Upmarket large SUV is now available in electric guise with an official range of up to 283 miles On sale Now Price from £64,405
Max Adams Max.Adams@haymarket.com
FIRST DRIVE
GOOD THINGS COME to those who wait; just ask that child who was desperate to open a Christmas present ahead of the big day, or anyone who bought Tesla shares when it first went public. Hot on the heels of the petrol and diesel versions of the Genesis GV70 large SUV, there’s now an electric version that promises to blow its fossil-fuelled siblings – and most of its rivals – into the weeds.
Like the range-topping version of its impressive GV60 stablemate, the Electrified GV70 has two electric motors that drive all four wheels and produce up to 483bhp. A dizzying 0-62mph time of 4.2sec means it’s quicker than the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y Long Range. That instantaneous surge of power makes for effortless overtaking and merging with traffic.
With the GV70’s power delivery being biased towards the rear wheels, there’s some fun to be had on a twisty road, too. You can sense the car pivoting around you and sticking the nose exactly where you want it through bends, aided by accurate steering and high levels of grip.
Don’t go thinking that this is a sports SUV, though; body control can be rather sloppy, especially as you go up and down over lumps in the road at speed. You can stick the GV70’s adaptive suspension into Sport mode to firm things up, but it remains relatively soft. This means there’s more lean through corners than you’d get in the iX3, but the pay-off is that comfort levels are high when you’re just cruising along.
Inside, the dashboard is awash with curvaceous shapes, and most surfaces are covered in soft, high-quality materials. The layout is user-friendly, too, with physical knobs and switches for the air-con and a rotary controller between the front seats for distraction-free interaction with the widescreen (14.5in) infotainment system while driving.
A lofty, highly adjustable driving position gives a great forward view. For even better all-round visibility, you could add the £3560 Innovation Pack. This includes a surround-view camera and blindspot monitors that display a view of either side of the car i
