We haven’t talked a great deal about the new Genesis GV70. That’s because a) it’s an all-electric SUV, and therefore not exactly up our street, and b) the manufacturer took it to Festival of Speed for its European debut, but declined to say too much about it ahead of future decisions regarding its UK spec and pricing.
Well, those decisions have now been made, and on account of it delivering a hearty 483hp in ‘Boost’ mode, it’s probably time you knew something more about it. The first and most notable thing is to reiterate the bit about it being both all-electric and SUV-shaped. Yes, we already knew that, but it’s probably the thing (if there is a thing) to put Genesis on the map in this country. Because the manufacturer's other stuff is all well and good, but it’s SUVs paying the bills these days, and - alongside the GV60 - this is one of them.
Secondly, as the name suggests (and despite sharing the same flagship powertrain) it’ll sit above the GV60 in the lineup. You won’t need a detailed assessment of its dimensions to know this, because it’s evident in the price - it starts at £64,405. This is quite a lot. But Genesis obviously feels like its potential meeting rivals head-on. Not for nothing, but a Jaguar I-Pace starts at £66,350, and boasts similar performance to the GV70.
Accordingly, it won’t be a shock to discover that the new model delivers its headline output through a dual motor configuration, making it four-wheel drive, and, with 516lb ft of torque available, capable of 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds. No less importantly, Genesis claims a WLTP range of 283 miles, which puts it in the I-Pace’s ballpark - albeit a fair way back from the 331 miles Tesla claims for the slightly cheaper Model Y.
Nevertheless, the GV70 gets the 800v electrical architecture you absolutely want, because it enables the kind of pleasing internal flexibility that permits the car to drink from a 350kW rapid charger. That means getting the 77.4kW battery pack from 10 per cent to 80 per cent charge in as little as 18 minutes (assuming optimum conditions). Also, Genesis continues to lean into the luxurious, customer-led angle, and has opted to sell the car in a single ‘generously equipped’ Sport trim in the UK.
That doesn’t mean all GV70s will be born equal, of course. Genesis has assembled a number of option packs for buyers to choose from, so expect a number of choice items to be lingering in the Innovation Pack or the Convenience Pack or the Outdoor Pack or others. We’re yet to try the new model, but based previous experience of the GV60, it’ll probably be worthy of consideration on the electric SUV shortlist. Or perhaps that should be long list now; with the introduction of the all-electric Porsche Macan fast approaching among others, we’re about to be up to our ears in the things.
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