Luxury meets performance in the Genesis Electrified GV70 crossover

The Genesis GV70 will appeal to those looking for an all-electric luxurious mid-size SUV. (Photo by Blake Jennings, Drive Marketing Group.)

Genesis Electrified GV70 crossover revs up the electric market

The newest electric model from Genesis is the Electrified GV70 crossover. It’s got loads of luxury and elegance – which is to be expected from any Genesis model.

This electrified version of the very popular gas-powered GV70 is $84,150 – and is offered only with the high trim level, which includes all luxury and technology equipment. The base gas version starts at $57,650, but for that lower price, there is less luxury, less technology and less power.

The styling is very attractive and unique, and the narrow headlights, narrow tail lights and large grill make it easy to identify the GV70 as a Genesis.

The Electrified GV70 has two motors, one on each axle, to provide outstanding performance in this all-wheel drive vehicle. Each motor has 160 kW, producing a total of 429 horsepower. And a nice feature of this – and other Genesis electric models – is the boost button on the steering wheel. Pushing the button provides a surge of speed, with horsepower jumping from 429 hp to 483 hp.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 has a range of 383 kilometres on a single charge.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 is luxurious and elegant. The controls are logically placed and easy to use.

Driving range is 383 km – although that’s reduced in cold weather and each time the boost button is used. But then the range of a gas-powered vehicle is also reduced in cold weather or when you get a surge in speed by flooring the gas pedal.

Genesis says charging time on a Level 2 charger is seven hours and 20 minutes, and on a Rapid Charge Level 3 with 350 kW, it takes just 18 minutes to go from 10 percent battery power to 80 percent.

The GV70 is extremely quiet, even for an electric car. All that can be heard is wind noise and tire noise. It also handles very well: it seems less like a large crossover and more like a small sedan. The GV70 is 4,715 mm. (185.6 in.) long and sits on a wheelbase of 2,875 mm. (113 in).

Inside the GV70, there’s all the luxury of Genesis sedans, the G70, G80 and G90. There are nice soft-touch materials and just the right amount of white accent stitching. There’s also elegant chrome trim on the doors, door handles, and power window buttons. The ceiling and door posts are light-coloured, contrasting nicely with the otherwise black interior.

The controls for the navigation screen and sound system are at your fingertips, at the end of the console. If you want to adjust the volume and tuning – which, for someone like me who likes to listen to a variety of local radio stations when travelling, is a necessity – it’s nice to have a physical button to touch when I want to go up and down the dial. I find this to be far superior, easier and safer than going to the touch screen and pressing a little arrow on the screen to go up or down. There are also duplicate controls on the steering wheel. Also, there are physical buttons to select the navigation system, media, or heating and ventilation.

Another nice styling touch are the air vents. Often they’re two or three or four big openings, but, in the GV70, they are integrated into a trim line that runs right across the dashboard.

The 15-speaker AM/FM/XM/MP3 Lexicon sound system is outstanding. Nice to see that Genesis includes an AM radio, when some other automakers – including Merceders-Benz and Volvo – have dropped AM radios in their electric cars, claiming there’s too much interference. In many rural areas of Canada, AM radio is all that can be pulled in.

My only complaint is the narrow navigation screen. It’s 14.5 inches across, but it would be even better if it were a little more square-shaped.

The Genesis GV70 will no doubt appeal to both electric-vehicle fanatics looking for a mid-sized, upscale SUV, as well as SUV shoppers looking for lots of luxury, along with the extra power and lower cost of operation of an electric vehicle.

Dale Johnson is an award-winning author, broadcaster and journalist who has worked in TV, radio, print and online. While the manufacturer provided Dale with a vehicle to test drive, the content of this review was not reviewed or accepted by the manufacturer.

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