28-03-2025
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.
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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.
