So, all too quickly, my three months of Genesis GV60 ownership is at an end – short, but most definitely sweet.
With my first two months being virtually opposite to each other, the first being spent doing high mileage on motorways and the second being more local journeys but with far less actual miles under the wheels, the third and final month has been somewhere in between. Think of me as Goldilocks but without the hair. Or the dress. Or the tendency to steal my neighbour’s oat-based breakfasts. Other than that, exactly like Goldilocks.
In fact, in truth I’ve actually been cheating on the GV60 and thinking of another. The imminent collection of the Genesis has caused me to look to purchase an EV for myself. I was very tempted by a used GV60, but while they were within budget, their insurance group sadly wasn’t. Instead, I’ve gone for its close cousin in the form of a Kia EV6, with much of the same underpinnings and, in fact, very similar on-board systems as I’m finding out. So not quite Victor Kiam (look it up kids), but close.
Not that the Genesis has had it easy for its final month mind you. The school holidays equalled a trip to Centerparcs and that meant taking advantage of almost all of the GV60’s boot space and then some, packing a ridiculously inordinate amount of luggage for just five days away.
Even so, it was a good chance to pack the 432 litres of boot space with the rear seats up, even if a more sensible move might have been to lower the seats or utilise the frunk under the bonnet. Still, despite my over-packing ability, the Genesis coped admirably and comfortably up to Woburn in Bedfordshire and, despite the motorway run, the warm weather helped to retain my 3.7mls/kWh efficiency average.
Although there are many things that have impressed me about the GV60 during my short tenure with it, matching its official efficiency in the real world is definitely one of the primary ones. No, I haven’t been driving it in the depths of winter, but its ability to almost metronomically match that 3.7mls/kWh average is really impressive.
Should a car be able to match its claimed average? Yes, certainly. Do most of them? No, they do not. In fact, there have been occasions when it has even shown a fully charged range of 360 miles – in excess of the 348 combined claim. It clearly likes the warmer climes, even if it meant regular use of the air con and ventilated seats.
Perhaps part of that efficiency is that I have spent the majority of my time in the GV60 in the two highest levels of regenerative braking and certainly any non-motorway mileage is spent in the full i-pedal mode. Thankfully the GV60 has bucked the latest trend of many new EVs to avoid easily switching between regen levels, but here it’s easy just to use the paddles behind the steering wheel. It’s a shame then that whenever you restart the car it always only reverts to level 3, not the i-pedal mode, even if you were in that beforehand. My EV6 is the same, so I’m wondering if it’s a software issue.
My quest to try and retain that efficiency rate has also meant that I’ve perhaps not driven the GV60 as enthusiastically as some owners might when circumstances allow. However, there have still been times enough where it has demonstrated it can come up with the goods when required. Steering turn-in is sharp even if ultimate feedback isn’t exactly plentiful, while there’s little body roll and there’s enough here to put a smile on your face should the moment take you.
Frustrations? The lack of a rear wiper was a minor gripe, but I do wonder if my three month tenure had been over the winter whether that would have been promoted to a full-blown annoyance. In drier months, there may not be rain to abscure your vision, but the rear windscreen did get dusty and require cleaning manually, which isn’t something you expect on a £50k-plus car. Again, my EV6 has the same, so that’s something for me to look forward to.
Another personal niggle was to do with my own house. To park outside my home I need to reverse in between my neighbour’s and my front lawn, while avoiding another neighbour’s hedge. It’s a little tricky, but most cars manage it in one sweep. With the GV60’s 11.6-metre turning circle however, it wasn’t and I failed to successfully manage it every time. By comparison, a VW ID4 is 10.4 metres. In all other parking situations, it was fine, it was just this particular manoeuvre.
That I can only point to the absent rear wiper and my lack of parking ability as gripes, is a measure of how much I enjoyed the GV60 however. The interior materials and build quality never failed to impress and while the Genesis badge still doesn’t seem to be recognised by many – I was still being asked about its origins even in my last week with the car – then it’s hard to imagine that will continue given the strength of the product.
The irony is I think that, much like EVs themselves, it’s only once you sit in and drive a Genesis that you get it and get what the brand stands for. That wider ability to view the cars at shopping malls and non-showroom locations are what’s required before many drivers are likely to experience the company first hand.
We’ve heard this before of course – most notably with Nissan’s Infiniti – but Genesis feels, and indeed is, different, with more substance to back up those claims. There is no doubt that it is a notable step up on its capable Korean stablemates and the GV60 is a highly capable car, as the past three months have demonstrated. I may have gone with the EV6 for my final purchase, but next time, the GV60 is definitely going on my list, which is praise indeed.