Fiery hot Genesis GV60 Magma Concept launches new name in EV performance
The GV60 Magma Concept will spawn a hot production car that will come to the UK
Genesis has announced its performance arm will be called ‘Magma’ and has given us a preview of its first all-electric sports car with the GV60 Magma Concept. According to the Korean firm, the ‘Magma Program’ “reinterprets performance and luxury with the aim to showcase automotive innovation and technology”.
The GV60 Concept isn’t the only Genesis to have been created from the Magma Program. Genesis also identified the GV80 Coupe Concept, G80 Magma Special and X Gran Berlinetta Concept as cars that have “marked the brand’s expansion into the realm of high-performance cars”.
Speaking to Auto Express, Genesis’ Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke said of the Genesis GV60 Concept: “We call it concept because we are not showing it yet. We are not telling you about [performance] numbers yet. But this is decided as part of the program of the Genesis GV60 and it's coming very soon.”
We know the GV60 Magma will arrive next year as the first production model from Genesis’ Magma Program and this concept car shown off at Genesis House in New York is very close to production-ready. The four-strong line up of Magma cars will also be on show at the New York International Auto Show from 29 March to 7 April. The Magma concept was revealed alongside a new large luxury SUV from Genesis called the Neolun Concept - which will also come to the UK.
The Genesis GV60 Magma sits on the same E-GMP architecture as the Kia EV6 and Ioniq 5 - plus the hot new N version of the Hyundai. We expect to see slightly more power from the Genesis compared to the 641bhp Hyundai, given that Donckerwolke said: “The hierarchy of the performance goes from top down, this being the premium”, referring to the positioning of the GV60 Magma.
The battery and electric motor setup shouldn’t differ too much from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, with an 84kWh battery and electric motor on each axle. There’s scope for the Genesis to mimic a five-cylinder engine note, too.
On the outside we can spot plenty of changes to the bodywork over the basic GV60. There’s a wider track (40mm wider than the standard car), lowered suspension and a new bumper to the front focusing on air intake and cooling functions for the batteries, electric motors and brakes. Outlets within the wheel arches help improve airflow and improve cooling for the brakes.
The Magma features 21-inch wheels (the same size as those on the Ioniq 5 N) in an aero-disc shape, which Genesis says helps brake cooling even more. A series of fins have emerged on the roof that can channel air onto the new roof spoiler and at the rear a diffuser has popped up too.
The GV60 interior has received a few tweaks. There’s diamond-shaped quilting in most places - most notably the floor, orange-coloured bucket seats, and a lot of orange stitching throughout. The steering wheel also gets a top centre marker in orange.
We expect to see the production version of the GV60 Magma Concept launch later this year, before arriving in the UK to rival its Hyundai Ioniq 5 N sibling but also the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model Y Performance. Pricing will most likely extend beyond the Hyundai’s £65,000 price tag.
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