Latest news with #GenesisGV60
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I Spent a Week Driving the 2025 Genesis GV60 EV: Here's My Expert Review
One thing became abundantly apparent to me during my week with the Genesis GV60: my wife and my neighbors were in love with it. Much of that has to do with the elegantly cute exterior design mixed with the internal aesthetic. They fawned over it. Parents at my kid's school asked about it as well, as despite it being available in California for a while, it's still a curiosity. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article The all-electric GV60 uses the same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and KIA EV6, among others. Designer Jung Myung-jin did an outstanding job changing just enough components throughout that many consumers will not recognise the bits shared with its brethren. Three powertrains are available, including rear or all-wheel drive (AWD) setups that employ different power levels. At the bottom of the trim tree is the Standard rear-drive model, which has a 77.4 kWh battery, 225 hp, and a starting MSRP of $52,350. That same Standard trim can be equipped with an AWD powertrain that keeps the same battery but adds another motor for a combined 314 and a $55,850 MSRP. Just above it is the fancier Advanced AWD trim, which has the same power as the Standard AWD but with more luxury features for $60,900. Sitting comfy at the top is the $69,900 Performance AWD trim, which makes a combined 429 hp but can be temporarily boosted to 483 hp thanks to "Boost Mode." My Performance AWD test car had a rather mediocre EPA estimated range of 235 miles. At first glance, the interior is lovely to behold. If you forget that the arrangement of the two 12.3-inch side-by-side screens is identical to what the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has, the rest looks fresh and unique. I'm not a huge fan of the rotating crystal ball that turns into the gear select rotating knob, mainly because it's close in size and location to the infotainment knob. The UX (user experience) takes some getting used to, and screen interaction takes longer than some would like. Still, it looks good. The seats are also a bit of a compromise: they have a type of seat message control, but it's only accessible on the side of the seat, and it's anything but intuitive. Back seat space is fine for average-sized adults, but taller ones may be uncomfortable if there's a taller driver or front passenger. Cargo space is on the smaller side throughout, with 24.7 cubic feet behind the back seat and a maximum of 54.7 cubic feet with the second row folded down. There's also a tiny cargo cubby up front that can hold the charging cables but little else. It's a hoot to drive; it's as simple as that. I have only driven the Performance version, which has an adjustable suspension that can go from being somewhat sporty on the curves to a nice, mellow ride on the highway. It's almost uncanny, and yes, it drives as good as it looks. My range was nowhere near the EPA estimates. Granted, I was driving it with gusto, but all was said and done, my range was closer to 200 miles. Fortunately, it charges fast, with a peak rate of 350kW that is pretty much the best in class. Even at 200kW, it juiced up super quick. Compared to what I have sampled from Volvo, Polestar, Tesla, and Acura, the 2025 Genesis GV60 is one of the more enjoyable all-around vehicles in its class. Some controls take some time to get used to, and it's more of a sporty wagon than an SUV, but that's pretty obvious. I would like some more useable ranges, and many people are still waiting for it to become available where they are located. Indeed, one of the parents who was fawning over the thing told me that they had been waiting for their allotment for over six months, but they were still excited to get one. I guess that says something.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Driven: 2025 Cadillac Optiq EV Is Ready for a Fight
"Seeing is believing" only goes so far. At some point, you've got to lay hands on metal and experience something firsthand. And so it is with the new 2025 Cadillac Optiq, a small luxury EV from a storied brand that, for some reason, has decided to append a suffix pronounced "ick" to the names of its electrified vehicles. But as it turns out, there's nothing icky about this new Cadillac EV whatsoever. In fact, they may have a fledgling hit on their hands. It starts with the look, which is pleasingly proportional and free of faff. Compared to most others in the segment, the hood is a bit shorter, the windshield is more aggressively raked, and the rear window is slightly laid back. The resulting vehicle is uncommonly long, with a 116.3-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 189.8 inches. Compare that the Audi Q4 e-tron's relatively stubby wheelbase of 108.7 inches and somewhat short length of 180.6 inches. Or the Mercedes-Benz EQB, which has a 111.4-inch wheelbase and is 184.4 inches long. Meanwhile, the Genesis GV60 is only a couple of inches shy in the wheelbase department but is a whole foot shorter from stem to stern. But the wheelbase in question gives the Optiq more than just a sleek profile. It enables the fitment of an 85.0-kWh battery, the biggest in this group. This in turn gives it the most range of the bunch, a particularly strong EPA-estimated 302 miles, which is a big chunk more than you'd get from the EQB (207 miles), the Q4 (258 miles), or