2026 Genesis Electrified GV70 review

It’s been a chaotic few years for the electric-car market – exploding in popularity, before slowing, and now starting to pick up again – but not every car has enjoyed the same success.

But – at risk of spoiling the rest of this review – that’s a shame, because the battery-powered version of one of Drive’s favourite SUVs offers plenty of space, luxury, performance and EV features to justify its price, and sell better than it does.

The electric GV70 was treated to a facelift in 2025, with a longer range, revised styling, and an overhauled interior to keep pace with the latest developments in the mid-size luxury SUV category.

Read on to find out what those changes are like in the real world – including tests of its driving range and recharging times.

A single variant of the electric GV70 is available – officially-badged Genesis Electrified GV70 Signature Performance – priced from $132,800 plus on-road costs, up $6942 on the pre-update iteration.

It is $32,600 more than the flagship petrol-powered GV70, the V6-powered 3.5T Signature Sport, and with the $2000 Ceres Blue Matte paint on our test car comes to an indicated $146,102 drive-away in NSW, according to the Genesis website.

Arguably its biggest rivals are yet to launch: the new BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology, and Volvo EX60, all due later in 2026.

In the meantime, there’s the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro ($122,500), Porsche Macan 4 ($137,600), and larger offerings such as the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor ($131,054) and BMW iX xDrive 45 ($142,900). All prices exclude on-road costs.

Standard features include matrix LED headlights, 20-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, sports styling, a 27-inch OLED cabin display for instruments and infotainment, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 6.0-inch climate-control screen, and a 16-speaker Bang and Olufsen stereo.

There are also 18-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, nappa leather upholstery, a heated leather steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, keyless entry and start, a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, and much more.

The electric GV70 is closely related to its petrol-powered sibling, which is no bad thing, because that vehicle is a Drive Car of the Year segment winner, and one of the best mid-size luxury SUVs on sale.

It strikes a great balance between the tech focus of an Audi or Mercedes-Benz, with the quality materials and finishes that have traditionally been associated with luxury cars.

The 27-inch OLED display dominates the experience – more on that in the next section – surrounded by plush soft-touch materials everywhere you touch, supple suede headlining, and good build quality with no squeaks or rattles.

The cream upholstery would not be my choice – as in other Genesis models we’ve driven, it’s prone to turning blue after extended exposure to denim jeans – nor its blue contrast sections on the dashboard, but darker options are available.

The marble-esque (or scratched aluminium) plastic trim on the door armrests is also not to my liking, though your tastes may differ.

Front-seat comfort is fantastic, with 18 ways of adjustment – including bolsters that tighten in Sport mode (or via buttons on the side of the base), and an inflatable under-thigh cushion – as well as good support, heating and ventilation, and supple nappa leather trim.

The thick-rimmed, leather-trimmed steering wheel feels purposeful, and its buttons – with the exception of a fiddly touchpad – are easy to use, while there’s plenty of power adjustment in the column for taller drivers to get comfortable.

Less impressive is the rotary gear selector, which has been placed beside a similarly sized dial to control the infotainment system, so the two are easy to confuse when you’re not looking while performing a three-point turn.

Physical controls have been retained for audio volume, tuning, and air temperature, but other climate-control and media functions are controlled by fiddly touch-sensitive buttons.

Storage is limited, with a decent-sized centre console box, but a compact glovebox, tight door pockets, and no additional space in or under the centre console, bar the cupholders.

It’s brimming with amenities, though, with a ventilated wireless phone charger, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket, a heated steering wheel, head-up display, panoramic sunroof, and even a fingerprint reader to start the car.

Rear-seat space is generally comparable to the petrol-powered GV70 – with ample knee room but not exceptional leg room for six-foot-tall (183cm) adults sitting behind similarly sized front occupants – but the underfloor battery pushes the floor up, so under-thigh support is compromised.

The floor is close to flat, however – unlike the petrol GV70’s wide central tunnel – and the rear seats recline but don't slide.

Heated outboard rear seats are standard, plus a rear climate-control zone, small door pockets, retractable window blinds, seatback map pockets, two USB-C ports, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, and two ISOFIX and three top-tether anchors for child seats.

There’s a little less boot space in the electric GV70 compared to its petrol sibling, but it remains a respectably deep load area, with no load lip but a fair distance from the ground to lift items up.

There’s space for the cargo blind and tyre repair kit (not a spare wheel) under the floor, while the main cargo area – before the 60:40 split-folding rear seats are lowered – includes a household power socket fed by the car’s battery, a light, tie-down points, and a power-operated tailgate.

The technology is arguably the star of the show inside the Electrified GV70; a 27-inch OLED screen stretching across much of the dashboard, with the touch-capable infotainment on its left side and the instruments ahead of the driver.

