Genesis Electrified GV70 long-term test: luxury SUV takes on the Germans

Verdict

In isolation, the Genesis continues to be impressive – even to those who have fully bought into a German SUV. But aside from the exclusivity, questions remain as to exactly who the Korean brand is aimed at, and what it can offer over and above similarly priced rivals. 

• Mileage: 4,364
• Efficiency: 2.7 miles/kWh

The ‘Genesis Difference’ and its five-year ‘Care Plan’ are, allegedly, what separates the Korean luxury car brand from other premium car makers. These businesses might ostensibly operate in the same space, but does the public’s perception put them on the same page?

That’s a question I’ve wanted to answer ever since I took delivery of our  Electrified GV70 late last year. This is a car that, on paper at least, should be piquing the interest of Audi, Mercedes and BMW buyers. Possibly even the odd Porsche owner.

And it just so happens that the Higginson family fits that very profile. Our eldest children have been friends since they were born less than a month apart during the first Covid lockdown – so we’ve more in common than just the kind of cars we drive.

Sam and Dan have had their 18-plate Porsche Macan since new. Having recently moved house, the new-found boon of off-street parking means they’re no longer tied to their petrol SUV. Electric cars are looking ever-more enticing.

So I wanted to get their honest opinion on the Genesis – both from a brand perspective, as well as on the car itself. Could the GV70 secure itself a place on the family’s shopping list in the not too distant future?

Sam’s first comment is “What is it?” – quickly followed by “It looks like a Bentley”. It’s not the first time I’ve heard someone make this striking observation – an association I’m sure the Genesis design team wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss.

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But both Sam and Dan immediately see the GV70 as a larger car than their Macan – although in reality it’s only 19mm longer, 4mm taller and ever-so-slightly narrower. To the untrained eye the Porsche looks sportier and a bit sleeker; but there’s little trade-off in practicality – the Macan’s boot is only 15 litres down on the Genesis’s.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, though, Dan definitely felt like he had more space: “Maybe it’s the finish, or lack of clutter; [the GV70] just feels a bit more roomy,” he told me. “It’s well laid out; the controls are clear, and the finish feels really high quality.”

So is the Higginson family ready to ditch their six-cylinder petrol Porsche for an EV? “I’m of the belief that if you are ready to change your car, you should be considering electric,” Dan says. “We definitely will.”

Neither of them seems too put off by the GV70’s 200-220-mile real-world range, too. “Apart from a long trip for our summer holiday, we never do more than 200 miles in one hit,” Dan tells me. “And if we do, we’ll stop for the kids anyway.”

These comments reflect the use pattern of the vast majority of UK drivers; most people don’t do more than about 20 miles a day. And if you can charge at home, the convenience factor is multiplied tenfold.

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“But then you don’t get this,” Dan says with a smile – as he presses the starter button and the Macan’s engine roars into life. You have to admit, the Porsche does make a lovely sound.

As we continue, there’s one point Dan keeps coming back to: “Why would you have a Genesis when you can have a Porsche? 

“I wonder if we are better off going for a cheaper brand, getting everything we want, but paying £15k less? So why buy a Genesis over one of its Hyundai or Kia cousins?”

It’s a sentiment I can relate to – and one I think probably resonates in this part of the market. While the GV70 is a lovely car to live with, at £65,105 (or £77,275 as tested), it’s every bit as expensive as an equivalent BMW or Mercedes. It’s priced on par with the forthcoming Macan EV, too.

Yes, it’s super-comfy, well finished and near-whisper quiet at motorway speeds, but so are its competitors. You won’t find yourself rushing back to it just to go for a drive, either – even with 483bhp under your right foot.

These opinions may all change soon, however, with a mammoth family holiday from London to the Lake District planned
over the Easter weekend. Watch this space.

