Genesis GV60 Sport Plus - long-term review

So that’s that: 12,112 miles, 364 and a half hours at the wheel - I know, that’s 15 days in the GV60 in six months, and that’s just the daily, not including all the other cars I drive - at an average of 3.0 miles per kWh, some 4,037kWh of power through the cells. The aim was to get 12k under the car’s wheels over the course of six months, and we’ve achieved it. And you know what? I’ve enjoyed it. The basics are that there haven’t been any issues in terms of operation, nothing’s fallen off or broken, the interior looks like new and the GV60 has generally been a good car. But not - quite - hitting the heights. Sorry, may have spoiled the ending a bit there.

Still, in terms of the good bits, the looks are polarising but I think it’s a bit quirky if not actually pretty. A tiny bit too much chunk in the jowls, slightly too much softness in the rear, mad, brilliant and awkward to clean wheels. Interestingly, it’s just had a little re-fresh, so new GV60s have a more chiselled front bumper (which looks good), and some re-done bits inside, which do help, if not revolutionise the aesthetic. Still, this current-generation car is medium-to-big, with practical, useable space - and yes, I have had five adults plus dog in it a fair few times - and there’s plenty of places to put stuff.

Though I have never once, in six months of ownership, used the Lilliputian frunk. Mainly because you have to open the bonnet from the passenger footwell lever, and that’s pointless, and all frunks should be operated from the key, in my opinion. The infotainment has all worked well, clear and well-enough ordered in terms of hierarchy, though there is a bottomless well of menus and sub-menus to navigate if you really get stuck in; let’s be frank, I did a couple of deep dives and familiarity/testing hours, then ended up leaving most of it set the same way. Common to most people’s experiences with complex infotainment, I’d wager. And the over-the-air updates have been useful and genuinely improving, if not groundbreaking.

Tech things that I used the most? Several bits. The three pin plug in the back seat area for my laptop was always useful, plugged in my Dremel tool quite a bit in summer from the outlet in the boot while working on the driveway. I switched off the lane-keep assist and speed-limit warnings every trip (they just don’t work where I live), made easier by a couple of shortcut buttons, most notably setting up pressing the mute button on the steering wheel for more than 3 seconds to remove the speed limit warning chime. I also used the drive mode switcher most trips, because the difference between ‘Eco’ and ‘Performance’ is decent, with the ‘Comfort’ setting more than fast enough for most situations.

I also got used to using the ‘Boost’ button much more than I thought I would - mostly for an overtaking or rapid-junction-exit shortcut when in Eco mode. It’s got some well-thought-out functions, and there’s the right mix of buttons and screen controls. I even really liked the Genesis app’s functionality; maps and operations, charging schedules and loads of other bits, all from the comfort of your phone, and therefore sofa. Solid stuff.

And yes, this dual-motor version is plenty fast enough - it’ll absolutely keep with sportscars from the line and overtaking - only starting to lose some sparkle when you hit the twisty bits. It’s in no way embarrassed there either, but there’s a defined safe-zone of handling, and the weight is always present, pushing the physics around in a kind of bustling but imprecise manner. It’s rapid, but not huge fun, in other words. Interestingly, it’s super fast and stable, but if you don’t use the performance, offers decent efficiency - anecdotally pretty much the same as the single-motor version. Make of that what you will.

Nothing’s gone wrong as such, either. I did get a puncture in the last week of the test, a massive flint rock right through the middle of the driver’s side rear. Now EV tyres have noise insulating foam inside them, and tyre people don’t like ripping it out for a patch (it can cause balancing issues), so a new tyre was necessary. But to be honest, it was such a big hole, I didn’t really want an ‘attempt’ at a patch. But that’s £305+VAT and not including fitting. I know big 21-inch Michelin Sports are spenny, but it’s a real ouch.

One of the big plus points has been the platform’s 800-volt charging architecture, stuffing in as many kW as the charge point can provide. More interestingly, when it gets 75-percent-plus full, it’ll still haul away at 45-ish kW, meaning if you really do want to fill the car right up you can, without waiting ages. A typical 30-40-percent top-up on the usual kinds of variable-output chargers took 15-20mins. Which is perfectly acceptable, and worth noting here that the GV60s charging rate was invariably throttled by the source, not the car.

So what’s the verdict? Well, it’s another of those cars that’s really very good, but you appreciate in a slightly detached manner. The ownership and care prospect - something Genesis makes a big deal of - looks sound, the product solid. But there’s a price premium here that needs a more tangible USP to get you to make that jump, and I don’t think the GV60 manages it. I’ve enjoyed driving it, appreciated it, thought long and hard about it. It’s a car that could swing your brain for a points victory, but I’m not sure it’ll win your heart.