Extended test: Genesis GV70 2024 review

Genesis Electrified GV70 specifications

Model Electrified GV70 Sport
OTR Price: £64,300
Price as tested (with options): £77,825
Colour: Mauna Red
Cost options fitted: Exterior colour, Mauna Red (metallic) £750; Innovation Pack £3,620; Comfort Seat Pack £1,660; Lexicon Audio System £1,010; Nappa Leather Seat Pack £2,350; Outdoor Pack £900; Convenience Pack & 2^nd Row Comfort Seat Pack £1,800; Alloy wheels 20in £620
Transmission: Single speed (automatic); dual motor all-wheel drive (160kW front / 160kW rear) with e-Terrain mode included
Power output: 429bhp or up to 483bhp in boost mode
Torque: 526 lb ft (770Nm)
Weight (DIN/EU) 2,310kg / 2,385kg
Luggage capacity (seats up /down) 503 litres / 1,678 litres
Battery capacity: 77.4 kWh
Range: 283 miles (WLTP combined)
Top speed: 146mph
0-62mph: 4.2 seconds
VED (road tax): Nothing until April 2025, then standard rate
BIK tax payable (2023/24): 2%
Insurance Group: 50

Test details

Test period July 2024 — Jan 2025
Starting mileage 1,406 miles

Updates

September 30, 2024 Introducing the Genesis GV70
November 15, 2024 Cornwall road trip: can it go the distance?
December 6, 2024 Lap dogs of luxury
December 29, 2024 A deep dive into the Electrified GV70’s tech features

September 30, 2024: Introducing the Genesis GV70

Tina Milton stands by a red Genesis Electrified GV70 for her long term review - side view of the car

As the new government ponders its vision to wean the UK off combustion engines and encourage electric adoption, the arrival outside my house of the Genesis Electrified GV70 Sport came with no small amount of trepidation. I’ve tried out pure-electric cars before, but not had one on test for a full six months. I’ve found that hybrids and plug-in hybrids suit my lifestyle but now I’ll be without that petrol safety net proper.

Rolling on to my drive in its mauna red colouring (a bespoke Genesis pantone) I was immediately drawn to its athletic appearance, with its eye-catching 20in alloy wheels, roof spoiler, quad headlights and sloping roof line. It certainly has the sporty coupe-SUV accoutrements and it draws favourable comparisons in terms of shape and rear styling with the Porsche Macan that belongs to a friend.

The Genesis brand still hasn’t cut through to the mainstream and I’ll be honest, my experience of the brand is limited. So I was curious to discover more and look beyond many people’s description of it as the premium arm of Hyundai — what Lexus is to Toyota, if you like.

But Genesis wants us to think of it as a carmaker all unto its own, as demonstrated by the creation of showrooms in unique locations. There’s one in the new Battersea Power Station retail development in South West London, which I noticed on a recent shopping expedition.

Looking at the GV70 model (of which there are petrol and diesel versions, as well as this EV model) in terms of the competition, I’m torn in two different directions. In terms of size, price and specification, there’s the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC; a trio with extremely loyal customer bases and Genesis has a challenge on its hands to tempt them to potentially switch.

But then if you think about the Electrified GV70, a new list of rivals can be redrawn: the German giants have their Audi Q6 e-trons, BMW iX3s and Mercedes EQCs, but they’re joined by the likes of the Tesla Model Y and Lexus RZ. Plenty to consider and a lot of homework required to trim prospective shortlists if you’re shopping in this space. In terms of price that Tesla looks attractive, starting at under 45 grand versus the Genesis’ circa £65k-plus asking price. But who wants a Tesla these days, while Elon is in charge?

And Genesis has gone all out on quality, and with our test car has been generous with the options, providing a triple set of optional packs, namely Comfort Seat (£1,660), Innovation (£3,620) and Convenience (£1,800). These certainly add to the price tag but clearly signpost that this car sits firmly in the luxury category.

I’ve also been invited along to the Genesis X Dog concept event, which suggests that it’s not just Genesis’s human customers who need to be catered for. More to follow, but Jessie (my 5-year-old Cavapoo) will be excited to assist me on testing duties.

A dog in the boot of the Genesis Electrified GV70

I’ve had the car for a month now and I’m loving the super quiet and smooth electric drive, providing for a very pleasant glide-type experience with evidence that rapid acceleration is there in spades. There is also a tempting boost button located on the steering wheel, which works like a go-faster button and accesses the GV70’s full 483bhp for 10 seconds. That will be one to experiment with in the future.

