New Genesis GV70 Electrified 2025 review: a truly engaging electric SUV
The new Genesis GV70 Electrified has plenty to offer, including a superb virtual gear shift feature
Verdict
Most rational minds will note the mediocre range figure and look towards more efficient German rivals, but this new Genesis Electrified GV70 has plenty to offer. A superb cabin, excellent tech and impressive straight-line speed are all strong points, but it’s the new ‘virtual gear shift’ feature which completely steals the show, creating a more engaging, and distinctive, driving experience than in any rival EV.
For the first time in over two years, we can say there’s a new Genesis on sale in the UK, because the quirky Korean luxury brand has given its Electrified GV70 a significant overhaul. Designed to sit in the market just below mid-sized all-electric German SUVs like the Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron, plus impressive newcomers like the Polestar 3, it has a tough crowd of competitors that, unfortunately, show the GV70 a new pair of heels when it comes to potential range figures.
That’s because despite having a new, larger battery pack (84kWh net) than before, the GV70 still doesn’t quite crack the 300-mile mark. Its 298 miles is a figure many of its rivals will comfortably reach, even with entry-level battery packs.
To help combat its relatively limited range, the GV70 does offer some very impressive charging stats thanks to its 800V electrical system. This will see a top-up time of just 19 minutes from 10-80 per cent, which is right up there with rivals from Audi and Porsche, and better than those of more expensive BMWs or Mercedes. The Genesis also fights back with a properly potent dual-motor layout that produces 483bhp, which will push it along from 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds.
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More impactful, though, are the changes that Genesis has made elsewhere, such as a fundamentally upgraded interior and a new technology package. The revised cabin is dominated by the huge OLED display that stretches across the dashboard. Unlike the layouts in an Audi or BMW, this isn’t two separate displays that sit under one housing, rather one giant screen that’s impressively clear and bright. As a result, users can more comprehensibly personalise the layout, such as having the main map view bleed seamlessly into the driver’s eyeline.
In order to fit the new screen, the dashboard has been entirely replaced, but the basic design language hasn’t changed. A new lower console now integrates seamlessly with the dash, and houses a larger and easier-to-use climate control interface. There’s still a wide selection of physical controls to supplement the touchscreens, and while the whole set-up can be a bit bewildering at first, with some time to acclimatise it does all come to hand.
Given that this car isn’t based on a specific EV architecture, it doesn’t have some of the practical advantages seen in rivals like a flat floor in the cabin. And while there is some under-bonnet storage, it’s a relatively pokey 29 litres.
Interior space is good enough considering the external dimensions. Head, leg and kneeroom in the second row is good for two, if a little pinched for three, and the main 503-litre luggage space is square and equipped with a solid parcel shelf and lots of handy tie-down points. Flip the second row of seats down and you’ll have a nearly flat loadbay.
On the road, the GV70 is actually quite nicely set up. The steering is well weighted and accurate, if lacking in any real feedback, and paired with a brake pedal that does a good, if not class-leading job of blending regenerative and friction braking. The throttle pedal also responds consistently and makes smooth driving easy, plus there’s both ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’ modes that either prioritise efficiency or give the powertrain some extra pep. Plus there’s a ‘Boost’ button on the steering wheel, which will give the full 483bhp kick for a limited period of time, making the GV70 much faster than it really needs to be on a day-to-day basis.
The only significant black mark in terms of on-the-road behaviour is poor ride quality on models running the larger 20-inch wheels; it’s just too firm on particularly rough or undulating roads. However, it’s clear this is to the benefit of the handling, which is tidy and well controlled – something that’s difficult to achieve without an inherently firm set-up on big electric SUVs.
However, while all of these dynamic attributes make up a quite satisfying driving experience, this mid-cycle update has also brought with it a fascinating new feature. Derived from the system Hyundai uses to transform the Ioniq 5 into the brilliant 5N, Genesis has integrated a ‘virtual gear shift’ or VGS mode that doesn’t just mimic an internal combustion engine in terms of sound, but also maps the torque, and therefore feel, of a combustion engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.
It might sound like a gimmick, yet it does a brilliant job of feeling just like a big, torque-rich V6 engine with an accompanying burble that’s only audible from inside the cabin. One of the key elements helping to give a ‘premium’ feel in this class is the sound of a large multi-cylinder engine, so the ability to recreate one so faithfully gives this all-electric GV70 something that its four-cylinder combustion-engined counterparts – and many EV rivals – don’t have: a feeling of gravitas.
If you drive the Genesis hard and ‘rev’ the virtual engine to its extremes, it loses some of its authenticity due to an overly computerised sound at the top end, but at normal speeds the gentle flow of cycling through gears is hugely satisfying for anyone who misses the feel of ICE cars, but has chosen to switch to an EV. And if this fakery, brilliantly executed though it is, doesn’t appeal, it can be easily switched off.
So yes, on range, the Genesis doesn’t quite match up to its high-end German rivals. And while the GV70 is no less expensive, its equipment and performance are both generally on a higher plane at this price point. In our modern world of EVs challenging the status quo, we doubt anyone would step inside an Electrified GV70 and not think it was a more convincing luxury SUV than anything with a German badge on the nose – with the possible exception of BMW’s superb but more expensive iX.
| Model: | Genesis Electrified GV70 Pure |
| Base price: | £65,915 |
| Powertrain: | 84kWh battery, 2x e-motor |
| Transmission: | Single-speed automatic, all-wheel drive |
| Power/torque: | 483bhp/700Nm |
| 0-62mph: | 4.4 seconds |
| Top speed: | 146mph |
| Range/charging: | 298 miles/240kW 10-80% in 19 mins |
| Length/width/height: | 4,715mm/1,910mm/1,630mm |
| On sale: | Now |
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