The saying used to be that speed is just a question of money. How fast do you want to go? With electric cars, it’s more like how far do you want to go?
And how much time have you got to wait?
The Genesis GV60 has answers to both questions.
What It Is
The GV60 is a compact-size electric crossover and the first designed-to-be-electric car from Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury line.
Base price is $59,290 for the Advanced trim, which goes the farthest (248 miles) because it’s not the fastest. The $68,290 Performance trim is faster — 0-60 in just under 4 seconds — but it doesn’t go as far.
Just 235 miles.
Others in this class include the slightly larger, more SUV-looking Audi Q4 e-tron ($49,800 to start) and the slightly smaller, more crossover-looking Volvo C40 Recharge ($55,300 to start) and the Tesla Model Y ($49,990 to start).
What’s New For 2023
The GV60 is a new model, just added to the Genesis lineup.
What’s Good
Fast (0-60 in 4.5 seconds) and faster (0-60 in less than 4 seconds).
Doesn’t look like other crossovers but has the interior space that makes crossovers popular — because they’re more practical.
Standard equipment list is generous.
What’s Not So Good
Expensive relative to rivals in the class like the Audi Q4 e-tron and Tesla Y — which both start for about $10,000 less.
Range isn’t much, even if you don’t want to go fast.
Standard fingerprint/facial entry system might give some potential buyers the creeps.
Under The Hood
How fast do you want to go?
The GV60 comes standard with 314 horsepower, made by a pair of electric motors (one for the front wheels, the other for the rear wheels) fed electricity by a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
This can get you to 60 in about 4.5 seconds.
If you want to get there faster, the Performance trim offers 429 horsepower (and 516 foot-pounds of torque), which can get you to 60 in about 3.8 seconds.
But how much does all this speed cost, in terms of how far you can go?
The Advanced version of the GV60 that can get to 60 in 4.5 seconds can go about 248 miles when fully charged; the Performance version’s range dips to 235 miles — which isn’t much of a cost relative to the speed you get.
However, neither version goes very far — even if you don’t drive them very fast.
On The Road
The Performance version of the GV is speedier than a Mustang GT. And both versions of the GV can carry four to five people realistically.
But the Mustang can go more than 440 highway miles (and more than 320 city miles) on just 15.5 gallons of gas — and it only takes a few minutes to refill it.
With EVs you have to stop more often and wait longer. This is a hassle if you haven’t got the time for it. It’s also not especially luxurious to have to spend all that time at a “fast” charger, most of them being located at strip mall/big-box retail store parking lots.
This latter could prove to be a problem for a luxury brand such as Genesis. After all, if you’re paying more, you probably expect not to have to wait in line all the time. It’s part of the reason why people who can afford it buy first-class airplane tickets — so they can board first and get off first.
At The Curb
One of the criticisms leveled at crossovers, electric and not, is that they all look the same. Most do.
This one doesn’t.
It’s a departure from the usual “box on top of a box melted for 90 seconds in the microwave” look that has made most crossovers look like most other crossovers. The GV is wasp-waisted and fast-backed, with a sporty car’s windshield rake and A-pillar taper. It also doesn’t look particularly electric because Genesis didn’t ape Tesla and do a Neo (from “The Matrix”) interrogation scene “elimination of the mouth” look. Even though the GV does not need airflow over the radiator that’s not there, it still has what looks like a grille up front, as opposed to a swath of body-colored plastic, a la Tesla (and a la Volvo, too).
It’s not an over-the-top gaping bullfrog mouth, either.
Inside, there’s what looks like a single, integrated LCD display panel that stretches from in front of the driver almost to the front-seat passenger’s side. It is actually two separate displays, one the main instrument cluster in front of the driver, the one to the right of the screen that displays controls for secondary functions. It’s a much richer look than the bleak, huge (and centrally mounted) LCD touchscreen one sees inside Teslas.
There are rotary knob controllers on the center console to put the GV into Drive or Reverse and to select the drive mode (tailored for performance or range, etc.).
Despite not looking like most crossovers, the GV has the room inside that makes crossovers popular: 24 cubic feet behind the second row (about twice the available space inside the trunks of most small sedans) and 54.7 cubic feet if you fold those down.
The wide-opening rear liftgate makes the most of the available space, too.
The Rest
Some cars offer keyless entry. The GV offers fingerprint and face recognition entry. And drive.
This is a first for Genesis and probably for most people, too. Whether you want to be fingerprinted and face-scanned by your car is something else. For good or not, this technology is standard equipment in this EV.
The Bottom Line
Speed is no longer just a question of money.
How far do you want to be able to go?
Eric’s latest book, “Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!” will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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