Genesis Electrified GV70 Sport: second report

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A change of boots for our deputy editor’s family SUV

• Mileage: 3,390 (replacement car)
• Efficiency: 2.8 miles/kWh

It's the same story every year. We get a short spell of cold weather and the British public panics. Meteorologists give us plenty of warning, yet society still grinds to a halt at the slightest sign of snow.

But I decided 2024 would be different. So before the sub-zero temperatures set in, I booked the Genesis Electrified GV70 into my local HiQ centre to get its existing Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres swapped for a set of Goodyear Vector 4Seasons.

These tyres are widely considered the very best of their type, triumphing in our all-season tyre test in 2023. At around £170 each (235/55 R19), they’re not cheap, though that’s roughly on par with big-brand alternatives from Continental and Pirelli. Our products editor, Kim, is a huge advocate of cross-climate tyres and immediately confirmed I’d made a sensible choice. He runs similar on his own cars and told me: “They give great confidence in winter.” Particularly with him living at the top of a hill.

I’ll be running this car into the spring and early summer, so I chose an all-season design rather than full-on winter tyres – allowing me to assess the pros and cons in all conditions. And that’s the big appeal here; whereas standard tyres are compromised in extreme weather, the Vector 4Seasons should keep my family safe whatever the next few months have in store.

Keen to learn more, I spoke to Goodyear about its all-season offering. Andy Marfleet, Goodyear UK and Ireland’s marketing director, claimed the Vector 4Seasons provide “year-round grip and stability ideal for most drivers, particularly when the temperature drops below seven degrees.”

And given that I’ve already had to de-ice the car – from the comfort of my home, using the Genesis smartphone app, of course – on numerous occasions, I don’t think my appointment at HiQ in Ashford, Middlesex, could’ve come at a better time.

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Our fitter on the day was Liam, who was immediately taken by the GV70’s Capri Blue paint, though he agreed the white Nappa leather probably wouldn’t suit his line of work. Incidentally, he’s a big fan of all-season tyres; all nine of his company’s vans run this kind of uprated rubber.

With the car’s locking wheel nut located alongside the tyre repair kit in a bag under the frunk, Liam had the Genesis raised on the ramp and all four rims off in no time. The Goodyears apparently use a specially engineered compound (to help at lower temperatures), but placing the two tyres side by side gave us a good opportunity to assess the different tread patterns. Indeed, it doesn’t take a scientist to see how the Vector 4Seasons should be superior not only in the cold, but also in the wet; the grooves are expertly designed to disperse water, which should give confidence in heavy rain.

After fitting the new tyres to the wheels, Liam balanced each one and got them back on the car, mirroring the pressures we’d run previously. Driving off, your senses are understandably heightened, worrying you’ve upset up the car’s handling, or that the new tyres might have an adverse effect on energy consumption – something I’m hyper-aware of in a heavy electric SUV.

But as it stands, I’m really impressed. I’ve done couple of hundred miles now, over  a variety of urban, motorway and rural roads, and the perceived difference is negligible. There’s perhaps slightly more patter over rippled surfaces, but if you’d not driven the exceptionally refined Genesis before, you’d never pick up on it. There’s little to no noticeable trade-off when driving quickly, either, although admittedly that’s probably helped by the temperature currently hovering around seven or eight degrees.

Otherwise, the Genesis continues to fit into daily life. What I feared was a fault has been traced back to an earthing problem in my dad’s home charger, and I’ve experienced no problems since. The GV70’s range currently stands at around 215-220 miles – some way off the quoted 283-mile maximum, but still sufficient for my needs.

Genesis Electrified GV70 Sport: first report

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A charging problem with our Genesis Electrified GV70 allows us to experience the brand’s superb customer service

• Mileage: 5,055
• Efficiency: 2.9 miles/kWh

The Genesis GV70 in the main picture has a different number plate to the one that first arrived on our fleet late last year. The colour, interior trim and spec are identical, but the car itself is new.

I’d enjoyed the company of OE23 YWW for almost a month, and had covered nearly 700 miles running festive errands around town, with the occasional trip out of London for work. I’d also driven the car, fully loaded with the family in tow, to visit my parents for Christmas – all without issue.

