Genesis Electrified GV70 review

Sometimes waiting so you don’t get caught in a stampede is the best course of action. Take the Genesis Electrified GV70 we're reviewing here. Rather than launching at the same time as a wave of new electric SUVs, it arrived a little later – potentially giving it a better chance of being noticed.

Was it worth the wait? Well, on paper the Electrified GV70 has a lot going for it, not least the fact that it runs on electricity.

You see, the regular Genesis GV70 is a well-equipped, well-finished and stylish family SUV but it's marred by its uncouth engines. Ditching petrol or diesel power in favour of near-silent electric motors should improve its refinement at a stroke.

So far, so good – but the electric car market hasn't stood still, and there are plenty of rivals to consider, including the Audi Q6 e-tron, Mercedes EQE SUV and Porsche Macan Electric.

Read on to find out how we rate the Genesis Electrified GV70 against the best electric SUVs...

The Genesis Electrified GV70 line-up is simple: every version has two electric motors, four-wheel drive and up to 483bhp. To get access to all that power, you need to press the Boost button on the steering wheel – the rest of the time it tops out at 429bhp.

Either way, there's plenty to send your head firmly into the head rest when you put your foot down, and the instant surge of power gives you confidence when pulling into traffic, overtaking or joining a busy motorway.

The result is that the Electrified GV70 can officially sprint from 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds, which is even quicker than an Audi Q6 e-tron quattro (5.9 seconds) but slightly behind a Porsche Macan Electric 4S (4.1) or Tesla Model Y Performance (3.5).

When it comes to range, the Electrified GV70 is less competitive. On standard 19in alloy wheels, it can officially manage up to 283 miles, dipping to 276 if you option 20in wheels. In real-world driving, we'd expect about 230 miles depending on the conditions. The key electric SUV rivals can all manage more than 300 miles officially.

Handling wise, the Electrified GV70 is a lot more settled and taut than a petrol or diesel GV70 but its body isn’t kept as well controlled as in a Macan Electric, which is much more settled at speed on an undulating road, and suffers less body lean.

You can stick the Electrified GV70’s adaptive suspension into Sport mode to firm things up, but it remains a bit soft. It is, however, far better to drive than the nervous-feeling Model Y, with a far more compliant ride.

If you ease off a touch, you’ll quickly build up a rapport with the Electrified GV70's accurate steering and high levels of grip, enabling you to still make quick progress. There’s even some fun to be had, because the power delivery is biased towards the rear wheels so you can sense the car pivoting round a bend and stick the nose exactly where you want it into a turn.

In terms of refinement, the Electrified GV70 comprehensively thrashes the Model Y. There’s very little electric motor whine, and although there's a fake engine sound, you can turn it off.

Wind noise is well suppressed by the standard acoustic windscreen and laminated side windows, and can be improved further with the Second Row Comfort pack, which adds laminated glass for the rear windows.

Plus, if you add the Lexicon sound system, you’ll get active noise-cancelling technology – a worthwhile option if your commute includes coarse road surfaces.

“It’s quick in a straight line, but I like how the GV70 Electrified isn’t trying to be a sporty SUV. You’re encouraged to relax and enjoy its comfortable ride and refinement.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

When you ease yourself into the Genesis Electrified GV70, it's easy to find a comfortable driving position because the seat and steering wheel have lots of electrically assisted adjustment.

Adjustable lumbar support is standard, and opting for the Comfort Seat pack adds a massaging driver’s seat that has a programme to improve your posture automatically during long trips.

All the armrests and controls are well placed, and the rotary dials to operate the climate control settings are easy to operate. They're much better than the fiddly touchscreen air-con controls you find in most electric SUV rivals – although the Porsche Macan Electric is similarly user-friendly because it has proper toggles.

The Electrified GV70 provides a commanding driving position, and while the dashboard top isn’t as low as in the Tesla Model Y, you can still see the extremities of the bonnet. The front pillars are surprisingly slim and give you good forward visibility.

Sideways visibility is fine too, and the rear pillars have windows to break up what would otherwise be a large blind-spot – although you can also opt for the pricey Innovation pack to get a blind-spot monitoring system.

Front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera come as standard. The Electrified GV70 also has a neat trick to help you see kerbs in the side mirrors: the reversing lights project lines on the ground behind the car.

LED headlights are standard, too, and the Innovation pack adds upgraded matrix lights that can adjust the shape of their beams to provide as much illumination as possible without dazzling other drivers.

The standard driver’s display uses a mix of analogue dials and digital read-outs, but the Innovation pack brings a 12.3in fully digital screen with a 3D visual effect. The 3D effect is more of a gimmick than a genuinely useful piece of tech, and you can turn it off if it's not to your liking.

