2025 Genesis GV60 Performance | UK Review
A 650hp Magma version of the GV60 is imminent - should we be excited?
It’s all systems go at Genesis right now. After 10 years as a brand under the Hyundai-Kia umbrella (with more than 1.5 million sales), Genesis is taking its road and race activities up a notch. Which, when motorsport and fun cars seem less of a priority than ever, must be good news. There’s the GMR-001 WEC racer on the way, the stunning G90 Wingback Concept must surely make production, and everything Genesis creates can be underpinned by the expertise of the wider Hyundai-Kia empire. With Luc Donkerwolcke still making them look good. The potential is surely considerable.
The GV60 Magma will be the first manifestation of a freshly revitalised Genesis. In the current climate, it’s hard to know exactly what the world will make of a 650hp crossover EV the colour of a traffic cone (if easy to make a guess), but given how much is shared with the groundbreaking Ioniq 5 N there’s cause for some optimism. A slightly different take on that car, with perhaps slight improvements to range and efficiency, should be very good indeed. And with the Magma on the horizon, it seemed as good a time as any to revisit the standard car, freshly revised at the end of 2025 and promising ‘bold design and technology updates to make the compact luxury SUV more impressive than ever.’
Certainly this Genesis GV60 still looks like a Genesis GV60, even with an evolution of the ‘Athletic Elegance’ design language and some new paint colours. Great news for those after something distinctive and different in a sea of similar SUVs, if obviously less encouraging for anyone put off by its slightly weird appearance beforehand. There’s no mistaking the GV60 for anything else built on the E-GMP architecture, an approach which is to be applauded. But you wouldn’t be alone in still finding both the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 more appealing designs. Given all the drop-dead gorgeous concepts Genesis continues to tease us with, it’s a shame that the core EV isn’t just a tad more stylish. The hunchbacked nature of the Genesis means it’s less spacious inside, too.
That being said, there’s a lot to like about the GV60 interior. The Crystal Sphere might seem like a bit of a gimmick, though it still looks quite cool (and actually acts as a good signal of whether the car is on or off). An array of buttons makes navigating the HVAC on a frosty morning simple, ditto the iDrive-style controller for the infotainment. The new setup for that system, a panoramic 27-inch display, is slimmer and much smarter than the old layout of two screens with clunky black borders. The materials ensure it feels a cut above either the Hyundai or Kia (as it should, given the premium) and overall the GV60’s cabin is impressive. Or at least there remains little to be irked by, and plenty to like.
While a larger battery (84kWh now, up from 77.4kWh) is useful for range, the biggest driving difference between the old 490hp, dual-motor GV60 Sport Plus and this 490hp, dual-motor GV60 Performance is the introduction of the Virtual Gear Shift technology. As with the Ioniq 5N and Kia EV6 GT, it totally transforms the driving experience (should you want it to); while the ability to go from silent, serene EV to wannabe Giulia Quadrifoglio should be more easily accessed than via the touchscreen, there’s no doubting the effectiveness. The paddles can be used when slowing down to create the feel of engine braking, power builds up to a 7,000rpm ‘limiter’ in what feels like a very natural fashion, and the ratios make sense after a very long first. The installation obviously isn’t quite as dramatic as in the Hyundai, but the sound is nicer than in the Kia. And when you’re done on the simulator, the paddles go back to being just adjustable regen, which still works better than most comparable systems.
When you’re in the mood, VGS is great to have; the GV60 even does a convincing impression of a regular auto if left alone. In fact, having the paddleshift option probably encourages driving the Genesis a bit faster than you would have before, working through the ‘ratios’ rather than simply being whooshed along. The traction and stability control are easier to turn off than the Virtual Gear Shift is to turn on, and while there’s clearly areas that a Magma could improve on this base car, it’s not without merit. Going without the power of the Kia, for one thing, actually makes for a nicer drive, less prone to feeling overwhelmed and more in control of what’s going on. Helps efficiency, too, with closer to 2mi/kWh rather than 3 the exception rather than the norm.
With the GV60 in Sport mode, it’s decent to drive; not the kind of thing to get you out of bed early, but sorted enough to maybe take the long way home from swimming lessons. The steering is light yet the speed is good, grip from the Michelins is strong and even the mid-way setting of the assists is more lenient than might be expected. While it doesn’t take long for the Performance to feel a bit underdamped and underbraked (issues that the Magma will surely address), it’s a nice car to drive on a B road.
But it’s an even nicer car to cruise around in, and that’s where this car gets a bit more confusing. With the Active Sound Cancellation of the (very good) stereo and cushy ride, the GV60 is like driving around in a soundproof studio sometimes. It’s just you and your light, airy interior, isolated from the rest of the world - meaning the best part of 500hp isn’t needed to enjoy the calm. Though it also manages that power quite well when it’s called upon. Moreover, you can only get the Virtual Gear Shift, which makes good drives all the better, on the Performance model, not the lesser dual motor or rear-drive versions.
As a luxury experience, it’s undoubtedly superior to the cars it’s related to, quieter and comfier and more refined. Yet it also makes good use of some driver-focused technology that we never thought it would have. And which actually bodes quite well for a full performance flagship. The Performance variant, meanwhile, can do lots of things well without truly excelling at one discipline. Which is tricky when the ultimate in luxe EV SUVs, the BMW iX isn’t very much more, and an Ioniq 5N (which costs less) is more fun to drive. Don’t forget the Macan, either. Still, if you can find a good deal (£15k off is the best we’ve seen) and buy into the design, then the Genesis GV60 is better than it’s ever been. And it was pretty good to begin with. Certainly decent enough for that Magma to be a lot more interesting than most electric SUVs.
SPECIFICATION | GENESIS GV60 PERFORMANCE
Engine: Dual 160kW motors, 84kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 490
Torque (lb ft): 516
0-62mph: 4.0sec
Top speed: 146mph
Weight: 2,095kg
Range: 311 miles (WLTP, consumption 3.25 miles per kWh)
CO2: 0g/km
Price: £67,715 (price as standard; price as tested £73,135, comprising Tromso Green paint for £810, Sunroof for £1,180, Innovation Plus Pack for £2,090, Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound with Active Road Noise Cancelling for £1,340.)
Having looked at the facelift version options the one annoying thing is they do now offer an in-built dash cam, but only on the top end performance and for £620 on top of the Innovation Plus pack.
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