Genesis GV70 review

We’ll start with the ICE GV70, specifically the 2.5-litre petrol, which means 300bhp and 311lb ft of torque being sent to all four wheels for a respectable 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds. It isn’t the most refined four-cylinder mind, and sometimes sounds more strained than it needs to under acceleration (and that’s before you add in the extra sound that can be pumped through the speakers). 

The eight-speed auto gearbox is similarly average. In everyday driving it’s smooth enough, but it’ll sometimes get a bit slushy on upchanges and can be slow to downchange. Flick it into manual mode, though, and changes are nicely sharp. 

Sport Line trim brings standard 19-inch wheels and plenty of sidewall in the tyres (we’d avoid the optional 21-inch alloys, which are standard with the more expensive Luxury Line) and the GV70 rides reasonably well. It uses the same ‘Road Preview’ scanning tech found in the larger GV80 that reads the road ahead and can prime the adaptive dampers for potholes and other imperfections. It seems to work most of the time, although things can get a little firm in Sport mode. 

And the electric variant?

As we mentioned in the Overview, the sole available electric variant gets 483bhp dual-motor setup mated to a 77.4kWh battery. Genesis claims 0-62mph in just 4.2 seconds, a top speed of 146mph, and a range of 283 miles.

There is a slight caveat however, in that most of the time you’ll only have 429bhp to play with. The extra power is only unlocked when you hit the ‘Boost’ button on the steering wheel, which gives you access to the full 483bhp for a full 10-second burst. Additionally you also get racing red dials and lighting in the cabin, with the driver’s seat side bolsters pumped up to pin you in your seat, because racecar.

It’s not as if the GV70 is underpowered during regular day-to-day driving, and while the ‘Boost’ button is occasionally handy when joining motorways/overtaking, it’s otherwise little more than a party trick to entertain your passengers.

Even in ‘normal’ mode the acceleration is impressive, particularly when you consider that this variant weighs in at 2,310kg due to the electric gubbins – a sizable jump over the ICE model’s sub two-tonne kerbweight. It’s a bit of a porker, and feels it. Still, the steering is nicely weighted and it handles well enough with little roll around corners. Ride is slightly on the firm side, mind – we’d advise sticking with the standard fit 19-inch alloys over the optional 20-inchers.

What driving modes do you get?

The usual Eco, Comfort and Sport drive modes, but strangely there’s also a Sport+ mode which switches off the traction control and instantly sends the engine flying up to 3,000rpm. In normal driving, 100 per cent of the torque can be sent to the rear wheels with a maximum of 50 per cent going to the fronts. Our petrol test car also came with the optional £450 electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle, all of which means you can have a little fun in the corners without too much understeer. Is it really necessary though? The steering is nicely weighted, although there is a fair bit of body roll – certainly more so than in an X3. 
    
Press down on the drive mode button and all GV70s (including the electric variant) also get three different terrain modes. The traction control, engine and gearbox can all work together to provide maximum control on either mud, sand or snow. Now, we haven’t had a chance to test these yet, but you get the sense that the GV70 will be more at home at motorway speeds, where it’s quiet and refined.

What about economy / range?

This drivetrain isn’t the most efficient: over a 50-mile run in towns, on country roads and on the motorway we managed 27.7mpg. Ouch. The diesel should fare a little better in that regard, but the catch is you’ll only get 207bhp.

On a mildly cold winter’s morning in the electric variant, a full charge showed us 220 miles, while we saw 3.0mi/kWh over the course of 115 miles, consisting of both stop/start traffic around town and higher motorway speeds. As ever, expect that to climb slightly in warmer temperatures.