The handling has been easy to adapt to, making a relatively large and heavy car feel easy to manoeuvre around tight local corners as well as bigger intersections. There is also a ton of technology embedded into both the 14.5in touchscreen and the driver’s dials, with many safety features to the fore. I’ll have a good play with these in future chapters and report back on how this tech performs.

Mileage this month 597 miles
Average economy 3.1 miles per kWh

Have a question for Tina? Ask in the comments section below.

November 15, 2024: Cornwall road trip: can it go the distance?

Life with the Genesis GV70 Sport is now well under way and it has had quite a comprehensive workout over a multitude of driving scenarios. From days out at the coast to Ikea shopping runs, the GV70 has been hard at work. However, the toughest challenge arrived in the shape of the family summer road trip to Cornwall.

We were renting our accommodation but, while I don’t know what proportion of Genesis owners have second homes, it’s probably higher than the average and so our experience could prove useful info. Could a pure-electric premium SUV step out of its local comfort zone and be the family long-distance workhorse that I needed it to be?

The annual run down to Cornwall was a challenge not only for the Genesis but also for our journey planning. We normally try to avoid the likely traffic that hits the M5 and A30 bottlenecks by heading off super early and making as much headway as possible before taking a pit stop. With a pure-electric car to factor in, some range maths were needed. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt about EVs, you need to plan long-distance trips, then have a back-up plan for a worst case scenario — broken chargers, endless queues… you know, the stuff that can happen but is becoming rarer.

The GV70 has an official (WLTP) range of 283 miles over a mix of roads, but my regular charge gives me 254 miles, and high speed roads plus lots of weight onboard pushes this down further, and can be around the 220 miles mark. We would need to charge efficiently, both in terms of cost and time.

So before setting off, I had a firm Plan A but also more than one alternative at each stop, in case we encountered any problems. The Zapmap app as usual was pivotal to this process, helping to identify my charging options, and I really recommend looking not only at charger locations but also the most recent comments on specific chargers. If someone says a charger was out of order a day or two ago, or that it’s in a location that’s inaccessible, you can save yourself a whole lot of bother.

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The GV70 hit the motorway and, far from being out of its element, one could argue this is its optimum terrain. The powerful acceleration from high speed made for rapid overtakes, while the suite of advanced driver aids — including Highway Driving Assist 2, which includes adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist with assisted lane changes (all part of the optional Innovation pack I’ve been treated too with this model) — took so much of the stress out of the long three-lane slogs. The cruise control is even linked to the navigation, to help with acceleration, deceleration and curves. Genesis labels this as “intelligent technology” and I have to agree it’s very smart and easy to play with via the controls housed in the steering wheel.

Our chosen charging point was Darts Farm, just off the M5 by Exeter. My homework had shown this to be a Tesla Supercharger location, some of which have now been opened up to other cars (we pay more than Tesla drivers, but only around 40-70p per kWh, which is actually very reasonable for a rapid charger), so I was curious to see how the experience would unfold.

The Tesla app was slick and easy to navigate, I’m pleased to report, but I wish the charging bays had been the same. Clearly, Tesla’s charging points are all fixed on the side of vehicles, very different to the GV70 which has this housed in the front grille. This then necessitated an intricate bit of parking to position the Genesis within reach of the relatively short Tesla cable. A few strange looks from fellow chargers ensued, but I managed to plug in and retreated to the lovely (but expensive) Dart Farm café.

A quick check of the Tesla app after 20 minutes showed me that I was almost 60% charged, meaning that we’d be back on the road in no time (charging to 80 per cent, after which the charging speed slow dramatically). Maybe we had struck lucky, but I saw this as a great result and reassuring for anyone put off by stories of EV charging away as being long and painful.

Our holiday rental did not have its own dedicated EV charger (oh, for a time when destination chargers are at every property) but part of my plan was to use the nearby Evolt (formerly Swarco) charging point. Sadly, this was nowhere near as seamless an experience as with the Tesla Supercharger. The lack of phone signal at its location meant I had to run back and forth to stay within the home’s WiFi range, which became rather frustrating.