It is the same screen Genesis fits to a $80,000 base-model petrol GV70, but it does not look out of place in this $130K EV.

In fact, it looks fantastic, and while its resolution and response times are not class-leading, they are quick enough, and the menu structure is easy to navigate once you get past the initial learning curve.

Wireless and wired versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, plus satellite navigation, and AM, FM, and digital DAB radio.

However, we had a series of wireless CarPlay drop-outs in our time with the car, each time unable to reconnect without switching the car off, locking it, and leaving it for a few hours.

Also not fantastic are the touch-sensitive buttons below the display, which are fiddly to use while driving, but they are better to have than not – and there also is a rotary controller on the centre console for navigating menus, which includes its own handwriting recognition pad.

The instrument side of the screen is fantastic, with plenty of customisation – including modes that blend content with the other side of the display – and contemporary graphics. A head-up display is also standard.

The 16-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system is good but not exceptional for the luxury SUV class, better than the Bose audio in a Hyundai, but not quite as clear – to my ears, at least – as Burmester in a Mercedes-Benz, B&O in an Audi, and Bowers and Wilkins in a Volvo.

Buyers get access to Genesis Connected Services, including an SOS emergency call function, a valet mode, weather and calendar info on the touchscreen, and phone app access with remote control of locks, lights, and climate control, remote viewing of the car’s cameras, and diagnostics information.

The electric Genesis GV70 is covered by a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2021 by its European counterpart Euro NCAP.

It earned category scores of 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 64 per cent for vulnerable road user protection – on the low end of the five-star scale – and 87 per cent for safety assist technology.

The GV70 ticks almost every conceivable box for advanced safety features, from the likes of lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control, to clever inclusions such as remote parking from the key fob, and blind-spot cameras.

Standard is Highway Driving Assist 2 which – in addition to holding the car in the centre of the lane, as in many new cars – allows for assisted lane changes on motorways, activated by a flick of the indicator stalk.

Adaptive cruise control is well calibrated, there were no false activations of the autonomous emergency braking system in our testing, and the resolution of the parking cameras was good.

However, lane-keep assist can be a little too intrusive for our liking – though it is far from the worst we’ve ever tested – and the driver monitoring camera is prone to beeping at the human behind the wheel after a brief look away from the road.

As with many new vehicles, the GV70 will chime when it exceeds the speed limit it has detected, even if it has misread the sign – something that happens frequently.

It can be turned off easily, by holding the mute button on the steering wheel, but it switches back on each time the car is restarted, as does the driver monitor, which can only be toggled off through a menu in the touchscreen.

Genesis covers its vehicles with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for private buyers, dropping to five years/130,000km if the car is used for commercial purposes such as ride-sharing or taxi services.

Service intervals are set every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first – and the first five are free, alongside 10 years of standard roadside assistance, and a 24/7 concierge hotline.

Owners who live within a 70km driving distance of a Genesis showroom can have a brand representative pick up their car for a service, leave them with a loan car (for the first services), and then return their car once it’s ready to go.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage with a leading provider is quoted at $2773, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 has upgraded from a 77.4kWh battery to an 84kWh pack for its facelift, nudging claimed driving range in European WLTP testing up from 445km to 462km.

Over a week of testing – including a significant amount of highway driving – the trip computer displayed 21kWh per 100 kilometres compared to a claim of 20kWh/100km.

Assuming a useable battery capacity around 80kWh – as the 84kWh figure includes ‘buffer' at the top and bottom for battery protection, which can’t be used by drivers – our on-test consumption equates to a real-world range of about 380km.

In city driving, we saw consumption dip to 18kWh/100km, for about 440km of real-world range, while on our 110km/h highway range-test loop, we observed energy use of 21.3kWh/100km, for a circa-375km range.

It is down on what its current and future rivals can achieve: an Audi Q6 e-tron claims 542km WLTP, the inbound BMW iX3 xDrive 50 quotes 805km WLTP, and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology lists up to 713km WLTP.

Some ground is clawed back in charging, as the GV70’s electronics run at 800 volts for a claimed 10 to 80 per cent DC fast charge in 19 minutes in ideal conditions, on a compatible plug.

The Genesis Australia spec sheet claims the GV70 has a “charging capacity” of 350kW, but that is believed to be inaccurate, as the brand claims 240kW in the UK, “>250kW” in the US, and our testing on a 350kW charger ‘only’ hit a peak of 245kW.

Drive’s testing recorded a still-rapid 10 to 80 per cent charge time of just under 22 minutes, maintaining its peak charge power until about 15 per cent, before tapering off to about 165kW to 175kW until between 70 and 75 per cent.

AC charging is capped at 11kW, for a claimed 10 to 100 per cent recharge time of seven hours and 35 minutes, while hooking the car up to a household wall outlet and 16-amp plug results in a claimed 34-hour, 20-minute charge.

