Genesis GV60 Performance AWD Review: The Luxury SUV That Thinks It's a Drag Racer

A Car With a Serious Identity Crisis, and I Mean That as a Compliment

The Genesis GV60 Performance has a serious identity crisis. It is a car with dissociative disorder, genuinely torn between two selves. Is it a plush, cosseting luxury SUV built for gliding between spa hotels and Surrey garden parties, or is it a drag racer wearing a very convincing disguise? After touring with it for a week, I landed somewhere close to Forrest Gump's philosophy on the matter: maybe it's both. Mostly, I decided I didn't much care, because both versions of this car are extremely good company.

For the uninitiated, Genesis is Hyundai Motor Group's standalone luxury division. It was born in 2008 as a rather earnest premium sports saloon wearing a Hyundai badge, before being liberated in 2015 into its own independent marque with its own studios and its own aesthetic philosophy, which it rather grandly calls "Athletic Elegance." What that means in practice is that Genesis borrows freely from its parent company's considerable electric architecture and engineering muscle, then dresses the result in something altogether more seductive. The GV60 is the clearest expression yet of that idea: a car that has clearly done its homework on German luxury but never lost its taste for mischief.

Specs That Read Like a Threat: 490PS, Boost Mode, and Other Ways to Ruin Your Neck

Under the skin, or rather under the battery pack, sits a Dual Motor AWD system producing 490PS and 700Nm of torque. This comes complete with a genuinely alarming Boost Mode, a Drift Mode I will confess to being too sensible to try, and a full suite of customisable settings through Drive Mode Select. Genesis quotes 0 to 62mph in under four seconds. My own stopwatch, admittedly unscientific and held by someone grinning far too widely to be trusted, suggested closer to 3.7 seconds, which is the sort of number that makes German engineers wince into their coffee.

All of this is fed by an 84.0kWh battery offering a WLTP combined range of 311 miles, along with 400V/800V ultra-rapid charging capable of pulling in up to 240kW when you find a charger generous enough to allow it. The dynamics roster reads like a small technical essay in itself: Smart Regenerative Braking 3.0 with i-Pedal, a Virtual Gearshift system that pretends, quite convincingly, that there are gears to shift, Preview Electronic Control Suspension, and an Electronic Limited Slip Differential doing quiet, unglamorous work to keep all that torque from embarrassing itself. Inside, there's an onboard heat pump for the sensible among us, and, for the romantics, the "Crystal Sphere" Shift-by-Wire selector, of which considerably more shortly, because it deserves its own paragraph and possibly its own fan club.

Exterior Design: Handsome, Huge, and Wilfully Understated

The GV60's silhouette is sleek in the way all serious electric cars now are, with that familiar sloping rear that aerodynamicists insist upon and stylists quietly resent, since it tends to smooth away the flourishes that once gave a car its character. In Makalu Grey, the test car was handsome rather than showy, preferring a nod of recognition from those who know rather than a shout from across the car park. It is also, it must be said, huge: the sort of SUV that makes you recalibrate your sense of scale every time you approach a multi-storey car park with a sharp intake of breath. Subtle, yes; small, absolutely not.

Interior: Where Nappa Leather Meets a Slightly Unconvincing Plastic

Step inside and the GV60 puts on a fair impression of a luxury supercar cabin, and for the most part the impression holds. The test car's Quilted Nappa leather, in cream suede and grey with contrasting stitching across Glacier White, Ash Grey and Triangle Aluminium trim, is genuinely gorgeous to sit in and to touch, the kind of interior that makes passengers go quiet for a moment before commenting on it. The one blemish on an otherwise excellent picture is the panelling and switchgear, finished in a faux metal-fibre plastic that is perfectly passable, extremely solid, durable and perfectly fitted, but which lets the cabin down just a touch by not quite convincing you it's the real thing the way the leather does. A small quibble, certainly, but a noticeable one in a cabin working this hard to feel expensive.

Everything else, though, is a genuine pleasure. The Bang & Olufsen system with its seventeen speakers and surround sound fills the cabin with a richness that makes ordinary car audio feel like a transistor radio, and there's Active Road Noise Cancelling working quietly in the background to keep the outside world at a respectful distance. Heated front and rear seats, ventilated fronts, and an eighteen-way adjustable Ergo-motion driver's seat mean that comfort is never in question, whatever the weather or the length of the journey.

The centrepiece, quite literally, is the integrated 27-inch panoramic OLED display combining infotainment and instrument cluster into one sweeping arc of screen. This is flanked by a Blind-spot View Monitor, a head-up display, a 360-degree Surround View Monitor, and a rear-view camera with dynamic reversing guidelines that make parking this vast machine considerably less fraught than it has any right to be. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, as do over-the-air software updates, which I put to the test on the very first day. The update took seconds and worked immediately; a small thing, perhaps, but anyone who has waited on a laptop update knows exactly how rare that kind of politeness is in technology.