the GV60 (264 miles). Two electric motors lie under the skin, one at each end. The front one is a permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PSM) that is always on duty, while the unit at the back is an induction motor that chips in when necessary—including acceleration, thankfully. We have no problem with the use of one induction motor, because there's no need for a clutch to take it offline. But the Mercedes and Audi have their PSM at the back and induction motor up front, which seems wrong-headed. You want your primary PSM where Cadillac puts it for the stabilizing effects of regeneration at the front. Regardless, the Cadillac makes 300 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque at full boil. That's not quite as much as the Audi, but solidly midpack. We haven't yet taken the Optiq to our test track to time its 60-mph sprint, but it feels like a 5.2-second car. On the braking front, the Cadillac feels smooth and linear when you press the left pedal. Regeneration works as expected, and the limits are high enough to encompass most normal driving. But occasionally, you might have to supplement the recuperation with friction braking because it's not quite as predictable as other systems. Still, we sailed through a tricky winding descent using nothing but regen. The Optiq has all the steering feedback you could ask for. When driving straight it delivers the subtle feel necessary to keep it subconsciously on your desired path, and when you turn in you get a nice increase in effort. It was, in a word, faultless. The Cadillac's price point is not the place to find a height-adjustable air suspension and adaptive dampers, but the Optiq's passive setup is expertly tuned. There's nothing wrong with steel springs and passive shocks, especially on the Optiq, which uses something Cadillac calls Passive Plus dampers. These units have a second valve inside that makes their response frequency-dependent, which means the damper will stay firmer at the sorts of low-piston speeds that characterize cornering, but they'll open up to soften the impacts of discrete bumps. All dampers attempt to do this, but this second valve gives the suspension tuning engineer a much more definitive tool for dialing everything in. It absolutely works, because while the ride felt sporty in corners, it also breathed fairly well on rough sections. Meanwhile, that long wheelbase makes the Optiq's cabin a nice place to spread out. There's plenty of room in both rows, and the furnishings are surprisingly spectacular. The star is the coarse-weave fabric that sits atop the doors and dash. It looks luxurious rather than cheap, and it's made from recycled materials. The fabric lies next to stitched faux-leather armrest panels and matching seats. Before you is a 33-inch screen as seen in the larger Lyriq, with manually adjustable climate vents located elegantly in a slot below. There's one drawback to the drawn-out look, though—that sloping rear roofline does take a wee bite out of cargo space. Still, 26 cubic feet is pretty decent in this segment, and Cadillac placed the charge port on the front fender to preserve as much as they can back here, albeit at the expense of a frunk. The real star of the cabin show is the standard AKG Studio system with Dolby Atmos, which includes 19 speakers behind stainless-steel grilles sprinkled throughout the cabin. Atmos allows Dolby's engineers to place different instruments in precise points in 3-D space, and they have remixed thousands of albums available through dozens of streaming services. But there is a catch, of course. To get the proper experience, you'll need to play your music through the infotainment's built-in apps. (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, for those who prioritize mirroring over music fidelity.) Cadillac has priced and contented the Optiq quite aggressively. Every single piece of active safety equipment in the catalog is standard, as is Super Cruise, massaging seats, and the AKG Dolby Atmos system. You get your choice of Luxury or Sport themes, which cost $54,390 for Luxury 1 with chrome trim or $54,990 for Sport 1 for body-color trim and different wheels. You can step up to Luxury 2 or Sport 2 for $56,590 or $57,090, respectively. The jump from equipment-level 1 to 2 nets you quite the bundle: For the $2100 or $2200 extra (depending on trim), you get a color head-up display, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, eight-way power seats instead of six-way, fancier LED headlights and taillights, an air-quality sensor, and a cargo-area cover. Standalone options include a faster 19.2-kW Level 2 onboard charger (11.5 kW is standard, which is more than sufficient), 21-inch wheels instead of 20s (meh), and special interior and exterior colors (natch). Did we mention that the Optiq contains all this stuff and still costs less than similarly equipped versions of the Audi Q4, Mercedes-Benz EQB, and Genesis GV60? As we said, Cadillac seems to have a proper hit on its hands. Despite the unfortunate naming scheme, the 2025 Optiq gives us zero ick. 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Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
12 things I learnt driving this electric car for six months