The Innovation pack also adds a head-up display, and that's a more useful addition, displaying your speed and warnings of traffic approaching from behind.

The standard 14.5in infotainment touchscreen is one of the largest you’ll find in the electric SUV class. However, it can be a bit of a stretch to use while driving compared with the tablet-style screen in the Tesla Model Y, partly because it’s mounted so high on the dashboard.

Fortunately, there's also an easy-to-reach rotary controller for operating the infotainment – although we found it easy to mistake for the gear selector.

The Electrified GV70’s infotainment menu lay-out could be more intuitive, but it doesn’t take long to get used to. We wish, though, that there were a few more physical shortcut buttons.

As far as the sat-nav goes, programming it on the move is made a bit fiddly by the small icons in its sub-menu, but that’s a minor criticism, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring is included so you can use your preferred apps on the touchscreen. The optional 15-speaker Lexicon stereo offers clear sound quality.

Overall interior quality is very good, with soft surfaces for all the points you’re likely to touch frequently, and even in some unusual places, such as at the bottom of the doors.

“The optional Napa leather is costly but I like that it lifts the interior even further in terms of look and feel.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The Genesis Electrified GV70 has a generous amount of head and leg room for those sitting up front. The front-seat passenger gets electric seat adjustment as standard (including for height), but you’ll need to add the optional Comfort Seat pack for them to gain adjustable lumbar support.

Space to store odds and ends is fine, with a decent-sized glovebox and large door bins, as well as handy cup holders and a sizeable cubby under the armrest. There’s also a lidded tray area for your phone with wireless charging.

Two six-footers will be fine in the back seats, although a Tesla Model Y offers more head room and a lot more foot room under its front seats. The two models offer a similar amount of rear leg room. The Electrified GV60's seats recline for greater comfort but can’t be slid back to give increase leg room.

You also miss out on the more flexible 40/20/40 split folding rear seats found in the Audi Q6 e-tron and Mercedes EQE SUV. The Electrified GV70 mirrors the less versatile 60/40 arrangement of the Volvo EC40. There are, though, useful handles just inside the boot so you don’t have to open the side doors to fold the seat backs down. 

The boot space offers 503 litres of storage and will swallow a set of golf clubs or a pushchair with ease, and there’s no loading lip to heave bulky items over. That said, it’s shallow and doesn’t have deep underfloor storage like you’ll find in a Model Y.

The space under the boot floor is big enough to serve as a dedicated storage area for the tonneau cover (which looks so cheap you’ll understand why it has its own hiding place).

A 250V electric outlet is provided along the inside edge of the boot if you specify the Vehicle-to-Load pack. That enables you to power household appliances, which could be useful during a power cut or a camping trip. A powered tailgate is standard to make life a little easier.

Under the bonnet is a 25-litre storage tray that’s big enough for storing small items, such as the tyre pump.

“Considering how comfortable the GV70 Electrified is to drive, I think it’s a shame there isn’t a bit more space in the rear for me to fully relax as a passenger.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Pricing for the Genesis Electrified GV70 holds a small premium over the Tesla Model Y but undercuts quattro versions of the Audi Q6 e-tron (there are cheaper, two-wheel-drive versions of the Q6 though). Genesis doesn't do discounts but it's worth comparing prices using our New Car Deals pages.

The Electrified GV70 is predicted to hold on to its value similarly to the Model Y, and that should lead to competitive PCP finance rates (resale values form part of the finance calculations). The Q6 e-tron is predicted to lose its value even more slowly.

With a maximum charging rate of 240kW, the Electrified GV70 can take on power more quickly than the Model Y. That means a 10-80% charge will take about 18 minutes with a suitably powerful rapid charger – about the same as a Q6 e-tron (21 minutes). A home EV charger will take around 12 hours for a 0-100% recharge.

There's only one trim level for the Electrified GV60, called Sport. It's generously equipped, with 19in alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, an EV heat pump, ambient lighting and rear privacy glass. You have to add pricey option packs if you want matrix LED headlights, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel or three-zone climate control.

We don't have any UK reliability data for Genesis but every car is backed up by a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. Hyundai – its parent brand – did very well in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing tenth out of 31 brands.

All versions get automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert. The Innovation pack adds other automated features, such as lane-change assist on the motorway, blind-spot monitoring, and an upgraded emergency braking system that helps you avoid vehicles that suddenly pull out of junctions in your path.

The combustion-engined Genesis GV70 was awarded a full five-star rating by safety experts Euro NCAP and that's valid for the Electrified model too, so it should provide very good protection for you and your passengers.

“If you want to spoil back-seat passengers, the Second Row Comfort Seat Pack is one of the more affordable options and adds laminated rear windows, sun blinds and heated outer seats. I think it's worth considering.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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