2022 Genesis GV70 Electric new car review

The latest big, ultra luxurious high-rider to land in Australia boasts some big time performance to match its top-end price tag.

Genesis GV70 EV.

Electric power is a perfect fit for prestige cars such as the Genesis Electrified GV70.

What could be more luxurious than the silent delivery of seamless thrust, with seemingly endless power reserves?

That’s particularly true when the rest of the car delivers a decadent experience that extends beyond the cabin.

The Genesis GV70 EV is expensive.

Genesis knows its winged badge doesn’t have the magnetic pull of European luxury rivals, so the brand promises a superior ownership experience.

Priced from $127,800 plus on-road costs, the Genesis Electrified GV70 costs about $138,500 drive-away. That’s about $38,000 more than a well-equipped twin-turbo petrol GV70.

It’s also considerably more than initial cost estimates given by the company in May this year. At that time, Genesis said the GV70 was likely to cost between $105,000 and $115,000.

But it has ample performance.

The sticker shock eases somewhat when you notice its twin electric motors deliver a whopping 360kW and 700Nm of thrust, along with 445 kilometres of range from a 77.4kWh battery. Genesis says the car will boost from 10 to 80 per cent range in 18 minutes at 350kW fast-charging sites, while topping up takes about 12 hours on a home wall charger.

The car’s “vehicle to load” feature lets you draw a 3.6kW output from the battery, allowing you to plug appliances into the car and feed energy to other electric vehicles.

The interior is top-notch, too.

Compared with the competition, it costs about $22,000 less than the Audi e-tron that delivers 300kW of power and 441km of range, $16,500 less than the entry-level BMW iX with 240kW and 390km, and about $10,000 less than the Mercedes EQC 400 Sport with 300kW and 417km.

Those rivals grow more expensive when you add optional extras, maintenance plans and home charging equipment.

But the Genesis has a five-year warranty with five years of free servicing, along with the choice of a free home charging kit or five-year public charger membership. Better still, the Electrified GV70 is loaded with kit – the only option is matt-effect paint for $2000.

It has stylish good looks that give it plenty of road presence.

Standard equipment includes three-zone climate control, a 14.5-inch infotainment system linked to a 14-speaker Lexicon stereo and 12.3-inch digital dash with an interesting 3D effect.

Folks upfront get leather massaging seats with heating, cooling and 18-way electric adjustment. Myriad convenience features include birds-eye parking cameras, a powered tailgate and a wide array of driver aids including radar cruise control and rear-cross traffic alerts.

While the smaller Genesis GV60 is built on a dedicated electric platform, this Electrified GV70 is a battery-powered adaptation of the brand’s petrol – and diesel – powered SUV. As such, it has the long bonnet of a traditional luxury car, along with the large grille of a powerful petrol wagon.

This GV70 makes for a relatively smooth transition to electric cars. It looks and feels like a conventionally powered luxury car. Premium materials join eye-catching touches such as multi-colour mood lighting alongside backlit interior trim with translucent mountain motif, and sumptuous soft-touch leather finished in a choice of daring white or green colour schemes. Alternatively you can play it safe with black trim.

It feels appropriately decadent in the driveway and impresses the moment you move away from rest. Hushed on the highway, the GV70’s composed suspension is helped by a camera linked to its shock absorbers that scans the road ahead for potholes.

Meaty steering and a well-weighted brake make for natural progress, while a carefully mapped throttle delivers measured responses to driver input with none of the jerkiness found in some rivals.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking the GV70 is slow. Front and rear electric motors send 320kW and 605Nm to the road until you press a “boost” button on the steering wheel that increases output to 360kW and 700Nm for 10 thrilling seconds at a time.

Given that the Genesis reaches 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds, 10 seconds of boost time is more than adequate for road use. Rapid in a straight line, the 2.3-tonne wagon isn’t particularly athletic in corners where the weight counts against it.

VERDICT 4/5

Rapid, beautifully finished and loaded with equipment, the Genesis Electrified GV70 makes a strong case for prestige electric motoring.

GENESIS ELECTRIFIED GV70

PRICE About $138,500 drive-away

MOTOR Twin electric motors, 360kW and 700Nm

WARRANTY/SERVICE Five-yr/u’ltd km, free for five yrs

SAFETY Eight airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert

RANGE 445 kilometres

CARGO 503 litres

SPARE Repair kit

Originally published as 2022 Genesis GV70 Electric new car review