Review of 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70: The First Drive

Genesis is rapidly moving towards an all-electric future, and while the brand develops its own EV platforms, it is looking to electrify the inherent internal combustion platforms as a backstop.

We had the opportunity to drive a new car for a short time Genesis Electrified GV70 at a closed route near Sydney for an early indication of what it will be like when it finally goes on sale. end of 2022.

The car we drove was a pre-production car, so while most of the car is accurate, there are some final elements that will be different from the final production version we will have in the future. the coming months.

How much does Genesis Electrified GV70 cost?

Pricing has yet to be announced for the Australian market, but we expect the Genesis Electrified GV70 to cost around $110,000 when it goes on sale here in late 2022.

While that’s not an insignificant amount, it’s more affordable than all of its premium branded competitors including BMW iX3 ($114,900), Audi e-tron 50 quattro ($139,900) and the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic ($124,300).

It’s worth noting that all of these competitors are based on the same combustion platform as the Genesis, although only the iX3 goes the same way as the Genesis in that it has existing badges. The E-tron is based on the same MLB architecture as the Q5 albeit with its own sheet metal, and similarly for the EQC shares much of its DNA with the existing GLC.

Furthermore, the Electrified GV70 is significantly more powerful than both Audi and BMW. While the EQC 400 delivers the equivalent of 300kW and 760Nm from its dual-motor powertrain, the Benz takes just half a second from the GV70’s 0-100 time.

What’s inside the Genesis Electrified GV70?

One of the best things about an electrified internal combustion platform is that you can retain the look and feel of a ‘normal’ equivalent internal combustion engine. As a result, the interior of the Electrified GV70 looks almost identical to the regular GV70.

While the specifications are being finalized for the Australian market, we will only have one specification. This specification will be similar to what is available with the Luxury Package and will be clearly specified.

When you hope the inside of the price tag feels like it’s been cooked up by $50,000. It feels very, very luxurious – especially with the Luxury Package that adds fancy quilted Nappa leather seats with massage function and a 12.3-inch 3D digital instrument cluster.

Note that the car we tested was a pre-production vehicle that didn’t come equipped with the Luxury Package features.

Compared to the BMW X3, Audi Q5 or Mercedes-Benz GLC, this feels a lot more premium, by a foresight.

And look, it needs to be. It’s a new player in the market, and it’s that incompetent mentality that spurred Genesis to put in more effort to make the GV70 feel special inside.

The 14.5-inch infotainment screen in the center of the dashboard looks elegantly installed and doesn’t stand out like an iPad stuck to the dashboard.

It can be operated as a touchscreen or via the BMW iDrive-esque control unit on the center stack – although it’s sometimes easy to mistake the gear lever for the infotainment controller. However, I’m sure it’s something that becomes second nature if you own the car.

One thing that is still quite disappointing with Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles in general is the lack of wireless smartphone mirroring in high-end models. While low-end models are capable of wireless smartphone mirroring, high-end models like the GV70 require a physical cable connection.

As a charging aficionado, I’m quite a fan of my phone’s charging schedule, and it makes me nervous every time I need to plug it in for an hour to use CarPlay (it’s okay, it’s not that bad, but you know what I mean) ).

These brands need to seize the time and move to wireless smartphone mirroring for all their vehicles, not just entry-level models (for Hyundai and Kia anyway). ) without built-in navigation.

The GV70 is the only vehicle in its segment that uses a fingerprint scanner to help recall driver settings – it’s an innovative system and a different way of setting recall.

It also feels luxurious in the second row – they don’t cut back on materials or features.

Legroom and headroom in the second row is great for both kids and adults with plenty of room to stretch out. There’s a third climate control zone, along with seat heating for the two outboard seats.

The second row also has ISOFIX points on the two outboard seats, plus three top tether points.

In launch you will find 542L cargo capacity with the second row of seats in use, expanding to 1678L with them folded. Below the cargo floor is a space-saving spare tire, along with a storage compartment for the blind.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Electrified GV70 uses a dual-motor electric drive system powered by 77.4kWh battery.

