97 - 103
314 - 429
1 speed, Automatic
Electric
All Wheel Drive
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The Genesis GV60 competes in the Small Premium SUV market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 44 percent of new Small Premium SUV buyers are male (vs. 61 percent for the industry as a whole), and the median age of a new Small Premium SUV buyer is 57 years (vs. 57).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the Small Premium SUV segment in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the Mercedes-Benz GLA ranks highest among Small Premium SUVs. The 2023 Genesis GV60 is too new for inclusion in the 2022 APEAL Study.
In the sections that follow, our independent expert analyzes a GV60 Performance AWD equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price came to $70,485, including the $1,095 destination charge.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The Genesis GV60 makes a statement even before you get in because if you are carrying the key fob, its door handles reach out to greet you as you near the vehicle. If you forgot your key, no need to worry. The GV60's Face Connect feature allows the car to lock or unlock its doors when it recognizes its driver's face. If you touch the door handle and peer into the hidden camera in the B-pillar, the doors will unlock, and you don't even have to say "Cheese." Genesis says the system will work in the dead of night thanks to its near-infrared camera.
Once the car knows it's you, it can automatically set up the driver's seat, steering wheel, side mirrors, head-up display, and media settings to your profile. Then the GV60's fingerprint-authentication system allows you to start the car and drive off. If you are going to lend the GV60 to a friend, just give them your face and fingerprints—or better yet, hand them the key fob. If that's too yesterday for you, you can share access to the GV60 with others using a digital key. For example, a driver with an iPhone may also send a "key" via iMessage and revoke access to the vehicle with a single click.
As you ready to slip into the driver's seat, the richness of the interior materials is immediately apparent. The soft Nappa leather seating surfaces in the test vehicle were a medium blue with contrast stitching, evoking a super-luxury European car of a bygone era. Genesis wraps the instrument panel in leatherette that does an excellent job of simulating genuine leather.
Driver and front passenger seats are power-adjustable with 4-way power lumbar adjustment. Both are heated and ventilated. The driver seat also features a power-actuated cushion extension and bolster. A heated steering wheel is standard, as are heated rear seats. The rear side-window door shades help keep the interior cool but also block rearward visibility somewhat.
Unlike some contemporary EVs, the GV60 has an On/Off button on the dash, something to be applauded. Those seeking cutting-edge tech will find it in the Crystal Sphere that lends a somewhat mystical presence to the center console. With the vehicle turned off, the Crystal Sphere glows from within, but hit the "On" button and it rotates to reveal the shift-by-wire gear selector. A simple dial enables the driver to choose Forward, Neutral, and Reverse, while an integral button allows the driver to select Park.
The driver faces a 12.3-inch color LCD instrument array and a head-up display when seated behind the power-adjustable steering wheel. Both present information clearly without gimmicks or distractions.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The infotainment system in the 2023 Genesis GV60 achieves a new level of integration among the various displays seen in a modern vehicle. Called Connected Car Integrated Cockpit (ccIC), the system weaves information like navigation and vehicle readouts into a panoramic display and, at the same time, delivers vital information via the head-up display.
The system offers the standard fare of infotainment functions:
The digital display cluster uses a three-view motif to organize information. The display presents maps, navigation, and even advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) info immediately in front of the driver. It also displays phone calls, media, and voice-recognition prompts in the cluster. It also presents very similar information in the head-up display. It too can offer data on incoming calls, the selected radio station, and navigation directions.
Two things are most surprising about the system. The first is that with all its seeming complexity, it is not difficult to use. In fact, most of it operates intuitively via the sizeable 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, a controller on the center console, or via voice commands. The second surprise is that it does not support wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
The Genesis GV60 features a very upscale Bang & Olufsen audio system as standard equipment. The 17-speaker system includes "listening moods" that include Relax, Energetic, Bright, and Warm. While the moods might border on the esoteric, the system has ample power and offers excellent clarity and separation.
Using the system for things like listening to live play-by-play on the Major League Baseball app using Apple CarPlay and the Bang & Olufsen audio system was both simple and satisfying. Placing phone calls and summoning directions also proved easy. However, the guidance the GV60's integral navigation system provided was very different than that offered by Apple Maps to get from a chosen point A to point B.
When automakers add infotainment functions, they risk confusing their customers and giving them an unsatisfying experience. The ccIC in the GV60 walks that tightrope, providing a bevy of features plus easy operation.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
As mentioned, at launch, the Genesis GV60 is available in two trims: the 314-hp Advanced AWD and the 429-hp Performance AWD. Both offer front and rear electric motors and AWD. When the driver engages Boost Mode in the Performance model, it can reach 483 hp; peak torque tops out at a prodigious 516 pound-feet.
The result is a lightning-quick vehicle in the sprint from zero-to-60 miles per hour—a feat Genesis says the GV60 can accomplish in 3.7 seconds. Most interestingly, the GV60's excellent acceleration is bereft of visceral clues as to how quickly one is traveling. Acceleration is quiet and utterly smooth, with no engine noise or gear shifts occurring along the way. Instead, it is like a high-speed elevator moving horizontally rather than vertically.