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Borrowing a car to review for a few days, or even a week, is one thing. But using one as your everyday car for six whole months is quite another – especially when it's electric. Whereas a one-week loan helps you understand how the car drives and how its infotainment system performs, half a year gives you the chance to dig much deeper. Every single element of a car has its time under the spotlight, from the obvious things like range and charge speed, to aspects that are initially overlooked but later help form your overall opinion of the product. Details like the shape of the electric mirror controls, the turning circle, and speed of the smartphone app. I've spent the last six months driving a Genesis GV60, and what follows is everything I've learnt about welcoming an electric car into my life. I've already written a whole article on this, but it's worth repeating; the GV60 has a fantastic interior, and that praise mostly centres on its use of physical switchgear. Instead of putting everything on the touchscreen, like the Tesla Model 3 and Volvo EX30, the Genesis GV60 has physical controls for just about everything. For such a futuristic looking car, its secondary controls are reassuringly traditional. The mirror controls are a particular highlight, since they are usable without looking away from the road, and are far quicker to adjust than those buried in the touchscreens of other cars. The GV60 still has a touchscreen, which looks good and works well, but even that can be controlled with a BMW-style control wheel if you prefer. This is a fault shared by just about every new car, electric or otherwise, but it never ceases to be annoying. Using a forward-facing camera, the system is supposed to recognise road signs and tell you what the speed limit is. Stray over this speed, and it'll warn you with a beep. It works, but only some of the time. Sometimes the GV60 would incorrectly read the sign on the back of a speed-restricted truck. Other times it would see the speed limit sign at a motorway exit, or a slower road running parallel, and think that applied to the road I was driving on. The car then beeps repeatedly and flashing the incorrect speed sign in the digital display until it spots another sign; since UK motorways have very few speed signs, this can take a while. Twice it incorrectly told me the speed limit was 80 mph, which, since I was in the UK, would have been impossible. As with other cars, the warning beeps can be switched off. But you have to do this at the start of every journey. Another problem not unique to the Genesis, is how public chargers will occasionally get stuck to your car, or the car's own cable will fail to unlock. This happens when the charging is finished and the charger has reset ready for its next customer, yet the charger itself is still locked into place. The staff at a Shell garage I asked had no idea they even locked, never mind how to free a faulty one. After a quick Google search I discovered the GV60 has a manual release, accessible via a small removable panel in the boot, just behind where the charge port is. Remove the panel, pull the manual release, and away you go. The public EV charge network has improved massively in just a few years. I remember in 2021 how chargers would frequently be broken, but during six months and 4,000 miles with the GV60 I encountered only one faulty plug. The neighbouring charger worked fine, so I was soon on my way. The network is also larger than ever, with plenty of high-speed chargers in easy reach of motorways, and lots of slower, cheaper lamppost chargers scattered around residential streets – at least in my part of London. Faulty smartphone apps are also a thing of the past, and in most cases you'll be charging within a minute of parking. But, while the service has improved, prices are still very high. My local 150kW charger, operated by MFG, costs £0.79 per kWh. This means a complete fill of the GV60's battery would be about £60, and in return you're looking at a real-world range of around 220 miles. Some charge networks offer a lower price per kWh if you pay a monthly subscription – as I covered in an earlier article – but it's still relatively expensive compared to petrol or diesel on a cost-per-mile basis. My local lamppost chargers are handy for overnight fills, since I don't have a charger of my own. Operated by these cost £0.39 per kWh between midnight and 7am, then £0.59 the rest of the time. Charger technology and reliability have both improved massively in the last few years. But with growing EV sales comes growing charger demand. I only had to queue a couple of times during my six months with the GV60, but even that was enough to realise many charge stations need to reconsider their layout. In most cases, a row of chargers is installed at the back of a service station car park. This is fine, but since there's no formal queueing system, EV drivers are left to establish an order among themselves, or risk losing out. I still haven't forgiven the Volvo driver who swooped into the charge bay I had patiently been waiting for. None-EV drivers also need a few lessons in charge station etiquette. They occasionally block access to charge bays while calling into the petrol station shop, and I once saw a driver tucking into their lunch while blocking two charge bays. A bit of signage from fuel station operators would go a long way. Similarly, lappost chargers are often on streets with no parking restrictions. This means a none-EV can legally park next to one, preventing an EV owner from charging. The limited availability of street parking where I live – and the rarity of it being free, despite being in