Genesis is one of those car brands that still makes a lot of people stop and ask: “What’s that?” And, in many ways, that’s no bad thing. The premium brand from the Hyundai Group has been quietly building a reputation for doing things a little differently, with sharp styling, a properly luxurious feel and the sort of customer service that makes some better-known premium brands look a bit ordinary.
Here’s the thing: having experienced the Genesis GV70 for a while now – and picking the car up from the fabulously plush Genesis Studio at London’s trendy Battersea Power Station – I’m already thinking that Genesis is more luxury than premium. There are plenty of things that Genesis is doing better than the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – not to mention the likes of Volvo and Lexus – but there are also areas where the school report is marked: could do better.
Genesis has some very good foundations to build on. Hyundai and Kia have become serious electric car players in recent years, with models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Kia EV9 all showing just how far Korean car makers have come. Genesis takes that know-how and wraps it in something a little more polished, a little more grown-up and, in the case of the GV70 Electrified, a little more discreet.
That’s because this isn’t one of those electric cars that shouts about being electric. There’s no wild concept-car styling, no look-at-me light show and no huge badge announcing its battery-powered credentials. Instead, the GV70 Electrified looks much like the petrol GV70, which means it’s handsome, classy and just a bit different from the usual German premium SUV suspects.
I’ll be living with the Genesis GV70 Electrified over the coming months to see whether it can deliver the full luxury SUV experience in the real world. On paper, it has plenty going for it: four-wheel drive, strong performance, a plush cabin and the sort of relaxed character that should make it an easy car to live with every day.
It also raises an interesting question. Genesis is supposed to be Hyundai Group’s luxury brand, yet as I’ve experienced myself, Hyundai itself is moving further and further upmarket with cars like the all-electric Ioniq 9. So where does that leave Genesis, and can the GV70 Electrified still feel special enough to justify its premium badge?
I’ll be updating my review as I get to know the car better, from range and charging to comfort, practicality, technology and whether Genesis ownership really feels as different as promised. So check back in to see how the GV70 Electrified measures up in the real world.
Genesis GV70 Electrified Luxury
- Base price: £74,100
- Options: Uyuni White pearl metallic paint (£810); Comfort pack (£1,070); Nappa leather seat pack (£2,500); Digital centre mirror (£420)
- Total price: £79,715
- Battery size: 84kWh
- Efficiency on test: 3.1miles/kWh
- Maximum claimed range: 287 miles
- 0-62mph: 4.4 seconds
Genesis GV70 Electrified – first report
You may have your own definition of luxury, but for me it comes down to attention to detail in everything a brand does – from the product to the way it’s sold.
That’s why I was keen to collect my new Genesis GV70 Electrified (I’d agree that’s a bit mouthy) from the Genesis Studio in London’s reveamped and rather posh shopping centre in the old Battersea Power Station.
Genesis has a few Studios in premium locations dotted around the country, although more traditional but no less premium retailers are now popping up, too. And the experience you get in a Genesis Studio is unlike any other car showroom, or any other car retailer in a shopping centre.
Genesis focuses on ‘son nim’, the Korean art of hospitality that means you’re treated like an honoured guest. And from the moment you step over the threshold with a gentle greeting, things feel a bit different.
There’s Korean tea on offer, of course, but also a different way of displaying things like car colours. Yes, you can mix and match colour blocks with material swatches to decide on your perfect combination, but there’s also a row of perfectly aligned car doors each painted so you can get a better idea of what a car would actually look like in your chosen shade and the quality of Genesis’ paintwork.
Genesis specialist Zulfi Ahmed was my guide for my handover and started by asking questions so he could shape the perfect experience for me. Did I want to go straight into my new car waiting for me in the downstairs car park, or spend some time talking about the car’s features in the showroom? With more tea on offer, I chose the latter.
We sat in an office going through my chosen specification and then looked around the GV70 Electrified in the showroom, cleverly arranged with a wall of mirrors behind so you always had a good view of the car – that works especially well with the new high-performance GV60 Magma that was also in the showroom. I hadn’t even seen my car yet, but there was already a touch of car envy.
I’ll admit that a car park handover wasn’t the most premium experience when I’d recently experienced the theatre that Lexus offers at a dealer handover when my Dad collected his new car, but I guess that’s what it is when your chosen retailer is in a shopping centre. And to be fair to Genesis and Zulfi, one thing that was stressed all along was the ‘have it your way’ approach. If I’d wanted, the car could’ve been delivered to my home for the handover, however long I wanted the handover to take.
Like most people, the excitement of getting a new car got the better of me and although Zulfi was super-thorough in taking me through the most important features in the GV70, I couldn’t wait to get on the road and head home to show off my new wheels.
I’d driven the GV70 Electrified (can I just call it the GV70 from now on?) before but forgotten just how good it is to drive. I really like the balance between ride comfort and sporty handling – and I’m always surprised just how much fun the GV70 is to drive. It’s quick, too, with a boost button on the steering wheel that gives a bit more power for a 0-62mph time of just 4.4 seconds.
I’ll be exploring the car’s more practical side with the family and our two dogs on board in the coming weeks, but whoever has been in the car so far has been impressed by the style and quality on board.
Remember me mentioning luxury and attention to detail earlier? There’s one thing I really like in the car and it’s a bit odd – the door bins. If you read plenty of car reviews, you might read a reviewer (and it has been me in the past) saying how the quality of plastics is fine where you see them, but not so good where you don’t. However, I’m a stickler for what you feel and the door bins in the GV70 are even covered in squishy plastic, not shiny cheap stuff that some so-called premium rivals use. Maybe that makes the Genesis more luxury than premium?
This is an expensive car at nearly £80,000. The style and quality live up to the price, but things move fast in the EV game and a range of 287 miles could well put people off, especially with a cheaper (but admittedly less luxury-like) BMW iX3 costing much less and claiming 500 miles on a single charge.
Let’s see how the GV70’s range stands up to everyday use and whether it’s something that I – and potentially you – can live with. As far as luxury is concerned, Genesis is so far stacking up very well.
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