The small details are where the GV60 really wins me over. The centre console sits elevated off the floor, creating genuine space between driver and passenger rather than the usual claustrophobic tunnel. This is a very nice touch. The glovebox is a proper drawer with a flat bottom that holds things properly, rather than the usual dump-it-all chaos most cars offer. This is a brilliant, small detail that speaks volumes about the thinking behind this cabin. There are two USB-C chargers plus a wireless charging pad, which does get hot very quickly, so perhaps do not leave a phone there during a long summer drive unless you enjoy living dangerously. Above it all sits a lovely large panoramic tinted sunroof, and the passenger seat has electric adjustment controls mounted on the side of the seat back, meaning the driver can reach across and adjust the passenger's position too. This is highly useful, and a small act of generosity in a cabin that seems to have thought of nearly everything.

The overall effect, on first sitting inside, is one of extreme luxury. That immediate intake of breath, admiring how plush it feels, arrives within seconds, and it doesn't fade with familiarity the way some first impressions do. This is a comfortable, opulent place to spend hours, which is precisely what a luxury SUV is meant to be.

Technology: A Crystal Ball for a Gearstick, and Other Small Miracles

The GV60's super wide, narrow display is one of the more intuitive infotainment systems I've encountered in a car at this price point. It is bright, clearly laid out, and has icons large enough to interpret at a glance, much like using a higher-quality tablet than the ones gathering dust in most kitchen drawers. The navigation knob does double duty, turning for selection in the traditional rotary manner while acting as a trackpad-style mouse on top, which is excellent.

Everything can be controlled through the touchscreen if preferred, but physical buttons remain for those who appreciate them, complete with small diamond-cut filler knobs that enhance the luxury feel with a genuinely satisfying tactile flourish. The head-up display projects map directions cleanly onto the windscreen, and the main screen frequently pops up little circular video feeds of the outside world whenever needed, in full colour, which feels less like a gimmick and more like the car quietly looking out for its occupants.

And then there is the Crystal Sphere. Genesis's drive selector is not a gear lever, nor a rotary dial, but a sparkling glass globe that spins to life the moment you switch the car on, before settling into position as your drive selector: a kind of orb with indentations that feels straight out of science fantasy. The Crystal Sphere is easily the standout feature in the cabin, a piece of design so theatrical it borders on performance art. It carries a distinct sense of drama, and one half expects it to start humming a tune of its own.

On the safety side, the GV60 is armed to the teeth with eight airbags, Electronic Stability Control with Trailer Stability Assist, Highway Driving Assist 2, Lane Following Assist 2, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2, rear Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist covering reverse, forward and side manoeuvres. There's a fingerprint sensor for keyless entry and start, and Remote Smart Parking Assist 2 for those days when reversing feels like too much effort. It even features face recognition, allowing the vehicle to identify its driver before a door is even opened.

The dynamic cruise control and steering are excellent, proving genuinely trustworthy over long distances. They hold the lane and maintain speed with a confidence that makes long-distance touring an absolute pleasure rather than a chore.

On the Road: Smooth as a Wave, Sharp as a Scalpel

The suspension is standout smooth. It handles road undulations beautifully, yet the chassis stays planted on the ground regardless of what's happening beneath it. Over rough terrain it cruises like a wave, and over smooth roads it glides immaculately, to the point where you have to keep an eye on the speedometer to prevent speeding without realising it. This provides an extremely luxurious experience, and it never once feels like a trade-off against how the car handles.

Because handle it does. Point the GV60 at a series of corners and it takes them like a pro, finally giving you somewhere sensible to deploy all that power rather than leaving it to strain uselessly at traffic lights. The braking is equally sharp, meaning this car can beat almost anything on the road for the first fifty metres. It is easy to surprise standard hatchbacks off the line, and there is a certain quiet satisfaction in that capability.

Steering is firm and responsive. Acceleration is more than good enough in Eco, amazing in Sport, and outstanding in Boost Mode, which gives you warp speed for ten glorious seconds. Overall, the performance is superb: luxurious and entertaining in roughly equal measure, which is a far harder balance to strike than most manufacturers manage.

Range and Charging: Manage Your Expectations, Manage Your Miles

As with most EVs, the quoted range wants taking with a pinch of salt, and a fairly generous one at that. Real-world range is typically less than indicated by about 15 to 20 per cent, so it is best to calculate a larger buffer. While range on a full charge is officially listed at 311 miles under WLTP, it is safer to budget closer to 200 miles for consistent motorway driving. Normal day-to-day use will land rather more accurately near the official figure.

