It took them a few months longer than planned, but Genesis already has three electric cars on offer. More than Audi and Lexus, but still less than Mercedes and BMW.
Unlike the other luxury brand names I mentioned, Genesis is probably the only one that has you scratching your head right now and wondering when Phil Collins switched to making cars. Genesis is Hyundai’s Lexus. A young luxury division that quickly grew out of a popular car manufacturer.
The Koreans do not have the rich history of the Germans on the track and on the roads, and they do not fill museums with desirable, round, nickel-rich classic cars and yellowing pictures.
Genesis GV70 EV (Photo: Udi Etzion)
To overcome this, Hyundai worked as we are used to them, patiently and creatively: it took them almost a decade to start exporting the Genesis models, after they finished calibrating and shaving the first generation, which was only sold in South Korea. At the same time they sent bounty hunters to Germany and returned with designers, engineers and suspension calibration experts, from BMW and Co. learn from the best.
In the list above I didn’t mention Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan, which is struggling to rise, after strange attempts like putting its emblem on an old Mercedes, on the Q30 that is fading fast. Hyundai did everything alone, with large investments, and with a lot of thought for the long term. Learning from the mistakes of others is also important.
When Genesis was launched in Israel two years ago, it did so with muscular gasoline models, which were surprising in their level of quality and attention to detail and also very enjoyable, but in an era of global warming they were as politically correct as MK Almog Cohen. “Wait”, they They promised, the trams are in the oven.
Indeed, after only two years, Genesis is undergoing accelerated electrification, with the GV60 crossover, which competes with the Mercedes GLA and Tesla Model Y, with the electric version of the G80 sedan, which competes with the Mercedes EQE, and now with an electric version of the GV70 crossover, which recently landed in Israel and competes with BMW. And the 3xi, itself the electrified version of the X3.
The electric GV70 looks like the petrol version, unless you recognize the added charging port opening, the missing exhausts and the redesigned front bumper. She does not try to derive an external coupon for the green inverter. The same dramatic grille copied from Bentley, the same rounded lines that characterize all the models of the young luxury division.
The passenger cabin is also almost the same, except for the BOOST switch that was added at the bottom of the steering wheel, and the gear tunnel that was lowered a lot at the back. The trunk has been cut by 30 liters to 503 liters, and there is no spare wheel underneath, but a small 22-liter one is added in front, taking advantage, but not enough, of the disappearance of the gasoline engine.
The seat is not one of the highest, but the space is good, both in front and in the back, where a third passenger still suffers from a shorter seat than the others.
The operation is convenient except for the use of a round dial to operate the multimedia for those who do not want to use the touch screen, and may get confused with the gear dial below it. The fittings are still generous. The base version we received for testing, EV Edition (NIS 469,000) includes multimedia with a 14.5-inch screen, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital dashboard with a 12.3-inch screen, electrically adjustable front seats and steering wheel, leather upholstery, a sun window, and a tailgate electric and 19 inch rims.
The luxury version (NIS 499,000) upgrades to 20-inch rims, a Lexicon stereo with 14 speakers instead of 9, a road noise reduction system and three-zone climate control.
The Ultimate version (NIS 519,000) adds upgraded electric adjustment to the driver’s seat, heated rear seats, Nappa leather upholstery and a premium display.
The safety equipment is complete, this is one of the few cars with a score of 8 in the Israeli safety rating, and 5 out of 5 stars in the European crash test. There is a full active safety package, including emergency braking in reverse, shifting the steering wheel when trying to pass into a lane with a vehicle you may not have seen, and preventing a door from opening when another vehicle or cyclist is nearby.
The 2.5-liter turbo engine of the gasoline version with 304 hp is replaced by an electric one with 490* hp, we will soon talk about the star, an automatic transmission with a single gear, and a 77.4 kWh battery.
The asterisk is in its place, because this car has two suppliers. The basic is 435 hp, then it is a wagon with 4.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. The boost reaches 490 hp, and is available every time for ten seconds after pressing the boost button on the steering wheel, which shortens the classic acceleration to 4.2 seconds. A gimmick? Totally. A childish and fun toy that puts the voices of the farts offered by Tesla in proportion? We won’t deny it.
There is also a choice between three driving modes: economical, comfortable and sport, where even in the first you will not lack power, and in sport it will be a bit excessive at times, accompanied by tire slippage. In any case, it’s a vehicle that overtakes everywhere and much faster than you thought, with Tesla-style super performance.
But performance comes at the expense of range. The manufacturer talks about 19 kWh per 100 kilometers in the combined car, we achieved 21.7 kWh in a calm cruise at 100-110 km/h, and 23 kWh per 100 kilometers at the end of the test. And that means that 400 kilometers is the real upper limit of the driving range. It’s not much, but we expected more from a vehicle at this price.
The GV70 EV is capable of fast tasting at a super rate of 350 kWh, which is not offered in Israel. At the more common 150 kWh stations, you will need about 30 minutes to fill the battery from 20% to 80%.
The electric version was also equipped with adaptive suspensions designed to handle a weight that grew to 2.3 tons. It partially works, in a comfortable position the GV70 EV is reasonable on urban disturbances and surrenders to a wavy road. This also reflects on the road behavior, which is less sporty in nature than the gasoline version, with less precise body restraint in turns, and even more numb steering.
Bottom line, it’s a mirror image of Tesla. An electric car, but with a rich passenger compartment, with a high level of service, which includes free maintenance for three years and picking up the car at the garage, and a personal service person who is always available by phone, as opposed to an app that you have to fight with about queues for the garage. A charging station is included in the price, but it’s a shame that there isn’t also a discount deal with one of the charging companies for Genesis owners, as is offered in some European markets.
The electric GV70 is the best version of itself: powerful, contemporary, super-equipped and useful, without compromising on quality and the atmosphere of luxury. But a price increase of more than NIS 100,000 compared to the gasoline version makes it less worthwhile. Genesis is the young one that competes with the expensive German ones, but if it exaggerates the prices, the customers may check what the Chinese luxury brands that came to Israel after it have to offer.
Identity card / Genesis GV70 EV:
Engine: electric, 489 hp, 71.4 kg
Battery: 77.4 kWh
Gearbox and drive: automatic, direct transmission, dual drive
Performance (manufacturer): 4.2 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, 235 km/h maximum speed, combined range
455 km
Safety: 5 out of 5 stars in the European crash test. Full active safety
Air pollution: group 1 of 15
Warranty: 3 years including treatments, for the battery 7 years or 150 thousand km
Price: NIS 469,000
Plus: quality, equipment, performance, treatments included in the price
Minus: too expensive, needs an improvement in range and a discounted base version with rear wheel drive
Score: 4/5