By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(August 7, 2022) It's possible to purchase breathtaking performance by opting for the AWD Performance edition of the 2023 Genesis GV60 all-electric compact crossover. That will bring you 429 horsepower in a 4,800-pound car. Not enough? You say you want more? Well, OK, suit yourself. Hit the "overboost" button and for 10 seconds of insanity the GV60 will throw you back in your seat giving you 483 horses and 516 pound-feet of torque.

That equals true supercar performance measured at about 3.5 seconds from 0-to-60 and 9.3 seconds continuing on to 100 miles per hour. Want to quickly pass a 50 mph poky driver — 2.2 seconds to 70.

We enjoyed a week's worth of driving nirvana in the Performance model and if money was not an object — when is money not an object for the great unwashed? — we would have a copy in our garage — or at least we would have one on order to be delivered when Genesis production catches up with orders.


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The GV60 is an all-new and vey well balanced all-electric luxury compact crossover that not only delivers four passengers to their destination in an impeccably stylish and well executed interior, but offers up true driving enjoyment that we looked forward to every time it was unplugged and eased out of the subdivision.

But there are tradeoffs for this deranged automative fun. Driving range is reduced slightly from 248 miles for the "base" Advanced model to 228 miles for the Performance edition. Horsepower for the Advanced is 314, not in the ballpark with the Performance edition, but ample none-the-less. And your pocketbook will be a bit lighter for selecting Performance over Advanced — base price is $58,890 Advanced and $68,985 Performance. It has been rumored that Genesis in the coming months will introduce a base model with around 315 miles of range. A $7,500 federal tax credit is available for the GV60.

The GV60 is the first of several all-electric vehicles slated to come out of the award-winning Genesis stable in the next couple of years. For example an electrified edition of the G80 sedan has recently been added to the lineup.

The GV60 rides on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 platform and is powered by a 74 kW motor up front and a 160 kW motor rear in the Advanced grade, and two 160 kW motors front and back in the Performance edition.

The GV60 supplies decent feedback on the highway. Eco, Normal, and Sport mode choices adjust the drive feel accordingly, and although there are no gears, the GV60 operates slightly better in sport mode, increasing heft to the steering. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential, unique to the Performance trim, enhances handling on twisty roads, making the GV60 a surprisingly fun driver. It behaves more like a hot hatch than a utility vehicle, with minimized body roll during fast cornering.



Also, this space-age-looking vehicle has some ultra-modern tricks to offer buyers. A small camera on the B-pillar can record your image and then you just walk up and gaze into the pillar and the doors unlock (no keyfob needed). Once inside, you can touch a fingerprint recognition button in the center console to start the car and insure all your settings are observed. But there's more — a glass-like sphere with the appearance of a crystal ball in the center console rotates into a transmission shift knob when the car is turned on.

Like other Genesis models the interior has a clean, uncluttered appearance. A wide glass panel houses two 12.3-inch displays with the requisite gauges in front of the driver, and a center touchscreen that has a crisp, clean looking displays. In fact, our AppleCar Play navigation map has never looked better on a center screen — and we have displayed it on dozens of screens over the past couple years. Unfortunately, phone mirroring requires a cord when you would think a car this futuristic would have a wireless system as in many new vehicles these days.

Genesis has focused on sustainable manufacturing processes resulting in some of the GV60's interior panels, including the seats and armrests, covered in a synthetic leather. The seat inlays and parts of the door card are made from fibers that are harvested from recycled plastic bottles and fishnets. Genesis is also offering the interior with five different color palettes to give customers the chance to go for something unique.

The GV60 has a crossover shape that looks sleek and attractive — although we can see where the jellybean-like design might turn some people off. The GV60 comes with the Genesis brand signature split headlight design with an oversized Genesis trademark grille that includes a slimmer winged badge.

The GV60, although considered a compact, allows for adult-size seating and legroom in the second row and a solid 24 cubic feet of storage under a hatchback behind the seats. Up font there's a clamshell hood that hides a small storage space.

The GV60 comes with a long list of standard features, including a head-up display, heated and ventilated front seats, a very nice-sounding 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system and a full suite of advanced driving aids.

Safety technology standard on the GV60 includes automated emergency braking, blindspot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist with lane-departure warning, forward collision avoidance, a surround-view monitor, automatic high beams, and parking distance warning.

So what about charging times? Genesis says on a DC fast charger the GV60 can be charged from 10-to-80 percent in just 18 minutes. On a dedicated 240 garage charger the GV60 can be charged from 20 percent to 100 percent in about 10 hours giving it the ability to be completely recharged overnight. The Genesis can also be used as a mobile power source with a V2L (Vehicle to Load) function that enables its battery to charge other electronic devices.

Like all Hyundai and Genesis products the GV60 comes with a standard 5-year/60,000-mile warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile drivetrain warranty. There's also a10-year/100,000-mile electric vehicle system warranty.

Our GV60 Performance test car carried a bottom line of $69,560 with the only option $575 for Uyuni White paint.

2023 Genesis GV60 Performance

Essentials
Base price: $58,890; as driven, $69,560
Motor: 160 kW front, 160 kW rear
Battery: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 77.4 kWh
Horsepower: 429 (boosted to 483)
Torque: 516 pound-feet
Transmission: one-speed direct drive
Drive: all-wheel
Seating: 2/3
Wheelbase: 114.2 inches
Length: 177.8 inches
Curb weight: 4,862 pounds
Turning circle: NA
Luggage Capacity: 24 cubic feet
Range: 228 miles
EPA rating: 97 MPGe city, 82 highway, 90 combined
0-60: 3.5 seconds (Car and Driver)
Also consider: Audi Q4 e-tron, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Ford Mustang Mach-E

The Good
• Exceptionally quick
• Beautifully crafted cabin
• Extremely quiet at speed
• Neat gadgets

The Bad
• No wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

The Ugly
• Driving range too short