Genesis GV60 Performance AWD – MAGICAL MYSTERY

Genesis GV60 Performance AWD

MAGICAL MYSTERY

The Magical Mystery Tour
Is waiting to take you away
Waiting to take you away

The song’s lyrics were composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, long before range anxiety injected real mystery into a road tour – and good luck if that tour is on a Long and Winding Road. On a related note:

California is scheduled to introduce (or – as I write this – has introduced) a $3500 tax credit for 1^st-time EV buyers, serving as the Golden State’s response to the discontinuation of the $7500 Federal incentive by the Trump Administration. (And with a reflecting pool to fix, who can blame the Trump folks?) Obviously, $3500 from the state is not the same as $7500 from the Fed, but when added to the generous discounts available on new EVs, $3500 will dispose of most ‘fees’ that accompany any new vehicle purchase. Or it will pay for the rental if your EV is in the shop for the inevitable software updates or diagnosis. 

The shop is where a good friend of mine finds her electrified Genesis GV70. And while Diny receives a loaner from her dealership (and it’s a Genesis), a loaner isn’t the same as driving her own car – which she happens to like. But her experience with the Genesis dealer isn’t too different from my experience with our Jeep dealer, where recurring issues over a two-year ownership period couldn’t be fixed. The EV promise was simplified maintenance given the simpler – relative to internal combustion powertrains – mechanism, but the reality can be far different. If only you could fit ‘Caveat Emptor’ on a personalized plate…

This is my second time I’ve had a Genesis GV60 on my driveway, and – given its relative scarcity on the street – might be only my 3^rd or 4^th look at the vehicle ‘in the metal’. As a franchise Genesis is firing on all cylinders, but like other OEMs with EVs in their lineup, to fire on all cylinders you really need those cylinders. And our test GV60, while offering two motors and 429 horsepower, only has those motors. 

This Genesis GV60 was delivered in Performance AWD spec. And in what I’ll call a metallic teal the quirky design of the GV60 does make a statement. Given its GV prefix we’re told the dedicated Genesis EV is an SUV, but to these fading eyes the GV60 is no more nor less than an urban hatch, although its wheelbase of 114.2 inches and overall length of 179 inches is significantly larger than Volkswagen’s GTI, perhaps the best-known urban hatch. 

The GV60 is low relative to the height of an electrified GV70, which further argues against its GV designation. Passenger volume is reasonable, totaling just over 100 cubic feet. But if the rear seat is up you have just 24 cubic feet behind that rear seat, and 55 cubic feet if the rear seat is folded. And without you and three of your overfed friends, the GV60 tips the scales at just under 5,000 pounds. 

If fond of the exterior sheetmetal, you’ll love the GV60 interior, as it is – using a hyphenate – well-appointed. Its Nappa leather covering the seats is both quilted and perforated, and front seats are heated and ventilated. Facing the driver is an expansive combo of digitized dash info in combination with a relatively intuitive infotainment system. And the mash-up of appointments and textures is genuinely upscale, highlighted by the transmission selector which, upon engagement, rotates out of the console. Really.

While the base GV60 is equipped with but one motor, our upmarket Performance AWD trim – with an MSRP of $75K – provides a motor on both ends of the car, delivering a combined output of 429 horsepower. And that, in a manner not unlike other performance EVs, delivers outrageous performance (0-60 in 3.6 seconds, according to Car and Driver), but does so in a stealth-like manner. In this first attempt to reference Sylvester Stallone and Ryan Gosling in a single sentence, its performance is Rambo, while feeling like Barbie’s Ken. 

And the GV60’s handling is equally capable. Given its low center of gravity, evasive maneuvers are immediate and (relatively) safe. And if in the company of a contemporary 911, you’re almost eyeball-to-eyeball, even as the Porsche pilot tries to shake you off. 

There’s a lot to like here, but I can’t escape the increasingly obvious fact that many EVs are a work in progress. Diny’s custodial arrangement with her leased (thankgod!) GV70 is one example, and the frequency of EV recalls by other OEMs is another. The appeal of the GV60 – especially at a base price of around $50K – is obvious. But in your purchase planning, lease it.