London – makes this tricky to address in a way that's fair for everyone. As it stands, EV owners have to hunt around for a free space within a cable's length of a charger. In six months I only failed this once. The GV60 is one of the few EVs that operates at 800 volts instead of 400. This means faster, more efficient charging and a maximum charge rate of about 230 kW. But to get the most out of its fast-charging credentials, you must precondition the battery. This gets the battery to the right temperature for an efficient top-up as you approach the charger, but only works if you set a charger as a destination in the car's own navigation system. When I plugged into a 150 kW charger without preconditioning the battery, it would start at only around 60 kW, before slowly increasing to 100-plus once the battery had got up to temperature. When preconditioning first, the car would immediately pass 140 kW at the same charger. I wish EV makers would add a button for manual preconditioning. Relying on the car's own navigation to start the preconditioning process means you can't exclusively use navigation in Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. I use CarPlay for navigation most of the time, but when I need to precondition the battery I'll switch to the Genesis navigation and aim it at a charge station. Thankfully, audio from CarPlay, like a podcast, continues in the background. The GV60 Sport Plus has a WLTP range of 289 miles, but I found between 200 and 220 and was more realistic. I have no doubt it would cover more if restricted to slow town and city driving, but a lot of the 4,000 miles I covered in the Genesis was on the motorway. Two hundred miles might not sound great for a premium and relatively large SUV, but that usually equates to between four and five hours of driving, and by then I'm usually due a break as much as the car. A couple of short stops was enough to get from South London to West Yorkshire in December (when temperatures are lower and batteries are less efficient) without feeling inconvenienced. I think 250 miles of real-world range, in cold weather, would be ideal for almost all drivers. Anything above that would feel like a bonus on the few occasions it's really needed. Like most EVs, the Genesis has a smartphone app for remotely heating or cooling the cabin. Since my own car is a no-frills Mazda MX-5, being able to set the interior temperature from home felt like a game-changer. The app was also handy for checking the charge level while plugged into a lamppost a couple of streets away from home. The GV60 twice developed a fault with a seatbelt sensor that needed fixing. This was disappointing, given it's a brand-new car, but at least the failure demonstrated how a modern car company like Genesis deals with such issues. Instead of taking it to the local dealer, Genesis dispatched a driver to collect my car and drop off a replacement, in the form of a GV70, which was then swapped when my car was returned. This meant I didn't have to take the faulty car anywhere, and I wasn't left without for any time at all. I checked with the Genesis press office, and this is exactly the same service given to real customers. It's a shame that the problem flared up a second time but, again, I was given a GV70 for the duration of the repair and kept updated on what was happening. My only criticism is how the GV60 was effectively given a factory reset during the first repair. This defaulted every setting, removed two driver profiles I had created, deleted the car from my Genesis app, and wiped the car's clever biometric security system. As with all modern cars, setting everything up again can take time. I thoroughly enjoyed my six months with the GV60. Having driven EVs for a few days at a time for an entire decade, it was great to finally live with one as if it were my own. The Genesis mostly delivered on everything it promised, from the refined, comfortable ride, to the blistering performance of this Sport Plus model, and a fantastic interior. It also demonstrates how useful fast-charging can be, and impressed with its use of biometric security. However, the elephant in the room is my lack of a home charger. Had I been able to fill the battery at home, that earlier estimate of £60 at the local fast charger would have fallen by 90%. Some home EV charging tariffs cost a little under £0.07 per kWh between midnight and 7am – compared to £0.39 on a lamppost or £0.79 at my local rapid charger. The battery might not have filled from zero to 100% in those seven hours, but 7p per kWh would have made a night-and-day difference to the GV60's running costs. Unless you can charge cheaply at home – or at work, or somewhere else you visit frequently – then it is hard to justify the running costs of an EV. But if you can charge at home, the massive cost-saving compared to using public chargers makes EV ownership a no-brainer.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 MINI Countryman SE ALL4: 3 reasons to love It, 2 reasons to think twice
