Genesis Electrified GV70 review

Make and model: Genesis Electrified GV70
Description: Mid-sized electric SUV
Price range: £65,915 to £74,915

Genesis says: “The new Electrified GV70 signifies Genesis’ commitment to elegant design and cutting edge technologies”.

We say: It appears costly but in terms of quality, equipment and performance the GV70 can make its case against the mainstream upmarket electric SUV contenders.

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Introduction

The GV70 was one of the two initial models that launched Genesis into the UK in 2021 as the upmarket sister brand to Hyundai. Initially, it was offered with petrol and diesel engines, with an electric version – using two motors and boasting all-wheel drive – joining the range in 2022.

Since then, the Genesis brand has had a mildly chequered history in the UK, such novel aspects as running everything from car sales to their servicing at a central office without traditional dealerships are currently in the process of being diluted by the setting up of a select group of ‘retail partners’. But the brand is steadily establishing itself and has boldly stated that its future will focus on solely electric vehicles.

As part of this, all three EVs in the Genesis range are being updated and the GV70 has now undergone what has traditionally been regarded as a mid-life facelift, though rather sooner than is typical for the average model.

The changes are not at all obvious when first looking at the Electrified GV70, but they are quite wide-ranging – rather more than the usual styling nips and tucks and slight massaging of equipment levels. The driver’s surroundings, in particular, have undergone a complete reworking and an amount of new technology has been added, while the battery pack has also been upgraded, adding an extra 15 miles of driving range.  

• Genesis Electrified GV70 (2022 onwards) – Expert Rating
• More Genesis new car reviews, news, features and Expert Ratings

What is the Genesis Electrified GV70?

The GV70 was originally launched in electric form as a mid-sized SUV taking on a growing range of rivals in the premium market and the updated car faces many a rival – such as the Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz EQE, Porsche Macan and the Tesla Model Y, with the likelihood of more challenges emerging from the new brands coming from China.

The updated version of the Genesis is only being offered in EV form, with the petrol and diesel versions ditched as part of the brand’s stated move to an all-electric future.

First impressions

On first viewing the new Electrified GV70, any owner of the previous version will struggle to believe much has changed on this car. The exterior looks almost exactly the same, maybe with slight tweaks to the alloy wheels but that’s it.

Not that this is a bad thing – when we tested the previous version, we stated that Genesis could not be accused of producing boxy SUVs, the brand’s so-called ‘Athletic Elegance’ design language resulting in profiles that are both sculpted and sleek. The GV70 is among the most attractive vehicles in its class and certainly an appealing alternative to both the mainstream and often less than exciting German offerings.  

Put that existing owner in the new car and he will immediately notice many more differences, particularly in the driver’s environment – this has undergone fundamental change as we detail below. But the one aspect that remains is a high level of quality, justifying the GV70’s place as a premium SUV.

That owner might also be impressed with the extension of the car’s range thanks to a new battery pack, though it is by only 15 miles and the car’s official driving range still fails to break 300 miles. In this market and at this price point, some rivals are exceeding 350 miles.

We like: Looks, quality and equipment justify its premium market status
We don’t like: Lacks the battery range of comparatively priced rivals

What do you get for your money?

While it was previously only available in a single Sport trim, the updated Electrified GV70 comes in a choice of three grades dubbed Pure, Dynamic and Luxury. Starting at £67K, the Pure version tested by The Car Expert comes with a pleasing amount of standard equipment, including heating on the front seats, steering wheel and mirrors, entry by reading the owner’s fingerprint, wireless phone charging (along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility) and a powered tailgate.

A £3,800 price jump moves the buyer into Dynamic territory, with bigger wheels (20-inch diameter instead of the Pure’s 19s), a head-up display and some extra safety features, including blind-spot monitoring, parking collision avoidance and remote smart parking.

On which note, the GV70 carries a top-level five-star rating from safety body Euro NCAP. While the testing was performed on the combustion-engined GV70 back in 2021, Euro NCAP carried out additional tests in 2023 to confirm that the Electrified model was worthy of the same rating.  

Range-topping trim is the Luxury, costing from £75K. This pays for such niceties as a panoramic sunroof, heating on the rear seats and ventilation on the fronts, and an upmarket 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system featuring active noise cancellation – this clever technology emits a sound, undetectable by the human ear, that drowns out extraneous noise.

Like many EVs, the GV70 offers a vehicle-to-load function, enabling the car’s battery to be used to power external equipment such as camping lights or stoves. However, it only comes as an option on the Pure model, fitted to our car at a cost of £890.

Another notable on the options list is a digital rear-view mirror, making use of the view from the rear camera and offering a clearer and more effective view than a traditional mirror, even in poor weather.

One aspect where the GV70 certainly leaves rivals in the shade is in the Genesis aftercare plan, which consists of a warranty, complimentary servicing (with delivery and collection from home, along with a courtesy car) and roadside assistance, all for five years. It also offers Electrified buyers a free home wallbox with subsidised charging rates.  

We like: Aftercare plan is a valuable feature
We don’t like: Some options are standard on other EVs

What’s the Genesis Electrified GV70 like inside?

Inside the car is where the most obvious changes have taken place, the control panels now completely different to what has gone before. The previous format of infotainment screen mounted atop the centre console and binnacle-style driver’s screen has made way for a digital screen some 27 inches long, running right across the cockpit.

This unit combines the driver information and connected infotainment features on one screen. It gives the front of the cabin a much more airy feel, due to moving the digital displays lower and closer to the occupants, and improving the view out of the windscreen. And thanks to the high seating position and thin front pillars, this was already effective.