When we arrived, my dad kindly moved his BMW i3 out of the way and I plugged the GV70 into his home wallbox. I didn’t think anything of it, and being relatively late at night, left it charging and headed for bed.

Except when I woke up, the Genesis Connected Services (GCS) app was showing a range of just 34 miles – pretty much exactly how I’d left it eight hours earlier. Assuming the app simply wasn’t communicating with the car, I shoved on some shoes and went to investigate. Yet before I’d even hit the unlock button, I could tell something was wrong: the wallbox was flashing red.

Giving the car and the charger the benefit of the doubt, I disconnected the cable and plugged it back in. The light went green, so I went inside. I checked back 15 minutes later, and guess what? The charge had failed again.

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I repeated the process a number of times, but nothing seemed to work for more than a few minutes. I called Genesis Roadside Assistance, and within an hour a friendly AA patrolman called Jay had his diagnostics computer wired into the car’s OBD port.

He could see the faults, but resetting them made no difference; the car still refused to take a charge for any length of time. Tricking the car into thinking it was a Hyundai Ioniq 6 (the Genesis uses much of the same hardware – including its 800-volt electric architecture) allowed Jay to fool the car for longer, but the error returned.

So in the absence of a solution, we were forced to have the car recovered for further investigation. Genesis Assistance had been brilliant throughout; its efficiency in getting the car collected – just three days before Christmas – was admirable. I can’t even begin to imagine receiving the same level of service from one of the big German brands.

I’m still waiting for a diagnostic report from the dealer, but having heard my sister had a similar issue using the same wallbox with her Ford EV only last week, I think we’ve found the source of the problem. Strangely, my dad’s had no issues with his i3.

But I’m a glass half-full kind of guy. So while YWW was away, I used this as an opportunity to utilise the (free) service
of a Genesis Personal Assistant. These individuals can help you spec your chosen model, arrange test drives or even book your car in for a service after taking delivery. What these guys don’t know about the Korean luxury brand isn’t worth knowing.

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Step forward Matt Brook, the GV70 (or any Genesis for that matter) guru. While my car was away, he took time out of his schedule to deliver a replacement to my home and give a bespoke rundown of some of the mid-size SUV’s most important kit.

Having already lived with the car for almost a month, I was confident connecting my phone, adjusting most of the settings, and finding chargepoints on the move. Matt openly admits he’ll tailor his lessons depending on the customer; he’s happy to skip the basics on this occasion and focus on features I may not have yet noticed.

“The little magnifying glass [on the infotainment screen] is your best friend,” Matt tells us. “You can use it to find just about anything.” As such, he types ‘head’ into the search bar, and opens up a load of settings related to the crystal-clear head-up display. From here, I can select which information I do or don’t want to see, or choose to switch the system off completely.

He’s also keen to show me the fingerprint-recognition tech – an extra fitted to my car. It’s a nifty feature that allows multiple users to store their settings, whether that’s for the seats and steering wheel, menu layouts or media settings; you just scan your finger when you get in and the car does the rest. If you share your GV70 with a family member, that could be £80 well spent.

The more we delve into things, the more I’m impressed with the GV70’s functionality. “You can even control the car from the key,” he reminds us, hopping out and pointing to some of the buttons on the fob. “Imagine you were parked between a Range Rover and a pick-up – you can use the key to reverse out of the space, without setting foot inside.”

It’s not something you’d use every day, but it’s clever kit that – along with the superbly crafted cabin, excellent refinement and searing straight-line speed – goes some way to justifying the Electrified GV70’s rather lofty £65,105 starting price.

I’m hoping my time with GV70 OHM (yes, that’s a private reg) is short lived, and that I can get back into ‘my’ car as soon as possible. At that point, I’ll be able to better assess the pros and cons of this version’s spec sheet, and decide for sure if this is a better premium EV than a Mercedes EQC.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.