Genesis GV60 Advanced RWD 2026 Review

The 2026 Genesis GV60 Advanced RWD starts at $88,300 before on-road costs. That makes it a more attainable entry point to Genesis EV ownership than before, but ‘attainable’ is doing a bit of heavy lifting when the badge still doesn't carry the same instant recognition as BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Lexus.

It also puts the GV60 in an awkward value conversation. On paper it's a small luxury electric SUV, but the Zeekr X RWD, which is also small, premium-leaning and electric, is $48,900 drive-away in Australia – a huge gap.

The Genesis counters with a much more polished ownership proposition, more sophisticated cabin and a longer-distance, faster-charging electric platform, but it has to work hard to justify the spend. Class-leading aftersales support helps.

Genesis includes a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for private buyers, five years/75,000km of complimentary scheduled servicing, 24/7 roadside assistance and its ‘Genesis to You’ concierge service, which can collect and return the car for servicing.

That all feeds into the appeal of the brand’s fixed-price agency-style sales model: no haggling, no dealership theatre and – in theory – no pondering whether someone else got a better deal.

Standard equipment is strong. The GV60 Advanced RWD gets 19-inch alloy wheels, Micro Lens Array LED headlights, leather-appointed trim, heated and ventilated front seats, a power tailgate and Digital Key 2.0 meaning you can unlock the car and start it with only your smartphone.

Other inclusions comprise an energy-saving heat pump, automatic climate control system, V2L capability via an exterior adaptor, a 27-inch OLED integrated display, wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 3D surround-view parking camera and a long list of active safety systems.

Power comes from a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 168kW/350Nm, teamed with an 84kWh lithium-ion battery.

Genesis claims 561km of WLTP range and a 10-80 per cent DC ultra-fast charge time of around 18 minutes on a 350kW charger, which is impressive and one of the car’s biggest real-world strengths.

The cabin is the strongest argument for the GV60. It has that appealing Genesis thing where everything feels a little bit different without becoming annoying.

The Crystal Sphere gear selector is theatrical, sure, but it's also pretty cool. A point of difference, if you will.

The new 27-inch display looks crisp and expensive, the menu layout is easier to understand than some of the screen-heavy Chinese alternatives, and Genesis hasn't buried every basic function in a touchscreen rabbit hole.

That matters because the GV60 feels impressively premium inside. The doors shut with a solid thunk, the leather feels good, the major touch points are soft or nicely finished, and the floating centre console gives the front of the cabin an open, airy feel.

The drawer-style glovebox sounds like a tiny detail, but it is one of those simple ideas that makes you wonder why more cars don’t do it.

The facelift has also helped the exterior. The reworked front bumper gives it a wider, cleaner look, the new 19-inch wheels suit nicely, and the body-coloured wheel arches and side skirts make it look less like a base variant. It is still quirky, but it now looks more resolved and more expensive.

On the road, the GV60 Advanced RWD is at its best when calm.

Around town it's quiet, relaxed and comfortable, helped by extra sound deadening, thicker carpets and aero tweaks around the windscreen area.

There is still some tyre noise on coarse-chip freeway surfaces, but it feels like a more mature and refined car than before.

It also corners better than expected. The steering feels more direct now, the suspension keeps the body nicely tied down and the rear-drive balance gives it a bit of personality.

Nobody will confuse the Advanced RWD with the wild GV60 Magma, but on a flowing country road it's more precise and fun than the sensible spec sheet suggests.

The regenerative braking is well judged too. You can dial it up with the paddles, run a strong one-pedal mode that brings the car to a complete stop, or let the more intelligent regen logic do more of the thinking.

The updated brakes also feel strong and progressive, which is important in a 2075kg EV.

The obvious problem is price. The GV60 Advanced RWD is more than $40,000 cheaper than the new GV60 Magma, but that does not automatically make it affordable.

It's still an $88,300 small electric SUV before on-road costs, so a $95,000 drive-away price is not out of the question.

This from a luxury brand that still needs explaining to plenty of Australian buyers. If your mum doesn't know what Genesis is, that's a brand perception problem.

It is also not especially quick from a standstill. The 168kW/350Nm output is perfectly acceptable once the car is rolling, and Sport mode gives it decent roll-on response, but initial acceleration feels a little lazy for an EV.

The official 0-100km/h claim is 7.8 seconds, which is fine, yet the weight means it never delivers the instant shove some buyers might expect from a premium electric SUV.

Rear-seat space is another issue. The back bench is nicely trimmed and comfortable, with sun blinds, USB-C ports and decent amenities, but the GV60 is still a compact SUV and it feels like one.

Foot room is tight, knee room is not generous, and taller adults will notice the packaging compromises pretty quickly.

The boot is useful rather than huge. There's underfloor storage for charging cables, a 12-volt socket, cargo cover and tie-down points, but if space is high on your shopping list, there are better options.

The rear spoiler also splits the back window, which can make rearward vision less clear than it ought to be.

Genesis' agency-style sales model cuts both ways as well. Some buyers will love the clean, no-haggle approach. The Korean luxury car brand says a large cohort of buyers despise having to deal with new car salespeople.

But when the price is already high, the inability to negotiate may make the GV60 feel less flexible than rivals sold through conventional dealers, especially if those rivals start doing sharp deals.

Yes, if you want a premium EV that feels thoughtfully built, comes with a strong ownership package and doesn't follow the same predictable German luxury script.

The 2026 Genesis GV60 Advanced RWD has a lovely interior, excellent range, seriously fast charging capability and a quiet, relaxed driving character that meets the luxury brief nicely.

But this is not a slam-dunk value play. The Zeekr X RWD makes the GV60 look expensive, while BMW and Mercedes-Benz still offer more badge pull.

Genesis sits somewhere in the middle: more polished and concierge-like than many challengers, but less instantly desirable than the established luxury names.

That said, the updated GV60 feels like a proper step forward. It's quieter, cleaner-looking, more efficient and more resolved than before. If you are considering something like a Lexus RZ, this deserves to be on the shopping list.

If you simply want the most EV for the least money, it probably doesn't.

2026 Genesis GV60 Advanced RWD at a glance:
Price: $88,300 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 168kW/350Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 84kWh lithium-ion NMC
Range: 561km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 16.7kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: 5-star ANCAP (2022)