The 2025 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 marks a significant step in MINI's electrification journey, blending charm, performance, and practicality in a bigger and bolder package. As MINI continues to evolve, this model aims to retain the brand's signature fun-to-drive character while embracing modern technology. But does it succeed? Here are three reasons to love it and two reasons you might want to think twice. With dual electric motors producing a combined 308 horsepower and 364 lb-ft of torque, the Countryman SE ALL4 has no trouble getting off the line. The instant torque from its electric powertrain makes city driving a breeze, easily navigating traffic and quick getaways at lights. On short highway bursts, its estimated 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds ensures plenty of punch when merging or overtaking. Paired with Mini's 'Go-Kart Mode,' which provides a stiffer steering feel and increased accelerator pedal sensitivity, the Countryman is surprising fun to drive around the has truly outdone itself with the parking assistance features in the 2025 Countryman SE ALL4. Whether squeezing into tight urban spaces or maneuvering in tricky conditions, the system offers precise guidance, making parallel and perpendicular parking effortless. For those who struggle with tight spots, this system is a game-changer. The Countryman SE ALL4's interior is designed with comfort in mind. It features a clean, modern aesthetic with premium fabric door panels and a distinctive circular infotainment screen. Heated and massaging seats add a level of luxury uncommon in this segment, ensuring a more enjoyable drive, whether commuting or embarking on a longer trip. The infotainment system is crisp and visually appealing, further enhancing the cabin the Countryman SE ALL4 offers an EPA-estimated 212 miles of range (204 miles with 19-inch wheels), it lags behind competitors like the Volvo XC40 Recharge (233–293 miles) and the Genesis GV60 (248–294 miles). For those who frequently take long trips or have limited charging access, this might be a deal-breaker. MINI has embraced a minimalist design philosophy, but this comes at a cost. The lack of physical buttons and the unconventional placement of essential driver information — such as the speedometer on the main infotainment screen — can be frustrating. While a head-up display helps mitigate some of these issues, the overall control layout may take some getting used 2025 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 is an exciting entry into the electric SUV space, offering quick acceleration, a luxurious interior, and top-tier parking assistance. However, its limited range and unintuitive control design could deter some buyers. If you prioritize city driving and comfort over long-distance capability, this MINI could be a fantastic fit — but for road-trippers and tech traditionalists, it might be worth exploring other options. Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
Korea Herald
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Hyundai Motor halts Ioniq 5, Kona EV production for 5 days
Hyundai Motor is set to temporarily shut down production of the Ioniq 5 -- its flagship electric vehicle model -- and the Kona EV at its Ulsan auto manufacturing site later this month, amid a continued downturn in the EV market. According to sources on Friday, production lines for these two battery-powered models at the Ulsan plant will suspend operations from Feb. 24 to 28. An internal memo from Hyundai's Ulsan plant highlighted, 'Sales volume and backorders (for the two car models) are declining. … The second Trump administration's reversal of (the US') EV policies could prolong the demand slowdown for electric cars.' A Hyundai Motor official confirmed that the production shutdown is "only temporary,' but declined to disclose the specific number of vehicles affected during this period, citing confidentiality. The Ulsan plant, comprising five facilities, produces approximately 6,000 eco-friendly vehicles and internal combustion engine cars per day, including the Ioniq 5, Kona EV, Santa Fe and Palisade SUVs, as well as the Genesis GV60, GV70 and GV80. In addition to being sold in Korea, the car models produced in the Ulsan plant are exported to the US, China, India, Turkey, Czech Republic, Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and other countries. Following the decrease in backorders, the production line for the Ioniq 5 and Kona EV has recently been operating in 'ghost pitch' mode, with empty conveyor belts running without vehicles to assemble. Notably, domestic sales of the Ioniq 5 have been sluggish, selling 16,605 cars in 2024 -- up from 14,213 the previous year -- with just 75 sold last month. The increase in Hyundai Motor's local production in the US also seems to have influenced the temporary halt in domestic production. Since October last year, the company has been manufacturing the Ioniq 5 at the newly established Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia, leading to a drop in production in Korea. In addition, the sharp decline in EV demand during the year-end transition period, when eligible car models for a $7,500 US EV consumer subsidy had remained unconfirmed, has resulted in conservative production decisions, sources said. Last month, the US Department of Energy initially included Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5, Ioniq 9, the Genesis GV70 Electrified and Kia's EV6 and EV9 in this year's subsidy list. However, after two weeks, Hyundai cars were removed because the SK On batteries that powered them contained graphite sourced from China, which the US has designated as a 'foreign entity of concern.' In an effort to boost domestic sales of its EVs, Hyundai Motor is offering promotional discounts of up to 5 million won ($3,450) per model. Discounts for the Ioniq 5 and Kona Electric are 3 million and 4 million won, respectively.
