10-80% charge to be achieved in 18 minutes. The standard RWD Premium model (four wheel drive is available) is equipped with a rear-mounted motor that delivers 229 PS and a maximum torque of 350Nm with a WLTP range of 321 miles. 

“The GV60 represents the true essence of the brand, marking the point where art and technology converge into perfection to present global high-tech luxury for our customers.” - SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Genesis Brand 

Comfort and technology certainly take centre stage here, with the standard ergomotion and relaxation front seats complete with heating and ventilation, massage function and 18 way power adjustment. Rear passengers also get heated seats with adjustable back rests and window blinds. The technology available in the GV60 is vast and includes ‘world-first’ biometric features including keyless face recognition and Digital Key 2.0 which allows owners to share access to their GV60 with up to three different smartphone users which I will cover in the next installment.