Genesis GV70 EV 2022 Review

We’ll start by saying the 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 isn’t cheap, especially when you pitch it directly alongside existing petrol and diesel GV70 options.

Officially, pricing for the battery-electric mid-size luxury SUV starts at $127,800 plus on-road costs – a $43,100 premium on the previous flagship, the V6-powered Genesis GV70 3.5T AWD.

That pricing also positions the Genesis Electrified GV70 in the same field as the BMW iX3 (from $114,900 plus ORCs) and Mercedes-Benz EQC (from $122,724), as well as slightly larger options including the Audi e-tron (from $147,400) and the Jaguar I-PACE (from $146,857).

The new Electrified GV70 joins the Genesis Electrified G80 sedan and the Genesis GV60 small SUV in the brands local EV ranks.

The 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 goes a long way in justifying the lofty purchase price with its standard equipment, with optional add-ons that are usually de rigueur in this space limited to a solitary Atacama Copper matte paint scheme for $2000.

Using the penultimate 3.5T AWD variant as its base, the Electrified GV70 effectively bundles in the Luxury Pack as standard fare, including Road-Preview adaptive suspension, a glass roof, LED headlights, Nappa leather upholstery, ambient lighting, three-zone climate control, 18-way power-adjustable front seats with massage function, heated second row seats, remote smart parking assist, active noise control and 3.6kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality.

Thirteen colours – nine gloss, four matte – are available for the Electrified GV70, including the new ‘Atacama Copper’ hero colour which is being offered in both finishes.

Visually, the Genesis Electrified GV70 is distinguished from its petrol and diesel stablemates by its aerodynamic grille finish, standalone 20-inch alloy wheels, and tweaked front and rear bumper design. Of course, there’s an inherent lack of exhaust outlets too.

Ownership prospects are quite strong with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, eight-year/160,000km battery warranty, 10-year roadside assistance, five-year/75,000km complimentary servicing (across 12-month/15,000km intervals) and the option of either a complimentary five-year Chargefox charging subscription or the installation of an 11kW home wallbox system.

The 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 covers all the bases where standard safety equipment is concerned.

Standard driver assistance systems include forward collision avoidance (autonomous emergency braking) with junction turning and crossing detection, adaptive cruise control, blind view monitoring, speed sign recognition, rear occupant warning, safe exit assist, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention warning, lane keeping assist and lane following assist.

A surround-view parking camera with a 3D drag-and-rotate feature complements the standard reversing camera.

ANCAP awarded the petrol and diesel versions of the Genesis GV70 a five-star safety rating in 2021, but the rating doesn’t technically apply to the EV model.

What technology does the Genesis Electrified GV70 feature?

The tech suite of the 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 is both strong and polished in its day-to-day useability.

Infotainment comprises a 14.5-inch infotainment interface incorporating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (annoyingly, neither of them wireless), and an augmented reality-based sat-nav system.

The infotainment is matched by a formidable 14-speaker Lexicon sound system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display. What’s more, it’s all standard.

The 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 is powered by two electric motors – one on each axle – to produce a total of 320kW and 605Nm in ordinary driving.

There’s also a gimmicky ‘Boost’ mode which increases outputs to 360kW and 700Nm for short 10-second bursts; doing so lowers the official 0-100km/h time from 4.8sec to 4.2sec.

The all-wheel drive powertrain is fed by a 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery.

Elsewhere, the Electrified GV70 combines MacPherson strut suspension up front with a five-point multi-link set-up at the rear, aided by road preview suspension that primes the suspension for larger hits in the road.

The official range of the 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 is 445km, according to the typical WLTP cycle.

However, we found that figure a tad optimistic in practice, with real-world range seemingly closer to 350km – about par for the course.

Then there’s the charging times.

Using the most powerful 350kW DC fast-charger available, the Genesis Electrified GV70 can reach 10-80 per cent of charge in a claimed 18 minutes.

The 11kW supplied charger can provide 10-80 per cent charge in a claimed seven hours, while a 7kW charger increases the 10-80 per cent charge time to 11h45min.

With a household 230-volt, 10-amp power point, you’re looking at 34h20min for 10 to 100 per cent.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 uses a Type 2 charging port.

The 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 goes some way in mirroring the excellent ride and handling virtues of the regular GV70 range. However, it has one key thing going against it: weight.

