Genesis GV60 review: more power, more range and more tech could mean 2025 update finally justifies the price

From day one, Genesis has targeted the premium sector. In doing so it has focused on technical innovation, quality and high levels of standard kit. At the forefront is the GV60, which accounts for around a third of its UK registrations, so this is an important facelift. The perfect excuse then to test the newcomer both on-track and everyday public roads.

Like its siblings from fellow South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, in the form of the Ioniq 5 and EV6 respectively, the GV60 sits on the same advanced 800V E-GMP architecture shared with its two family rivals. And that’s no bad thing, because the platform is one of THE best EV bedrocks in the business.

2025 facelift: all the changes

Externally the most noticeable difference is at the front where the redesigned front bumper features a more three-dimensional look and is painted the same colour as the body. There’s also colour-coded wheel arches and side skirts in place of the old car’s more rugged naked grey plastic treatment.

And in addition to a redesigned front apron there’s new, fancy slimmer matrix LED headlamps with Micro Lens Array technology, plus fresh two-tone 20/21in five-spoke alloys. Further enhancing its appearance, the reworked grille now sits lower than before and has a straighter shape to it. It’s now flanked by attractive boomerang-like air vents out wide, which give the nose a more chiselled appearance. I like it. The changes have helped reduce the drag coefficient rating down to 0.28Cd.

There’s also a built-in dash cam front and rear, plus improved remote parking assistance which now allows you to remotely park the car when you’re standing outside by pressing a button on the key fob. And it doesn’t only do parallel parking, but also diagonal parking. I know: how to impress/annoy the neighbours.

In isolation these changes don’t sound significant, but combined into the overall appearance of the facelifted GV60 they deliver a more aggressive look which is infinitely superior to that of its predecessor.

Interior

Out have gone the two separate infotainment screens of its predecessor to be replaced by a whopping 27in panoramic OLED screen. And it’s a skoosh to operate, with its combination of large touchscreen, rotary controller and a smattering of physical buttons. It’s as slick as a slick thing.

All the menus respond quickly, plus there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both now have wireless connection capability, and you even get access to a range of entertainment services, like Netflix and Disney+. But even better news is the fact that many of the frequently used functions are still accessed using physical buttons, making them easier to use on-the-move.

Elsewhere there’s a new a D-shaped steering wheel with a flat bottom. Importantly it also houses buttons which, when pressed and held for three seconds, cancels the annoying bing-bongs of the lane departure and speed warning systems. Hallelujah.

There’s also an electric rear-view mirror. Thankfully, unlike the Polestar 4, the Genesis still has a back window you can see out of, so you can also use the mirror in a conventional way too.

Specification, range and charging

Genesis has given the facelifted GV60 a new fourth generation battery with an 84kWh capacity across the three model — Pure, Sport and Performance — range. There’s also new battery technology which allows cooling as well as heating.

The facelifted version now supports 800V charging for speeds of up to 240W. That means you can get 10%-80% of a battery done in just 18 minutes, as long as you’re using the right charger.

Range across the board has increased. In Pure trim you get a 348-mile electric range — that’s an increase of 27-miles on its predecessor — and 226bhp. The Sport dual-motor, like the Performance it’s all-wheel drive, gets 318 miles and 314bhp, while the range-topping Performance spec gets just 311 miles. It also gets a max of 483bhp, which you can enjoy for 10-seconds at a time by pressing the boost button on the steering wheel. And it’ll do 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds.

Luxury touches

The cabin is dominated by full-on plush upholstery and stitching, plus the gear-selector/snow globe has thankfully also made it to the facelift. The seats are sumptuously comfortable, with no shortage of adjustment. There’s acres of space for front occupants — thanks to the absence of a centre tunnel which allows for a floating centre console, there’s bags of storage room beneath — plus loads of cubby holes and cupholders. Those in the rear benefit from generous knee room and can luxuriate in the fact their seats recline.

Driving and performance

It’s not often someone chucks you a set of keys, points you in the direction of the pitlane entrance to the UK’s fastest race track, Thruxton, and says, “off you go then”.

Armed, not surprisingly, with the Performance spec, the GV60 immediately felt rapid, even in the long, fast bends of the 2.35-mile Hampshire circuit near Andover, an annual venue for the British Touring Car Championship.

But there were specifically challenging sectors where the GV60 displayed its agility. Approaching the tight right-angled right turn at Campbell, after building speed from the start-finish line, the brakes were both powerful and predictable. Heavy on the brakes to the left-hand side of the circuit, right turn, stay on the right-hand side of the track, then ease left through the left-hander at Cobb after another dab of the brakes. Stay on the left, glide to the apex on the right-hander at Segrave then power down through Noble and Goodwood.

Remember, this is no lightweight, fine-tuned racing car. It’s an EV heavyweight — it tips the scales at around 2200kg, that’s more than two tons — that normally spends its life gliding serenely through suburbia. On-track, the steering is accurate and well-weighted.

But the biggest test was the right-left chicane at Club. Anyone who has watched BTCC cars hurtling through the chicane, narrowly missing the tyre stacks with centimetre-accurate precision, either live or on TV, know the speeds the Pro drivers carry. Believe me, when you navigate the chicane behind the wheel yourself … boy your admiration for the Pro’s ability just increases exponentially. The more laps I did, the more I respected them.

But I also respected the GV60. I’m definitely no Pro, so in those occasions where I’d hustle a bit too fast or correct a little too much, the GV60’s body would understandably roll, I’d drop pace and kick myself for doing so. The error was mine, not the car’s.

Still beaming from my on-track laps, and after chucking it round a separate “handling course”, I headed to the New Forest on public roads in the Pure model. What a joy. Here the GV60’s weight works to its advantage, ensuring the ride is comfortable and pliant at everyday speeds. It’s a dawdle to place along narrow country roads and town centres, and simply gobbles up motorway miles. And ooooh … the silence. With acoustic glass used in the windscreen and front doors, plus the specially-developed tyres incorporating a lightweight foam insert that helps radically reduce the amount of road noise, the cabin’s certainly a lovely place to be.

Pricing

The entry-level Pure starts at £54,115, rising to £58,515 for the Sport. The range-topping Performance will set you back £67,715. The latter two each have all-wheel drive.

Verdict

There’s a huge amount to like about the Genesis. It’s comfortable, lovely to drive, fast and practical, but it finds itself the centre of a dilemma. Its problems lie in its extended family. The rivals from Hyundai and Kia, using the same architecture and powerplant, and cheaper. Not only that, but to some they’re more bespoke. Plus they’re also cheaper. Oh, and you need to factor in there’s a sizeable list of option packs for the GV60 which aren’t exactly cheap.

But perhaps the biggest question facing a potential Genesis buyer is, do I want to drive something with a “mainstream’ badge on it, or do I want to set myself apart from the majority? The latter being the case, then certainly, Genesis would indeed come first.