Genesis GV60 2024 review: Performance AWD long-term | Part 2

Two months into daily driving the 2024 Genesis GV60 Performance and it continues to thoroughly impress me. It’s a real box-ticker with very few negatives.

In the first instalment of this long-term EVGuide review, I went into detail about the ‘small’ SUV’s pricing and features – including safety – as well as its ownership credentials and what’s under its bonnet.

So, if you’re keen to find out more about those things, be sure to click the part-one link below to have a read.

But in this second instalment, it’s all about the GV60’s divisive design and surprising practicality. Let’s get to it, shall we?

I’ll admit I wasn’t charmed by the GV60’s exterior styling when it was revealed in August 2021. I’ve always enjoyed Genesis’ designs, but the GV60 was the first exception to that rule.

No matter the still image or video, my opinion didn’t change – until I saw it in the metal for the first time when collecting the keys for this long-term test vehicle.

Now, I’m not saying the GV60 is the best-looking car of all time – design is subjective, after all – but in my opinion, it’s not as awkwardly styled as some may have you believe.

The biggest part of the GV60’s challenge is its lack of a traditional front grille.

I think the biggest part of the GV60’s challenge is its lack of a traditional front grille. Being an electric vehicle (EV), such a feature isn’t required.

But the problem for Genesis is it’s built its design language around a signature ‘crest’ front grille and an oversized one at that. Point being, it’s a key element for the brand that’s missing from this small SUV.

Of course, most EVs don’t have front grilles, so that’s not unusual. That said, the GV60’s front end has a lot of metal instead, save for the gaping air intake that dominates the bumper.

In fact, train-spotters will notice the hollow triangular piece of metal positioned near the top of it, which is a reference to the crest grille that would’ve been above.

Around the side, the GV60 shows off its shapeliness even more, with its windscreen proving steeply raked, while its roofline gradually slopes to fulfil the coupe-style brief, with blacked-out pillars to boot.

Less divisive is the GV60’s signature quad headlights, but its curvaceous nose does give the impression of a crocodile, as some of my passengers have told me. Either way, you certainly can’t accuse it of blending into the traffic.

Around the side, the GV60 shows off its shapeliness even more, with its windscreen proving steeply raked, while its roofline gradually slopes to fulfil the coupe-style brief, with blacked-out pillars to boot.

Pleasingly, there’s no black plastic cladding to speak of, although the wheel arch surrounds and side skirts are finished in dark grey instead of body colour ('Hanuama Mint' in our test vehicle’s case).

Then there’s the Performance’s 21-inch alloy wheels. Like most Genesis sets, they’re intricately designed.

Then there’s the Performance’s 21-inch alloy wheels. Like most Genesis sets, they’re intricately designed.

I don’t mind the five-spoke approach here, as it conveys a sense of movement with its ‘moving propeller’ style. On the other hand, smooth surfaces with minimal lines best describes the bodywork. And yes, the door handles are flush.

The GV60’s aerodynamic focus extends further, though, with ‘digital’ side mirrors instead of, uh, actual side mirrors.

You quickly get used to them and the associated OLED screens mounted on the front door shoulders inside, but there’s no denying they’re compromised, with little depth perception offered and little to no visibility in a dimly lit street.

To make matters worse, a humid summer’s day will fog them up with no easy fix. An expensive solution for an inexpensive problem, then.

The quad tail-lights are undeniable with their wedge-like shape, while the prominent lip spoiler mounted high above adds an extra layer of sportiness, albeit at the cost of some rearward visibility.

At the rear, the GV60 is at its most inoffensive. The quad tail-lights are undeniable with their wedge-like shape, while the prominent lip spoiler mounted high above adds an extra layer of sportiness, albeit at the cost of some rearward visibility. The bumper insert happily exists, with it also finished in dark grey.

Inside, it’s hard to say a bad thing about the GV60. In my opinion, its cabin is gorgeous, but it’s also undeniably high-quality and, therefore, luxurious – like, seriously luxurious. I’m talking BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class levels of plush here.

Genesis’ choices of materials are outstanding, with quilted Nappa leather covering the seats, while similar cow hide adorns the door shoulders and armrests.

Then there’s the suede door inserts and headliner, metal switchgear and the lower soft-touch plastics, which are unexpected.

An easy-to-use touchscreen multimedia system is located centrally.

Either way, metallic accents are littered throughout alongside ambient lighting, which even extends to the spinning gear selector that looks like a glowing orb when the ‘ignition’ is switched off, but more on that in a moment.

The GV60’s dashboard is more contemporary than you’d expect, with it resisting the urge to be overly futuristic. This means it has a pair of 12.3-inch displays positioned side by side as part of the one enclosure.

A customisable digital instrument cluster is positioned ahead of the driver, while an easy-to-use touchscreen multimedia system is located centrally.

A 6.0-inch touchscreen is positioned below, with it thankfully dedicated to the climate controls alongside some surrounding knobs and buttons, with some of the latter also providing handy multimedia shortcuts.

But there is another way to control touchscreen multimedia system: the rotary dial on the ‘floating’ centre console.

The GV60’s dashboard is more contemporary than you’d expect, with it resisting the urge to be overly futuristic.

