Genesis GV60: Tesla Model Y rival with drift and boost mode

A Genesis is to Hyundai what a Lexus is to Toyota: a posher, plusher, more expensive offshoot eyeing BMW and Audi sales that the more humdrum cars from the mothership wouldn’t get anywhere near. So far Genesis has concentrated on conquering the USA, but it’s recently dipped a toe into Europe with brash saloons and SUVs and realised an electric crossover – a Tesla Model Y rival – is needed next.

That’s where the Genesis GV60 comes in: a designer-label electric car based on the talented underpinnings of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV6. So forget about range and recharging for a minute. This is an EV with a Boost mode. An EV that can drift (apparently). An EV that has a mystic fortune-telling ball for a gear-selector… sort of. It’s not your usual electric SUV, but Genesis needs to be a lot more than ‘the usual’ if it’s to succeed. TopGear.com’s Ollie Kew has been for a closer look at the new Genesis. Could it be the beginning of something?