Reviews
Gallery16
Shana sets off in Genesis's luxury-focused GV70 electric SUV to see how it handles her daily demands.
JUMP AHEAD
Welcome
When I heard that Infiniti (Nissan’s luxury brand) was departing Australia back in 2019, I assumed this would ultimately be the case for Genesis – the luxury vehicle division of the South Korean Hyundai Motor Group.
The two brands aren’t related, nor are the products the same, but I didn’t see how Genesis would be able to pull off what others (remember Mazda's Eunos range?) have tried to execute and failed.
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You see, the luxury market is largely spoken for with well-established German brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
And when luxury sales aren’t going to them, they’re captured by Audi, Lexus, Volvo or these days even Tesla.
So it feels like, in a situation when most Australians have decided on their favourite luxury brand, why would they pick a relatively new one like Genesis?
Having just picked up a GV70 EV as a long-termer, I'm already excited by what the brand is offering.
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First impressions
Offered in a single grade, the mid-size GV70 Electrified Performance AWD SUV sits above its top-of-the-range petrol equivalent. That means you’re buying all the features of this car's ICE counterpart but with an electric powertrain.
The benefit of this is that you’re getting a vehicle that feels immediately familiar. There’s no strange newness and it’s easy to become quickly comfortable, especially if you’ve driven a high-end Hyundai or Kia previously.
Until, that is, you feel the regenerative braking and remember you’re in an electric car.
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It's a very easy car to jump into and get moving, as a Goldilocks model within the Genesis SUV range between the GV60 and GV80.
We know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but with Genesis's signature satin white paint it's hard to dispute its sexy elegance.
In terms of features, it’s packed with tech and luxury touches that explain why you’ve spent $126,475 before on-road costs. It has all the creature comforts you’d expect such as a panoramic sunroof, a 14.5-inch touchscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel, an array of surround-view cameras, a head-up display and more.
The interior is downright plush, from the Nappa leather seats and stitch detailing across the dash to the customisable ambient cabin lighting throughout the car.
Driving home for the first time, I quickly realised I was about to have a seriously luxurious few months ahead of me.
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How is it to drive?
An immediate concern I had after driving the car for about 10 minutes was that the centre console houses two very similar-looking (and feeling) rotary dials.
One is your gear selector and the other – slightly larger – one controls the media system.
With time I’m sure it will become easier to distinguish but as of right now, it’s a mistake I’ve already awkwardly made twice.
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The first thing I did after driving home was throw the keys to my boyfriend to have a drive. After that, it was his dad.
The next day they were chucked to my nephew, my brother-in-law, and finally my brother (I have a very male-dense family).
Everyone's feedback overlapped on a single point and that was the harshness of the braking. Naturally, regenerative braking takes some getting used to as with most electric cars, but the sensitivity of the brake pedal is hard to master, even after a few days of driving.
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This flaw is fast forgotten when you’re going, well, fast. Powered through a 77.4kWh battery the dual motors (along with the Boost button on the steering wheel) will get you 360kW of power and 700Nm of torque.
Albeit a heavy car at 2.8 tonnes, this amount of power helps to make it feel far from sluggish. The little wobble back and forth after hard braking will, however, remind you of this car's weight and size.
You do get some torque steer through the front wheels when testing out the 0-100km/h time of 3.7 seconds, but in day-to-day driving the car is incredibly comfortable. The quiet ride is made more luxurious due to active noise cancellation in the cabin, courtesy of 14 premium speakers.
Overall, Genesis has mastered luxury where it counts.
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Range
I make it no secret that I’m not a huge fan of electric cars because I don't have a charger at home. Sprinkling range into my already prominent anxiety feels like it could be the straw that breaks the nervous camel's back.
This means I’m tied to the office or local chargers for my refuelling needs. It just requires a bit of forward thinking and planning. Planning that I’m not used to yet.
Genesis claims a 20-80 per cent charge can be done in just 18 minutes using a 350kW rapid charger. I’ll test that at some stage in the coming months but currently in the office, with a 10.5kW charger, it takes about 7.5 hours to achieve a full battery.
Charged to 100 per cent, the range sits at around 439km (which we'll test over the coming months for accuracy), but considering the electric GV70 is priced a whopping $41,375 above the closest petrol model, it's not an easy gap to justify.
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Ownership
Genesis makes choosing the GV70 a tempting proposition by offering complimentary charging propositions to suit your lifestyle.
You can choose from either a five-year Chargefox subscription or having a standard charger installed at your home.
You’ll also get free servicing and roadside assistance for five years, which is also the duration of the unlimited-kilometre warranty (130,000km if you use the car for commercial purposes).