Having a second input method is always welcome, but there’s one big problem with it: the similarly round gear selected is positioned directly below.

It is far too easy to reach for the wrong one, which can create problems. Thankfully, the gear selector can only shift into Park, Drive or Reverse if the vehicle is stationary – but you can flick it into Neutral if in Drive or Reverse while on the move.

Practicality-wise, the GV60 is surprisingly spacious, owing to its relatively large dimensions (4515mm long, 1890mm wide and 1595mm tall with a 2900mm wheelbase), which makes this small SUV arguably more than a segment straddler.

Either way, the first row feels airy thanks to the reduced front console. With no transmission tunnel to accommodate, there’s a ‘floating’ version instead, one that’s disconnected from the dashboard altogether.

As a result, the driver and front passengers can play footsies or, more realistically, stow a bag of some description between them. Handy.

So too is the floating centre console’s decently sized lidded bin, which has an angled wireless smartphone charger and two cupholders ahead of it.

But that’s not where the storage space stops, as the bottom of the centre stack features a large open cubby with two USB-C ports and one 12V power outlet.

Then there’s the glove drawer (not box) which is deep and relatively tall. The front door bins accommodate regular bottles easily, while a sunglasses holder is overhead should you need it.

Practicality-wise, the GV60 is surprisingly spacious, owing to its relatively large dimensions (4515mm long, 1890mm wide and 1595mm tall with a 2900mm wheelbase), which makes this small SUV arguably more than a segment straddler.

In the second row, amenities are also plentiful, with a fold-down armrest with two integrated cupholders present alongside another two cupholders that are split between rear door armrests.

And if your passengers are extra thirsty, the rear door bins can accommodate regular bottles, but not without some force. It’s a snug fit.

Aside from the coat hooks, there are also manual sunshades and aeroplane-style map pockets on the front seat backrests.

In between them is the rear of the centre console, which features two USB-C ports and a netted storage area below that passes through to the first row. Impressive.

But more so is the V2L (vehicle-to-load) power outlet underneath the middle seat base. In short, its high power output can run a washing machine. No, seriously. I’m yet to try it out, though.

Also impressive is the amount of room behind my own 184cm driving position. I have a ridiculously good 12-13cm of legroom, while headroom is about 5.0cm, even with the GV60’s sloping roofline and its panoramic moonroof’s retractable sunblind, although the manual recline on offer gives you options there.

Toe room is extremely snug with the front seats in their lowest positions, but the floor is flat (again, no transmission tunnel), so footwell space is plentiful should three adults travel abreast, in which case the limited shoulder-room will have them wishing it’s a short journey.

That said, they’ll be craving better ventilation even more, as the directional air vents in the B-pillars are not effective enough for a hot day. Naturally, three top-tether and two ISOFIX anchorage points are on hand for securing child seats.

When it comes to the GV60’s boot, it’s easily accessed via the power-operated tailgate, which will automatically open if the driver is standing next to it for about five seconds with the key fob on their person. Note it won’t open if they walk away sooner.

When it comes to the GV60’s boot, it’s easily accessed via the power-operated tailgate, which will automatically open if the driver is standing next to it for about five seconds with the key fob on their person.

Either way, the cargo capacity back there is a respectable 432L, although a more accommodating 1460L can be had by removing the retractable cargo shelf and stowing the 40/60 split-fold second row.

Bear in mind that action requires a trip to each of the two separate manual release latches, which are frustratingly located to the sides of the rear bench base. Very annoying if you do it frequently, as I do.

And to make matters worse, you have to engage each respective manual release latch to get the three seats operational again. It shouldn’t be so labour-intensive.

No matter the configuration, the boot floor is flat, although there is a very small load lip to contend with when loading bulkier items.

Loose cargo can, however, be secured using the four available tie-down points. That said, bag hooks are conspicuous by their absence, but there is a 12V power outlet.

Underfloor storage is also present, but it’s mainly the preserve of charging gear and the tyre repair kit – yep, annoyingly there’s no spare wheel here.

What about the front boot or frunk? Well, disappointingly, there also isn’t one. Yes, the GV60 is an EV, but you can’t even open its bonnet (easily, at least) to see what’s underneath it.

So, no, you don’t get any extra storage space where an internal-combustion engine would’ve otherwise been. Mind you the Genesis’ Hyundai and Kia cousins both have ‘froots’, which is even more puzzling.

Now, before I say goodbye, let's talk electricity consumption for month two with the GV60 Performance.

Based on the lithium-ion battery’s useable capacity of 74kWh, that equates to a real-world driving range of 374km.

I averaged 19.8kWh/100km over 911km of driving, which included some more enthusiastic stints, as evidenced by 0.5kWh/100km increase over my first effort.

Based on the lithium-ion battery’s useable capacity of 74kWh, that equates to a real-world driving range of 374km.

Keeping in mind the average Australian driver travels 38km per day (I cover less distance daily), I still think that’s more than reasonable for most.

And with that we’ve reached the end of my second instalment of this long-term EVGuide review. In the third and final one, I’ll finally share my driving impressions on the GV60 Performance and deliver my final verdict. See you then!

Acquired: December 1, 2023

Distance travelled this month: 911km

Odometer: 4858km

Average energy consumption this month: 19.8kWh/100km