Genesis GV70 Electrified review

As you’ll probably know by now, Genesis is the posh branch of Hyundai-Kia that has been going its own way since 2015, although it’s only been in the UK since mid-2021. Think of it as what Lexus is to Toyota or what Infiniti is (or was, in Europe's case) to Nissan.

Genesis won’t thank us for that last comparison, though. Things didn’t exactly work out well for Infiniti in the UK – who’d have thought we wouldn’t fancy a £100,000, V8-engined Sebastian Vettel edition SUV?

Great, so what actually is the GV70?

Ah yes. The GV70 (the V apparently stands for versatility) is Genesis’ second SUV and is designed to compete with the BMW X3, the Audi Q5, the Porsche Macan and the Mercedes GLC. And that’s just the Germans – this premium, mid-size class also includes the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, LR Discovery Sport and Volvo XC60. No more Jag F-Pace to worry about, at least.

With the introduction of the GV70 Electrified, it also waded into BMW iX3, Mercedes EQE SUV, and Audi Q6 e-tron territory. There's also the Tesla Model Y, and now the (excellent) Porsche Macan to worry about, of course.

And it’s certainly as striking as any of those to look at, that’s for sure. Ex-Lamborghini, Audi and Bentley man Luc Donckerwolke is chief creative officer, and Genesis is building a bit of a signature look with big shiny grilles and those narrow quad lights.

A refreshed version was unveiled in 2024, though you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference from the outside, with changes limited to redesigned headlights, front grille and wheels. Inside, however, it gets a new all-encompassing 27-inch OLED display, which combines the driver and infotainment screens into one unit.

What's behind the big grille?

At its launch, you had the choice of a 2.2-litre diesel and a 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol. Both engines were four cylinders, both were paired with eight-speed automatic gearboxes and both came with all-wheel drive as standard.

And now both are gone. You can still buy a GV70 with an internal combustion engine, but only from stock. And it’ll be a pre-facelift version, as Genesis is killing all ICE-only models in the UK. So if that’s what you’re after… you’ll need to be quick.

So it's the GV70 Electrified only now, fitted with an updated powertrain as part of the facelift. It has the same 483bhp dual motor as before, only it’s now mated to a bigger 84kWh battery. Genesis claims 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds (in Boost mode anyway – more on that on the Driving tab) and a top speed of 146mph, plus a slightly increased 298 miles of WLTP range.

What's more, it also now gets virtual gear shift technology technology (as seen in the Genesis GV60, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV6 GT) which is designed to mimic a conventional gearbox both in terms of feel and sound. Quite why you'd want that in a *checks notes* luxury SUV is anyone's guess.

It supports ultra fast 350kW charging too, meaning 10–80 per cent is possible in 19 minutes if you can find a plug capable of those speeds, as well as V2L (vehicle to load) capability, so you can power anything from a laptop to a toaster. You know, if you happen to have one in the boot.

Doesn't come cheap, presumably?

For as long as stocks last, prices start from £48,995 for the pre-update petrol and £52,645 for the diesel.

In the here and now, you’re actually looking at a rather hefty £65,915 for the Electrified. Check out the Buying tab of this review for more detail.

When the GV70 was first released, it didn’t quite match the refinement of its rivals, largely down to the powertrains. But the Electrified variant undoubtedly addresses these flaws, and goes hand in hand with the calm and relaxed driving experience Genesis is trying to offer.

It’s a shame there isn’t a cheaper, single-motor version though, with the near £66k starting price a tough sell up against more talented stuff like the TG award-winning Porsche Macan Electric.

Still, if you can get on board with the GV70’s price and outside looks, you’ll be even happier once you get up in the leather- and tech-filled interior. As you’d expect from the Hyundai-Kia group these days, it feels well put together and is generally easy to get on with.