After much perseverance, we did manage to keep the GV70 charge topped up but, adding to our irritation, it was relatively expensive: 56p per kWh compared to an average of £0.10 kWh at home via smart-charging. Even the Tesla rapid charger cost less, at 44p per kWh. However, our remote location meant we didn’t have much choice, so add that to list of considerations when venturing away from your home charging point. Perhaps the most vital but overlooked locations for slow and medium-speed charging points are coastal towns. If every beach car park had a large number of 22kW posts, British holidayers would be so much better off.

So, our first long-distance, electric road trip with the Electrified GV70 wasn’t seamless but it could be considered a success. Yes, there were a few charging gripes but they were manageable, and the infrastructure is improving all the time (accessing the Tesla network is brilliant).

Importantly, the family gave the GV70 itself their seal of approval. The luxurious cabin with a separate air con zone in the rear was a real blessing, especially on the hotter days. This chilled-out feeling was exacerbated by the quiet e-motor and high level of noise insulation, removing most exterior sound and making for amazingly peaceful and serene coastal drives. Throw in four USB charge ports, decent boot space for the family surf gear and enough leg room for my teenage crew’s growing limbs, the GV70 helped to ramp up the holiday vibes.

Miles since last update 902
Miles to date 1,499
Average economy 3.2 miles per kWh

Have a question for Tina? Ask in the comments section below.

December 6, 2024: Lap dogs of luxury

As a special instalment of our extended test of the GV70, we travelled to the Genesis Studio at Battersea Power Station to preview its luxury dog concept.

We all like to treat our dogs to the finer things in life. We might offer them a cheeky chunk of cheese here or the odd bit of chicken there. But the Genesis x Dog concept, revealed at the company’s Battersea Power Station Studio earlier this year, is tapping into the nation’s desire to pamper their canine friends on a whole new level.

The Genesis x Dog module, designed exclusively for the Electrified GV70, features a built-in electric shower, hairdryer, wireless Bluetooth audio system, ambient lighting and even a heated dog bed, which slots neatly into the boot. Effectively a mobile dog spa, this was a veritable pooch paradise for our cavapoo Jessie (mostly a lounge lizard come lapdog), who embraced her testing responsibilities wholeheartedly.

This bespoke dog accessory was inspired by studies from the University of Lincoln, which have shown that dogs display less restless behaviour when travelling in electric cars. With this in mind, the module is designed to offer hounds a relaxing space to complement the premium ride of the GV70.

To begin her testing regime, Jess found boarding the GV70 a cinch with the retractable lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre ramp for easy access. From then on, she made herself at home, settling in quickly to the heated dog cushion and calmed by the zen lights on the module’s base.

Even outside, the GV70’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability is transformative for owners seeking extra lifestyle requirements. V2L also enables owners to power large electric appliances outside the vehicle. Depending on the device, you can use a three-pin adapter with the external charging port in the front grille or by plugging into a traditional domestic electrical socket located within the storage area of the Genesis x Dog module itself, which in turn received power from a socket in the car’s boot.

Beyond doggy-pampering, there are a huge number of uses for V2L; think blowing up mattresses on camping trips, or even boiling kettles for that late-night cuppa around the campfire.

Clearly, there are some considerations around the use of V2L technology. As the power comes from the drive battery, using it extensively saps range and will mean spending longer charging up the car. Therefore retaining enough charge after using the module while out and about would also be a crucial factor, but helpfully you can set a minimum battery level at which V2L switches off, meaning you will never have too little battery to make it to a charging point.

While the dog module concept spans most of the boot, it is removable if the storage space is needed back, which means it is a flexible option. Convenience is key and being able to wash your dog, anytime, anywhere is a valuable function, which also has potential cost savings. For example, using the dog wash at our local country park costs £1 a minute, whereas charging the GV70 at home (to potentially power the module) costs approx £8 (via overnight smart charging) for a full battery top up, so completely cleaning your pup costs fractions of pennies.

The Genesis x Dog module isn’t for sale as yet: it’s just a concept. However, even in its conceptual form I can see its appeal. It’s an immersive experience to offer dog-loving car browsers in the Genesis showrooms.

After we road-tested the unit in Battersea, the module was displayed at the Westfield Studio for that very reason. To cater for the four-legged audience, dedicated areas at the Studios were equipped with everything from water bowls to dog beds, embracing the brand’s take on traditional Korean hospitality and treating them as ‘son-nim’, or cherished guests.