A 2.3-tonne kerb mass is an immediate blight on the driving experience, so far as dynamism and agility is concerned.

The GV70 EV simply struggles to match the light-footedness of its petrol and diesel stablemates through fast changes in direction, and becomes obvious in big accelerating and braking moments alike.

Once you add in the lofty purchase price, and the limited range, it begins to shine a favourable light on the existing petrol and diesel GV70 options…

However, in regular conveyance there’s a lot to like about the Electrified GV70. Accurate steering teams with a nicely controlled suspension package and a big open glasshouse, which enables strong outward vision.

Genesis has paid close attention to ensuring the brake pedal modulation is full of feeling and accuracy and worked hard to get the ride and handling mix right – even without a dedicated Australian suspension tune.

We are less enamoured by the feel of the steering, which lacks weighting and feedback polish.

Those traits lend the Genesis Electrified GV70 a very relaxed driving demeanour, and indeed make it more of an all-rounder than a specialist performance EV.

The ‘Boost’ mode and its 4.2sec 0-100km/h time aside, the GV70 is happiest with a gentle canter rather than all-out fast driving, revelling on open country roads and particularly highway touring.

Boost mode feels comparatively artificial with the way it gets down to business, encouraging torque steer (steering wheel tug) and a power curve that feels almost too instant.

Active noise cancelling technology uses microphones including in the headlining to detect unwanted sounds and emit an inverted sound wave through the audio system to “nullify undesirable noise”.

The suspension does an admirable job of controlling that mass to prevent excessive vertical movement; it isn’t quite as polished over pitter-patter imperfections as rivalling EVs (the Audi e-tron springs to mind), but it is certainly a step in that direction.

The Electrified GV70 averaged about 22kWh/100km on test, slightly more than the claim – again reinforcing a real-world range closer to 350km.

It can, though probably not too far beyond light gravel surfaces.

The 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 sits 11mm lower than the regular GV70, at 175mm. Although it is all-wheel drive, it’s not the kind of SUV you’d want covered in mud.

In a word, sumptuous. Genesis has done a fantastic job in its cabin presentation, comfort levels and integration of technology with the 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70.

We’ve already mentioned the phenomenal list of standard equipment, including headline items such as the 14.5-inch touch-screen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display and, not least of all, the 18-way adjustable front seats with heating, cooling and massaging functions.

That’s noteworthy even at this price point.

Equally, the front and rear seat areas offer adequate space and provisions for four adult passengers, or two adults and two children – especially when you consider the 4.7-metre exterior length.

The fitment of USB-C ports, seat warmers and air vent access around the cabin are complemented by soft-touch materials at the contact points.

The rear seat area also offers integrated sun shades in the door cards, a relatively low window line plus ISOFIX attachment points on the outbound pews, reinforcing its child-friendly positioning.

That said, the interior isn’t perfect.

The adaptation of the internal combustion GV70’s platform has imposed some compromises, including a bulky centre console with no additional storage pockets, a 16mm raised floor line (meaning you sit a bit perched in the cabin, and close to the roof), and none of the ingenuity many dedicated EVs are known for (the distant-relation Hyundai IONIQ 5 springs to mind).

Genesis has gone some way in mitigating the ICE (internal combustion engine) factor by removing some of the transmission tunnel in the second row. But it’s clear the Electrified GV70 isn’t as flexible or well packaged inside as a purely EV-platform equivalent.

Similarly, the 542-litre boot area loses 39 litres’ worth of space against GV70 ICE offerings, and is devoid of a spare wheel entirely (instead making do with an inflation kit).

The 2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 is arguably the most luxurious and refined iteration of the GV70 yet – especially where its clinical drivetrain and bristling interior are concerned.

That said, it pays a price in terms of the sheer cost involved, as well as the dynamics and packaging. It’s a familiar story for many emerging EV proponents, but worth reiterating here.

All in all, the Genesis Electrified GV70 makes a strong argument against the European SUV set.

And with its strong aftersales story taken into account, it definitely deserves to be on your premium EV shortlist.

2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 at a glance:
Price: $127,800 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 320kW/605Nm (360kW/700Nm in Boost mode)
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 74.4kWh lithium-ion
Range: 445km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 19.9kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested