The Genesis GV60 Performance is an almost perfect luxury EV
TheStreet’s James Ochoa found lots of fun, and glaring flaws with Genesis’s EV
At first glance, it is easy to assume that the Genesis GV60 Performance is just another one of those egg-shaped electric vehicles you see out on the road.
To take words from the voiceover actor who narrates the commercials for the Dodge Charger Daytona EV, the GV60 looks like one of those "lame, soulless, weak-looking sleep pods" out on the road.
However, during my week with the Genesis GV60 Performance, I found that this fast, comfortable, egg-shaped little demon was not just fun to drive at any speed; it left me feeling addicted and itching to chase the dragon. The exterior of the Genesis GV60 Performance James Ochoa
Genesis is to Hyundai, like Lexus is to Toyota
Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis has been around for nearly ten years, but I don't blame you if you don’t know what Genesis is.
Compared to its Japanese contemporaries, such as Honda's Acura, Toyota’s Lexus, or Nissan's Infiniti, the South Korean luxury brand is much younger. Officially, Hyundai started the Genesis brand in 2015 and didn't start selling cars in the U.S. until the 2017 model year.
However, within that span of time, Genesis grew from being little more than an offshoot of Hyundai to evolving into a true threat to European luxury oligarchs like BMW and Audi.
The GV60 Performance is a prime example. It is Genesis’s first attempt at an electric vehicle, but thanks to its Hyundai roots, it isn’t painting an entirely new picture without instructions.
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The GV60's exterior stands out among EV crossovers
On the outside, Genesis has applied its in-house design language, which prevents the GV60 from being some sort of “copy and paste“ luxury EV.
The one I tested came in a nice shade of blue called Capri Blue and from the side, it is easy to mistake its coupe-like silhouette and shape with Tesla’s Model Y. But that's where the comparisons with Tesla‘s golden goose stop.
Compared with the Model Y's “soft,” bubbly shape, the GV60 Performance adopts a more youthful and aggressive “boy racer” look akin to its Kia-badged sibling, the EV6.
Genesis has given the face of the GV60 some of its signature details, including its split-design LED headlights and taillights and an aggressive front grille.
To further emphasize its sporting qualities, Genesis gave the GV60 Performance styling akin to an aggressive body kit and big 21-inch chrome wheels that seem more at home in a rap video from 2005 than on a "sporty" modern electric vehicle. Although the whole vehicle rides on a normal ride height for a “sports” model, Genesis's styling tweaks give the GV60 a wide, low stance that makes it look like you’re coming face-to-face with a grappler in an octagon.
All things considered, the GV60 Performance is packaged to seamlessly connect subtle elegance with flashy sportiness. While some luxury buyers may scoff at its bold and youthful “Fast and the Furious” style approach, Genesis's decision to embrace such a look creates one of the more visually appealing electric SUVs on the market—at least to those who like it. James Ochoa
The GV60 Performance's interior is thoughtfully laid out
But where the “boy racer” aesthetics stop is in its interior, as its rather sporty and athletic exterior appearance transitions to something more akin to a lounge when you open up the doors.
Inside the GV60 Performance, it’s evident that Genesis has prioritized luxury and occupant comfort over anything else. Genesis uses a “show, don’t tell” approach to distinguishing itself as a luxury brand.
Inside, the seats and most touch surfaces are finished in nice, soft, but durable Nappa leather upholstery, in addition to metal and soft-touch plastic. But it shines in the futuristic yet inviting layout of the area around the occupants.
From the driver's seat, every little control, button, dial, or knob is positioned in a way where you can sit "La-Z-Boy style" and not exert any energy whatsoever.
Like most EVs, the GV60's dash is dominated by big screens for the gauges and the infotainment system. It runs the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which outputs sound to a powerful Bang & Olufsen premium sound system.
You do have to reach and hunch over from the driver's seat to physically touch the touch screen. However, Genesis seems to have realized that changing the navigation destination and radio station tuning on the fly would be anything but inevitable and could be an issue for some drivers.
To combat that, the GV60 has a scroll wheel, as well as manual volume and turning rollers that rest on your natural hand position on the center console. In some other cars that feature Apple CarPlay, I would have to take my eyes off the road, but by using the scroll wheel, I was able to make certain commands and functions become virtually muscle memory.