Vehicle-to-load technology is on board, capable of supplying up to 3.6kW to external electrical devices through three-pin household plugs inside and – via an adapter that connects to the charging port – outside the vehicle.

The electric Genesis GV70 is a quiet and serene car to drive that feels worthy of its six-figure price tag.

Comfort over bumps is excellent for a vehicle this heavy, without the trick air suspension offered by its rivals.

Small bumps and cracks in the road surface can be felt at slow speeds, but the GV70 otherwise wafts gently over speed bumps, soaks up potholes without jiggling occupants, and still feels assured at higher speeds on country roads. A Sport mode is available to add a little more firmness and control to the dampers, but it does not transform the drive.

Around town, the steering is light, easy and quick – without much wheel-twirling needed from lock to lock – all-around visibility is good, and there’s a broad spread of regenerative braking modes to switch between, so it’s a calming car to drive and park day-to-day.

Put your foot down and there is a lot of performance to exploit. In normal mode, the GV70’s 320kW/605Nm outputs shove occupants into the back of their seats, and doesn’t taper off until close to highway speeds.

Pressing the Boost mode button on the steering wheel ups power and torque to 360kW/700Nm, making a fast car even faster, such that it will spin the front wheels in a straight line on dry roads if you are too keen on the accelerator pedal.

Genesis claims a zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 4.4 seconds in Boost mode, and 5.0 seconds out of it, the latter in either Comfort or Sport modes (as Eco cuts power).

Our testing beat those times, recording 4.2 seconds in Boost mode, and between 4.8 and 5.0 seconds without it, depending on if the car is launched with the regenerative braking in Level 3 or one-pedal mode.

Where the GV70 stands apart from its EV rivals – and draws from the acclaimed Hyundai Ioniq 5 N electric performance car – is with Virtual Gear Shift; a feature that uses clever software to simulate the feel of an eight-speed transmission.

It briefly cuts power at points while accelerating to mimic gear ‘changes’, and can be left to its own devices in ‘automatic’ mode, or manually controlled with paddles behind the steering wheel.

Floor the accelerator in too ‘high’ of a gear, and the car will labour like a petrol car at low RPM. The opposite is true in a low gear, applying a fake rev ‘limiter’ for the simulated gearbox to hit.

It’s not as good as in the Ioniq 5 N, though: the gears are long, so at legal speeds, you can’t hit high ‘revs’ beyond third gear; the car will automatically upshift at ‘redline’ (rather than bouncing off it); and the gear shifts need to be turned on each time the car is started, a process that, annoyingly, requires multiple taps through touchscreen menus.

It also makes the car slower – zero to 100km/h takes 5.1 seconds as-tested, and you can’t use Boost mode – but it is a fantastic feature that adds involvement to the drive.

There is also a selection of synthesised driving sounds, including a relatively bassy one that sounds loosely like a V6 engine, but it’s relatively quiet by default, and needs its volume to be turned up – through the menus each time the car is started – to be enjoyed.

The fake gears and sounds help the driver enjoy the car on a winding road, plus quick steering – albeit a rack that is artificially heavy in Sport, and lacking in road feel – and quality Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres.

The GV70 lacks the agility and sporty edge of an Audi SQ6 or the upcoming BMW iX3 – so it feels its weight when driven quickly, the nose keen to run wide if corners are approached too quickly – but that pays dividends around town.

Tyre roar and wind noise are well isolated, while emergency braking performance is also excellent for such a heavy car, pulling up from 100km/h on Drive’s test equipment in 37.2m – on par with a small petrol hatchback – compared to 36.7m for a V6 GV70.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 is rated to tow 1800kg braked or 750kg unbraked – fair for an electric SUV in this category.

For customers looking to hitch a trailer, they may be limited by the maximum towball down-weight of 159kg, which is less than the 180kg (10 per cent) recommended for safe braked towing.

Genesis quotes 510kg for the payload – the maximum weight of passengers, cargo and accessories the GV70 is legally rated to carry – which is sufficient for five 100kg passengers and a little bit of luggage.

The Genesis Electrified GV70 is a luxury electric SUV that deserves much more attention than it gets.

It’s not perfect. The driving range is relatively short, the tech glitches we experienced aren’t promising, rear-seat space is modest, and it is a relatively expensive vehicle from an unknown brand.

But it is spacious up front, well-appointed and well-built inside, loaded with equipment, charges quickly, backed by a great ownership package – with servicing perks beyond just price – and is great to drive: quick, comfortable, quiet and, where it counts, capable.

If you’re in the market for an electric BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, or Lexus in this price range, we would strongly recommend taking the Genesis for a test drive before signing on the dotted line, because you may be pleasantly surprised.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner

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