At just 177.8 inches long, the Genesis GV60 is 3 inches shorter than a Toyota RAV4 Prime, but it is 400 pounds heavier than the popular plug-in hybrid, which, by the way, has two separate power plants. Perhaps because of its mass, the GV60 isn't quite as involving to drive in an enthusiast manner as the zero-to-60 time would lead you to believe. It isn't really a canyon carver with a lateral g number of 0.83.
But that is not to say the Genesis GV60 isn't entertaining or fun to drive. It is both. For one thing, it offers i-Pedal one-pedal driving. After selecting the mode using a paddle on the steering column, the GV60 will accelerate, decelerate, and come to a complete stop using the accelerator pedal alone. Not only is this fun, but the heavy level of regeneration also increases the vehicle's driving range.
The GV60's Smart Regeneration System 2.0 helps optimize energy recapture by automatically adjusting the regenerative braking according to traffic data and navigation map information. Who thought brakes could be so smart?
The regeneration system is important because the Genesis GV60 Performance AWD's 235 miles of range on a single charge might leave you wanting more. Genesis equips both the Advanced AWD and Performance AWD with the same temperature-managed 77.4-kWh battery. The good news is the battery uses a 400/800-volt multi-rapid-charging system that boosts the 400 volts supplied by the charger to 800 volts. When charging at 350 kW in the ultra-speed charging mode, Genesis says the battery can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. Charging in other modes is relatively fast, as well.
Among its other benefits, you can also use the GV60 as a mobile power source, even powering a home if that becomes necessary.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
Following recent practice, Genesis doesn't have an umbrella name for its collection of ADAS. It just offers a lot of them. Standard equipment includes:
As a comprehensive collection of systems, the GV60's ADAS worked well. It was generally non-intrusive but came in handy when needed. The rear side window shades obstruct rearward visibility when in use. Therefore, when changing lanes on a freeway or expressway, the blind-spot warning and collision-avoidance assist systems serve to prevent an embarrassing wrinkling of sheet metal.
Also, to its credit, the system's lane-keeping assistance lends a gentle hand without being overbearing. After all, sometimes drivers have good reasons to cross a white line.
Inevitably, the parking-assistance features come into play most often. The rear-view camera helped avoid a nasty parking lot encounter before rear cross-traffic warning was necessary. On the other hand, the park distance warning sounded off when the vehicle was farther from a front-yard fence than the driver desired. This can lead to tuning out that warning altogether.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The Genesis GV60 has a covered cargo area behind its second-row seats with 24 cubic feet of space. The power liftgate opens automatically. In comparison, the Tesla Model Y offers 30.2 cubic feet of cargo space.
The Genesis GV60 Advanced AWD has a 95-MPGe rating from the EPA, while the GV60 Performance AWD has a 90-MPGe rating. The 2022 Tesla Model Y Performance AWD has a 111-MPGe rating. The GV60 offers up to 248 miles of range on a full charge (235 in the Performance version.)
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has rated the crashworthiness of the 2023 Genesis GV60.
The 2023 Genesis GV60 Advanced AWD has a base manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $58,890. The GV60 Performance AWD has an MSRP of $67,890. The destination charge is an additional $1,095.
In the JD Power 2022 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the BMW X1 ranks highest in the Small Premium SUV segment. The Lexus UX and the BMW X2 are the next highest-ranked models.
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the Mercedes-Benz GLA ranks highest in the Small Premium SUV segment. The Volvo XC40 is the next highest-ranked model.
Other competitors to the 2023 GV60 include the Audi Q3 and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
In line with the rapidly growing reputation of the Genesis brand, the 2023 Genesis GV60 small luxury crossover EV is a very credible offering. It delivers innovative tech like facial and fingerprint recognition to add a luxury spin to its basic platform. While it doesn't offer class-leading range, it has an innovative system that enables it to fast-charge more quickly than some of its competitors.
The GV60 is attractive inside and out. The exterior is elegantly simple and upscale with big wheels (20- or 21-inch) and a svelte, coupe-like crossover silhouette. Comfort abounds inside because the interior "sits" as good as it looks, and it looks great. It's all as if Genesis wanted to make sure none of the GV60's occupants felt they were in an Ioniq 5 or EV6. The Crystal Sphere gear-change system reeks of being gimmicky, but in practice, it works well.
From a mechanical point of view, Genesis has taken the Hyundai/Kia EV "roller skate" and thrown the kitchen sink at it. The GV60 sports a sophisticated electronically controlled suspension and an electronic limited-slip differential. Power is substantial, and the GV60 will accelerate in rocket-sled fashion—without all the commotion, of course.
At about $60,000 to $70,000, the Genesis GV60 is an expensive small premium crossover and much more costly than its Hyundai and Kia brethren. But it delivers on its luxury promise. After all, who doesn't want a good-looking car that recognizes them on sight?
Jack R. Nerad has been reviewing cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for more than three decades. He is the host of the SportsMap Radio Network program "America on the Road", which is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, and other outlets.