Each electric motor (one per shaft) produces 160kW and 350Nm, producing a maximum system output of 320kW and 700Nmwith 360kW available in Boost Mode (available for 10 seconds). Off boost, peak torque figure is quoted at 605Nm.

Genesis claims GV70 Electrified will run 0-100km/h 4.5 seconds0.6 seconds faster than the existing 3.5T AWD Sport twin-turbo V6.

On the charging front, the Electrified GV70 has the same 400/800V charging architecture as Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. That means AC charging at up to 11kW using three-phase and DC charging at up to 350kW.

In addition to the charging capability, the Electrified GV70 is V2L capable with an output power of 3.6kW. Driving range is yet to be confirmed for the Australian market, but we expect it to be over 450 km.

How does the Genesis Electrified GV70 work?

In case you missed it earlier, we’ve pushed pre-production versions of GV70 gets electrified and Electrification G80so some drive elements may not be the last.

In terms of standard EV content, the Electrified GV70 does all the fun you’d expect from an EV. It accelerates strongly, quietly and offers full brake regenerative capability, from the bend to the ‘i-Pedal’, allowing the vehicle to come to a complete stop using regenerative braking, facilitating steering a pedal.

Boost mode also takes it to the next level with up to 320kW and 700Nm available on board for a period of 10 seconds. It does seem to be infinitely repeatable, though – i.e. when your 10 seconds of fun is over, you can simply press the Boost button on the steering wheel again for another boost of torque.

We did notice high levels of torque and a lack of traction from the front end – especially when you hit the throttle out of a corner.

We were informed that this was a calibration issue with the vehicle prior to production. If it’s true, it’s not too big of a deal, but if this kind of experience makes it to the production version, it’s a vehicle I’d like to work towards.

Aside from the issue of traction, it’s not hard to feel the extra mass attached by the Electrified GV70 compared to the petrol and diesel variants. This is one of the major disadvantages of internal combustion electrification.

It’s not the end of the world yet, for example, but the electric version of the GV70 doesn’t feel as agile or sporty as its turbocharged V6 sibling. With the full addition of batteries and an electric motor in lieu of a combustion drivetrain, it weighs in at just under 2300kg.

At the front, there’s enough feel through the steering wheel and there’s enough communication with the driver.

Equipped with all the bells and whistles, the electric version of the GV70 has an adaptive damping suspension and a forward-facing camera that can adjust the suspension’s response depending on the approaching road surface. It performed well when riding on the large 20-inch alloy wheels fitted to our pre-production tester.

The ride is smooth, even, and body control is generally good. Genesis doesn’t do any local handling and vehicle tuning for the Australian market, but the company has gone down the road of choosing a tune that includes a mix of other markets to tailor the ride for them. I. Although the car we drove didn’t have the final suspension components, we were impressed with how smooth and quiet it was.

The brake pedal feel is also good, combining regeneration with friction braking seamlessly. The only thing worth mentioning is that in i-Pedal mode, when the car is stopped, it doesn’t use the brakes like a Tesla. Instead, it holds its position with a slight backward and forward movement – as if the car were parked without the handbrake.

CarExpert’s Takes On GV70 Genesis Electrified

Our drive of the Genesis Electrified GV70 was brief but revealed some pretty positive early signs. If the Genesis gets sorted into pre-production Gremlins, this will be a fun SUV to drive.

One of the things I find most appealing about it is that it looks exactly like the internal-combustion-powered GV70. There’s no compromise on the sense of luxury you get from the petrol-powered GV70.

When Tesla Model Y finally landing in Australia, a price around $115,000 will likely get you a faster Model Y version with more range, but the Genesis feels significantly more premium in the end.

While you’ll compromise on performance and range on a straight line compared to a Tesla, that bridge is packed with one of the best-looking SUV interiors on the market.

Click on the image to see the entire gallery

THAN: Everything Genesis GV70