EV Review: 2024 Genesis GV60 Performance real-world range test

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It used to be hard to figure out who Genesis was. Or, more importantly — especially if you were a salesman working at one of its Canadian dealerships — where it fit into the automotive spectrum. Was it a fat cat luxury sedan marque like Mercedes-Benz? A purveyor of performance sedans like BMW? Or a pseudo-luxury pretender like Acura? In its short 16-year lifespan — Genesis first arrived as a sub-brand within Hyundai’s lineup before it became a brand unto itself — it’s been all three. A niched product without a specific niche as it were.

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With electrification has come renewed focus. Oh, the G80 luxury barge is still with us, but it too is electrified. Look further in the lineup and you’ll find that, even though some, of the marque’s models are available with pistons, it is battery-power that get most of the attention. Genesis says it will be all electric by 2030 and, besides the resultant cuts in emissions, perhaps the biggest boon has been the singular focus that has been missing since the first Genesis reached these shores in 2008.

A coupe(ish) little sport cute

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We’re seen some of the Genesis GV60 before. It’s called the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The same 77.4 kilowatt-hour battery (in top-of-the-line Ioniq 5s; in all GV60s). And the powertrain in the top of the line, dual-motor Ioniq 5 is essentially the same combination that powers the base GV60 “Advanced.” The biggest difference — at least until the N version of the Hyundai arrives — is that the top-of-the-line GV60 “Performance” boasts two motors with 429 horses and, in “Boost” mode, 483-hp.

Which Genesis GV60 trim is best?

As one might imagine, the upscale Performance model is the one to have. Yes, it costs $9,000 more, but it’s nine grand well spent. For one thing, the straightline performance is, as you might expect, vastly superior. Base models may perform akin to their ICE-powered competitors, but the full Performance version accelerates to 100 kilometres an hour in about four seconds flat. With that Boost mode engaged, of course. Just to prove the point, Car and Driver did a timed test and the GV60 flashed past 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) in a Porsche 911-like 3.7 seconds. That kind of performance is immensely rewarding and almost worth that extra nine large all by its own self.

That said, the one thing I don’t understand about Genesis’ topline electric products is the use of a “Boost” button. Oh, I get that electric motors and battery can only stand the ultimate in current dumps for so long — we don’t want anything melting, now do we? But why do we need a button for that? Seriously, why not do away with the button, allow the driver permanent access to the full 483-hp and then cut it off at the same 10 seconds as you’re limited to when you push the button? Indeed, there’s nothing the Boost button does that just cutting off the party automatically could not do as well other than making the driver feel ‘special’ by pressing something called “Boost.” And shouldn’t the awe-inspiring acceleration do that anyway?

The other reason for marching up the product ladder is that the dual motor version handles much better. Thanks to torque being applied through all four wheels, playing silly buggers with all that torque — 516 pound-feet, again in Boost mode — while railing through corners is so much fun. Combined with all the electronic nannies trying to keep wheels in line and not spinning, the GV60 is amazingly easy to drive fast.

But that, with modern cars — and especially modern computer-controlled EVs — is to be expected. What sealed the deal for me, however, was how the GV60 handled slippery conditions. Toronto had a sudden snow squall mid-March and Lordy, didn’t the GTA’s roads turn into a winter wonderland.

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So, while the rest of Toronto’s drivers were flailing about, the GV60 was positively happy to play in the white stuff. In normal driving, the combination of linear electric torque, computerized throttle management and some pretty good winter tires made commuting a doddle. And playing silly buggers — as I am sometimes still wont to do — revealed the GV60 one of the most controllable powersliding machines I’ve tested recently. Oh, not the big lurid rally-style fishtailing that makes such outrageous YouTube Shorts. But the nice, slow, totally-controllable powerslides that tell even the rank novice that maybe — as long as no one else is on the road, of course — I can get away with a little bit of enthusiasm with the right foot.

Best of all such antics are perfectly consistent. Plug the GV60 into a snowy corner, apply the right amount of excess throttle and thanks to low centre of gravity, two imminently controllable motors and the rapidity of computerized traction nannies controlling electrons rather than gas molecules means the resultant slides are nearly always identical. It’s quite fun and not nearly as dangerous as the safety nazies in the comment section are sure to lament.

2024 Genesis GV60 real-world range test

Plugged into Range Finder’s standard 125 km/h cruise control, the GV60 performance managed 292 kilometres down Ontario’s 407 before the lithium-ions said no more. That, when you factor in the 77.4 kilowatt-hours residing in the floor pan, works out to 26.5 kWh per 100 kilometres. That’s middling energy efficiency for an EV — poor if the GV60 were a sedan; passable since it’s an SUV. But combined with the smallish — for, again, an SUV — 77.4 kWh battery, it means the G60’s useful range — before the driver starts searching for a charging station! — is probably about 250 klicks or roughly two hours at the aforementioned 125 per.

How long does it take to charge the Genesis GV60?

Genesis says that, because the GV60 can be plugged into 350-kW chargers — its battery actually runs on 697 Volts — you can get up to 70 per cent of that range replenished in 18 minutes. That is indeed possible if you have access to an unshared 350-kilowatt charger. Otherwise, you’re looking at closer to 30 to 40 minutes if you are on a typical Canadian “shared” charging circuit.

In other words, the GV60 isn’t the ultimate road warrior. And, unlike the GV70 which is still available in range-busting 2.5L Turbo guise, there are no pistons to be had in the GV60 lineup. In other words, either learn some patience, slow down to eke out a few more klicks per kilowatt-hour or, as more people are determining, stick with pistons for a little while longer.

If you have that restraint, however, the $80,500 GV60 Performance AWD is truly a wonderful little ride. Yes, cargo space and rear seat headroom are a little compromised for its stylish roofline. And no, it doesn’t have enough range for quick jaunts across country. But, it’s easy on the eyes, very well equipped inside and, as I found out, surprisingly fun to drive.