Genesis has also added a wider range of connected services to the system. The inputs now available to the infotainment screen include YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ and more, along with a live news feed, all of which are available by voice commands.

While obviously when driving the screen doesn’t broadcast the latest streaming blockbuster, when delivered the test car was remarkably displaying constantly updated scores from a European Golf Tour event, in the left side of the driver’s display! It was somewhat distracting but soon cancelled.

On the plus side, Genesis has not followed the rush to everything on a touchscreen – while one can use the screen to issue commands, the large rotary control on the centre console remains, as does a neat panel of physical dials and buttons for such functions as the climate control.

One issue that remains, however, is the gear selector – rather than the EV norm of placing it on a stalk, Genesis uses a second rotary control just behind the infotainment system, and yes, it is very easy to operate the wrong one… 

Genesis interior quality has been much praised and the new car maintains the trend, the fit and finish feeling as premium as the car’s price would suggest. But the drawbacks remain too, not least the battery pack taking up rather a lot of boot space and leaving one with a somewhat shallow compartment of just 503 litres – below all of the car’s perceived rivals.

There is a front ‘frunk’ offering a bit of extra space (22 litres), and this is handy to put the charge cables in, particularly as the charge point is mounted in the front grille. When you find it that is… The door is very cleverly hidden and electrically opened from inside the car or on the keyfob.          

We like: New dash arrangement looks better and is more practical
We don’t like: Poor placement of gear selector control

What’s under the bonnet?

The GV70 only comes in all-wheel drive form, which means a pair of motors, both rated at 185kW/245hp, unchanged from the previous version. When working together, they normally offer a combined maximum output of 435hp. You can get the full 490hp output, however, by pressing the ‘Boost’ button prominently mounted on the steering wheel, and then for a maximum of ten seconds at a time.

Even without using the boost button, the combined torque figure of 700Nm ensures plenty of pulling power and swift overtaking. The car’s 0-62mph time is rated at 4.4 seconds (without boost), while it will go from 50 to 75mph in just 2.2 seconds.

As mentioned, the battery is mounted under the boot, but it has been upgraded to 84kWh, which adds 15 miles to the official driving range, extending it to 298 miles. In the real world, you’ll likely be travelling 230 to 250 miles before a recharge is necessary, and the car does come with both a heat pump and battery condition to help maintain range in colder conditions.  

In terms of charging, the Genesis boasts 800-volt technology, which means if you can find a 350 kW ultra-rapid charger, you can replenish the battery from 10 to 80% in a mere 19 minutes. On a 50 kW rapid charger, it will take 76 minutes, and using an 11kW home wallbox, you are looking at just under eight hours.

One extra oddity is the addition to the new model of the Genesis ‘Virtual Gear Shift’ feature already seen on the GV60 and also the Ioniq 5 N and EV6 GT from sister brands Hyundai and Kia. In both feel and sound, this gives an impression of driving a car with a manual six-speed gearbox – a sort of faux performance mode. It’s novel but seems oddly out of place in the target market for this car, which is all about premium travel.  

More traditional in EV terms is the brake regeneration. A range of levels can be selected, from gentle regeneration to one-pedal driving, and there is also a setting that allows the system to determine what’s needed for itself.

What’s the Genesis Electrified GV70 like to drive?

While perhaps not created from the start as an EV, the GV70 is as easy to drive and live with as any of its electrically powered rivals. It’s also plenty potent enough, even without resorting to such gimmicks as the boost button.

Our Pure-trim version sits on the standard 19-inch wheels, on which the car rides well, soaking up bumps and lumps – helped by the standard-fit technology called ‘Road View’, which apparently scans the road ahead, setting the chassis to absorb such obstructions as potholes.

Occupants are wafted along in suitable comfort, the interior feeling particularly quiet, thanks to double-glazed windows and even without the clever active noise cancellation technology of the top Luxury trim.

The steering is suitably weighted, especially for the EV market, where steering feel does not seem to be the norm, though the large bodyshell does roll a bit if cornered hard, even if one selects the Sport option in the driving modes.

The alternatives to Sport are Comfort or Eco, while there are also various off-road modes, Snow, Mud, Sand and a new ‘Auto-Terrain’ which uses AI to analyse the surface below and set the car accordingly. Somehow, we can’t see these electronics being an oft-used feature in the Genesis.     

Go for the upper Dynamic or Luxury grades and the wheels grow in size, to 20 inches – we haven’t tried a car with these fitted but one should expect a slight loss of ride comfort.

We like: Combination of well-behaved driving dynamics and potency
We don’t like: Can’t see the point of the performance gimmicks

Verdict

Mid-life facelifts are seldom worth writing about, but in the case of the new Electrified Genesis GV70, this is a major update – especially the effective total reworking of the driving environment.

A wide range of changes have been made to the GV70, and crucially, they add value to a car that was already an impressive proposition. While at first glance the GV70 might seem expensive, it is both as well-built and equal in its on-the-road performance to its rivals, while offering a much more individual option. Factor in the considerable extra bonus of the five-year aftercare package and the Genesis becomes worthy of serious consideration.

Similar cars

Audi Q4 e-tron | BMW iX3 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | Genesis GV60 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | Jaguar I-Pace | Kia EV6 | Mercedes-Benz EQC | Polestar 2 | Polestar 3 | Skoda Enyaq | Subaru Solterra | Tesla Model Y | Toyota bZ4X | Volkswagen ID.4

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