If that’s not enough, Genesis will pick up your car, leave you with a loaner and drop off your serviced and cleaned vehicle back to your home, if you live within 70km of your CBD. It’s not a bad aftercare deal at all.
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Update #2- The roadtrip
Genesis GV70 heads for the high country
Price as tested: $103,370
This month: 1015km
Overall: 1370km
The road trip is an integral part of Aussie culture. It represents freedom; horizons unexplored. But is that even a possibility in an electric car?
I recently pointed the Genesis GV70’s nose towards Bright in the Victorian High Country; a detsination some 320km from the Zlotin front door.
The idea of travelling to Bright in an electric car initially filled me with hesitation. I even suggested taking my partner’s well-loved and mud-filled 2015 Isuzu MU-X instead. That’s how you know this princess was desperate for an alternative mode of transport. My concerns centred around the uncertainties of electric vehicle charging, especially on what I anticipated to be a busy weekend for road trips.
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It was also a hot weekend, and I was stressed about the idea of being pulled over on the side of the road with a flat battery.
However, to my surprise our electric journey began promisingly. The GV70 Electrified, fully charged, indicated a range of 439km, close to its quoted WLTP-rated 445km. By the time we set off on Thursday afternoon, we had 400km of range after a couple of errand trips.
Our plan was straightforward: drive to Euroa which is 182km away, charge the car, and then cover the remaining 157km to Bright. I felt even more comfortable knowing that on paper it looked like we had the range to do the drive in one trip if pushed.
Unexpected traffic and air conditioning usage meant our 191km leg consumed more juice than anticipated, roughly 21km more to be precise.
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Seeing the range dropping faster than distance travelled did add some angst but I was assured by the Chargefox app that at least half of their charging stations at Euroa were functional.
We arrived in Euroa and nabbed a fast-charger straight away. A 20-minute session cost us $17.98 and restored our battery to 80% capacity for the final leg of the trip. More than required, but enough for peace of mind.
The GV70 ate the miles up. It excels in material quality and presentation, effectively insulating us from external noises while on freeways. It’s not perfect though. There’s some significant Helmholtz resonance if you so much as inch open a rear window when the car’s travelling. This can be mitigated by slightly cracking openg another window. Interestingly, the door mirrors prevent this occurring when opening the front windows.
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The ergo-motion technology which activated massage seats at about 45-minute intervals helped to alleviate some of the tension build up that comes from long sessions of fixating on the state of charge.
In anticipation of the journey home, I visited Bright’s sole electric charger early in the morning, only to find a fully charged Tesla Model X already plugged in with no driver in sight. This experience highlighted the potential frustrations of relying on public EV charging stations.
Another is the amount of time spent waiting. While at charging stations, I observed traditional fuel users quickly filling up and driving off, making me slightly envious of the speed and convenience in which they were in and out.
A memorable aspect of the journey were the engaging conversations I had with fellow EV owners during charging breaks.
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For instance, one man shared his near decision to trade in his Genesis GV60 Electrified for a Mercedes-Benz SUV.
However, he ultimately chose to keep the Genesis, a decision he described as one of his best. He told me how it’s the first luxury car he’s owned that he likes everything about, and after driving the GV70 for the last two months I can see what he means.
He candidly spoke about the challenges of longer trips with an EV, such as extended charging times. Yet, he found a silver lining in these moments, using them to enjoy a coffee with his wife and plan the day’s itinerary. This perspective highlighted just how impatient I am, but also, I was born in a generation of instant gratification.
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There’s not a single person I’ve driven in the Genesis GV70 that hasn’t been impressed by its finesse and luxury.
The matte paint option is great to look at, it’s been tough to keep clean. So much so that Genesis have an eight-page guide for matte paint care with a comprehensive outline of all the ways you shouldn’t wash the car. One of which is taking the car to a commercial car wash.
I read a comment on Facebook recently under a post about a facelifted Genesis– “another product from a brand almost everyone ignores” and I scoffed. There’s not a single person I’ve driven in the Genesis GV70 that hasn’t been impressed by its finesse and luxury.
The GV70 EV excels in so many areas that its few shortcomings are easily overlooked.
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For instance, I spent an entire week with the passenger seatbelt fastened, even when the seat was unoccupied because it sensed weight and wouldn’t stop chiming, and it didn’t bother me in the slightest.
I simply reminded my passengers to re-buckle at the end of each journey. As a driver, I became so at ease with the vehicle that minor irritations just faded into the background.
In our last installment I’ll talk about the tear I shed when I had to return the car back to Genesis, because I’ve missed it every day since.
MOREElectric SUVs
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