Scorching hot Genesis GV60 Magma spotted for the first time

The hot new Genesis GV60 Magma has been spotted testing out in the open for the first time, as the more classy, and potentially more powerful, sister car of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is being prepared for launch towards the end of the year. 

The flared wheelarches, plus the bright orange brake calipers and shark fin antenna, are giveaways that it’s the GV60 Magma under all that heavy camouflage. We already have a clear idea what’s hiding under there though, because Genesis revealed the GV60 Magma Concept last year.

It had a much more aggressive look than the regular GV60, thanks to a new front bumper and rear diffuser, wider track and a rather sizable spoiler. Interestingly, during the concept’s dynamic debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, it was the fastest four-seat production car on the famous hillclimb and beat the Ioniq 5 N’s time from the previous year by 1.5 seconds.

The new facelifted version of the regular GV60 has also just been unveiled. It received a new, very sharp set of headlights with ‘Micro Lens Array’ technology that we can see shining clearly through the camouflage on this prototype. A 27-inch display across the dashboard and sportier three-spoke steering wheel were added inside, so are set to feature in the Magma edition.

Technical details for the hot GV60 are still firmly under wraps. It’s possible it will feature the same 641bhp, all-wheel-drive powertrain as the Ioniq 5 N and the newly updated Kia EV6 GT. However, as Genesis is the premium brand, we would expect the Magma to be the top car among the group’s high-performance family. So its 0-62mph time should be even closer to three seconds than those of its siblings. 

More power would be the only differentiator for the GV60 Magma, as head of vehicle development at Genesis, Tyrone Johnson, told us: “We have a completely different brief and what we’re trying to achieve is completely different from Ioniq 5 N or EV6 GT.” 

He added: “Those are categorically different cars and they have a completely different character. That’s not only due to tuning and stuff, that’s also due to some hardware changes between those two cars, and there’ll be hardware changes on the GV60 Magma also.”

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We don’t yet know how extensive those hardware changes will be, but the GV60 Magma could feature a different set of springs to work with its electronically controlled suspension, or potentially an upgraded brake system – something Hyundai recently developed for an even more focused edition of the Ioniq 5 N.

The GV60 Magma will presumably carry over some of its sister cars’ more novel features, such as their trick virtual gearbox. The technology is designed to create a more engaging driving experience, by having drivers pull on the paddles on the steering wheel like they’re going through the gears in a petrol hot hatch or SUV, and the powertrain then adjusts the torque output to deliver a small jolt, like an actual gearchange. 

The Ioniq 5 N also offers several synthesised sound effects, including even a turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine’s exhaust note, to make the driving experience more immersive. However we expect the GV60 Magma to provide a unique soundtrack.

Genesis intends to launch a high-performance Magma version of every model in its line-up, starting with the GV60. Johnson wants the Magma models to deliver “a new unique combination with the Korean premium feeling – which is quite unique and special – and European driving dynamics.”

Will you be ordering a Genesis GV60 Magma? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below...