Unfortunately, Jessie won’t be enjoying spa moments on a daily basis while we test the Electrified GV70, although once was enough to give her a taste of the good life. The potential price of the unit could have a bearing on its popularity, but as dog-friendly offerings go, this is the most premium travel companion I’ve seen with both style and substance.

I can see how smart Genesis is in targeting the “pooch pound” to elevate into the luxury market: win the dog owner’s heart and you’re on the right path. However, I’d relish the chance to see the V2L functionality used in action before drawing any further conclusions.

So, we’ll wait to find out if Genesis x Dog passes the concept stage. For both Jessie’s sake and mine, I hope it does.

Miles this month 511
Mileage to date 2010
Average economy 3.1 miles per kWh

December 29, 2024: A deep dive into the Electrified GV70’s tech features

South Korea has become arguably the world’s leader in advanced technologies, so it should perhaps come as no surprise that a premium Korean car brand would be loaded with the cutting edge of tech. From the moment I sat behind the wheel of the GV70, I was captivated by the high level of technology at my fingertips. It’s fair to say that not all the tech crammed into modern cars improves the experience, though, so I was determined to explore all the features to determine if they upgrade the driving experience or should have been left on the ideas board.

Genesis scored an immediate win when I turned my first corner. As I flicked the indicator to go left, the corresponding side of the driver’s display screen changed to show live footage from the camera in the left-hand wing mirror.

Genesis Electrified GV70 turn signal indicator camera

It’s a little startling to begin with, but a brilliant safety solution to blind spots, helping the driver to avoid lurking cyclists and pedestrians.

Most new vehicles have sensors and cameras, but Genesis has gone a step further with this unique real-time visual aid for drivers. A few front passengers have noticed it when riding in the GV70 for the first time and have been impressed.

This level of driver assistance floods through in many other areas of the GV70’s set-up, all accessed by the easy-to-use applications in the 14.5in touchscreen display. There are options galore to help with parking, forward safety, speed limits, lane safety, blind spots and what Genesis terms as DAW (Driver Attention Warning). The latter feature observes when the driver’s gaze is not focused on the road, and there’s even a swaying warning detector (time for the driver to take rest).

Some keen drivers may find all this rather nannying but there are those of us for whom these comprehensive safety aids are welcome, and in the case of the Electrified GV70, I haven’t been feeling overwhelmed; they are proving intuitive and useful.

It’s worth remembering, too, that these systems are often imposed on carmakers by Euro NCAP, the safety agency, and must be switched on every time the cars are started; top safety ratings can’t be achieved without them. One might also like to note that many can be switched to silent alerts, or switched off entirely (until the next trip).

Genesis is also wise to make it easy to access the GV70’s tech settings, and there are three ways to do so. The central screen can be explored by hand — fully clickable and swipeable if that’s your way. Alternatively, this can be done via the rotary controller located by the gear selector, or with some old-school buttons in the control cluster and steering wheel. So if you’re stuck in a sub-menu black hole, just selecting the Back, Home, Menu, Map, Radio, Nav or Set Up physical shortcut button will always get you back to familiar territory.

Genesis Electrified GV70 climate controls

In the interests of balance, one tech gripe I did have was that when the GV70 first arrived, it was not set up for wireless Apple Carplay. This needed to be accessed via a cable, which I found jarred with the rest of the slick proposition. However, within a month I received notification that a new over-the-air update was available to fix this issue. The installation was both smooth and speedy, meaning the cable was no longer required.

Genesis Electrified GV70 infotainment screen

Touching on all of the tech functions available in the GV70 would make this chapter of the extended test akin to an automotive War & Peace; suffice to say there are many more. Among the other areas I’d commend are the heated seats in the front and rear cabins and the heated steering wheel. These feel very luxurious features when viewed in isolation, but when added to the others I’ve outlined, really do begin to confirm the GV70’s overall premium credentials.

So, if you’re a tech-lover in the market for a well-equipped, mid-sized electric SUV, I’d say get the Genesis GV70 on your shortlist. Yes, this package does come with a pricetag to match, but doesn’t all good tech these days? And I’d vouch that you truly get bang for your buck.

I’m still marvelling that I can even alter the speed at which the tailgate can open and close. I didn’t think these options were that important until I got to toy with them, but once you’re accustomed, you truly start to value them.