Charging itself is genuinely impressive: 20 to 80 per cent takes around 15 minutes on a fast charger, though the last 20 per cent will take a further 30 minutes. The sensible approach is to keep the battery between 20 and 80 per cent, saving the full top-up for the mornings you genuinely need every last mile.

Boost Mode: The Part Where This SUV Embarrasses a Supercar

Boost is eye-watering fast. The acceleration arrives literally like a body slam, throwing you back into that beautifully quilted seat with a violence that feels entirely at odds with the car's composed, well-mannered demeanour everywhere else. It takes you from 0 to 62mph in just 3.7 seconds. In this fairly innocuous-looking SUV, you can out-accelerate pretty much every petrol supercar on the market.

That 3.7 seconds is somewhat misleading, since most of the acceleration is achieved in the first 30mph. Make no mistake, the initial launch is quite simply shocking, pulling impressive G-forces. It is utterly fantastic, especially from a car that also happens to have heated seats and a highly functional glovebox drawer. It even features a Drift Mode, which was left untested because the alloys were simply too pristine to risk. Hopefully, Genesis will eventually build a two-seater sports car out of this powertrain, because on this evidence it would be sensational.

The Verdict

This is a deeply luxurious car with stupendous performance. The Genesis GV60 Performance never quite decides whether it wants to coddle you in Quilted Nappa leather and seventeen speakers of Bang & Olufsen sound, or throw you back into your seat like an aggrieved bouncer. Rather than these two identities fighting for space, they seem to have arrived at an easy truce. That, in the end, is precisely the trick.

Pricing and Specification

The Genesis GV60 Performance AWD starts at £66,900. Standard equipment across all models includes acoustic glass at the front, 64-colour ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control and electric front seat adjustment for comfort. The 27-inch panoramic OLED display, Crystal Sphere, fingerprint recognition, Highway Driving Assist, electric driver's lumbar support and over-the-air updates add convenience and technology. Advanced safety systems include rear Blind-spot Collision-avoidance Assist, Lane Following Assist 2, Smart Cruise Control 2 and Intelligent Speed Limit Assist. On the EV side, it features an 84kWh battery with 400/800V charging up to 240kW DC, a heat pump, Battery Conditioning 2 and Smart Regenerative Braking with i-Pedal.

Exterior touches include heated front seats, a heated leather steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, a power-opening tailgate, a rear-view monitor, live-service satellite navigation, a smart key and a wireless device charger. Grade-specific equipment adds Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (1.5), Multi Lens Array LED headlights, Dynamic Welcome Lighting, an electrically operated charging door, and body-coloured arches and lower trims.

The Performance model itself brings the Dual Motor AWD powertrain with its 490PS output, Boost Mode, Electronic Limited Slip Differential and Virtual Gear Shift, riding on 21-inch alloy wheels with white brake calipers. The test car, finished with the Comfort Pack, Nappa Leather Pack and Innovation Pack, came to £73,715 with extras.

More info on the Genesis GV60 Performance AWD here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast is the Genesis GV60 Performance from 0 to 62mph?

Genesis officially quotes under four seconds, though real-world testing has recorded figures closer to 3.7 seconds, with the majority of that acceleration delivered within the first 30mph thanks to the Dual Motor AWD system's 490PS and 700Nm of torque.

What is the real-world range of the Genesis GV60?

The GV60 Performance carries an 84.0kWh battery with a WLTP combined range of 311 miles, though real-world range typically runs 15 to 20 per cent below that figure, meaning motorway drivers should budget closer to 200 miles per full charge rather than the full WLTP figure.

How long does the Genesis GV60 take to charge?

With access to a suitably fast charger and the car's 400V/800V architecture, the GV60 can charge from 20 to 80 per cent in around 15 minutes, though the final 20 per cent takes considerably longer, roughly 30 minutes, due to the natural charging taper.

What is the Crystal Sphere in the Genesis GV60?

The Crystal Sphere is Genesis's distinctive Shift-by-Wire drive selector, a glass orb that spins to life when the car is switched on before becoming the primary gear selection control, widely regarded as one of the most striking interior design features in any modern luxury SUV.

Does the Genesis GV60 have a Drift Mode?

Yes, the GV60 Performance includes a dedicated Drift Mode as part of its Drive Mode Select system, alongside Eco, Sport and the notably potent Boost Mode.

How much does the Genesis GV60 Performance cost?

The Genesis GV60 Performance AWD starts from £66,900, with a well-equipped test car including the Comfort Pack, Nappa Leather Pack and Innovation Pack priced at £73,715.

Is the Genesis GV60 Performance faster than a supercar?

Over the first fifty to one hundred metres, the GV60's Boost Mode delivers acceleration and torque capable of outpacing many petrol supercars thanks to instant electric torque delivery, though its outright top speed and sustained performance profile differ from purpose-built supercars.