First Look: 2022 Genesis GV60
The brand’s first electric vehicle leads its full-on charge toward electrification
The Genesis brand was only itself invented six years ago, and here it goes re inventing itself already. Alongside the launch of its first-ever electric vehicle, the 2022 Genesis GV60, the brand outlined its intention to become a 100-per-cent zero-emission company by 2030.
Through a two-pronged strategy involving a combination of hydrogen fuel-cell and battery electric vehicles, all new Genesis vehicles will be powered by electricity by 2025; and a total of eight electric sedans and crossovers will be launched by the end of the decade.
For the GV60’s part, some additional details were released through a virtual global launch this week. Here’s what we know so far.
Converted from the figures released at the Korean launch, the RWD model is equipped with a single motor mounted to the rear axle with a maximum output of 168 kW (225 hp) and maximum torque of 350 Nm (258 lb-ft). According to Korean testing cycles, the 77.4-kWh battery is capable of giving the rear-wheel-drive model a 451-kilometre range. (Canadian range estimates will vary from these figures, and have not yet been provided.)
On the standard AWD model, a 160-kW (214-hp) motor drives the rear wheels, and a 74-kW (99-hp) motor is mounted for the front wheels, providing a total output of 234 kW (313 hp) and a maximum torque of 605 Nm (446 lb-ft). This model – again, according to Korean testing cycles, and Canadian results will follow closer to launch – will have a range of 400 km per charge.
The performance model achieves AWD through two 160-kW (214-hp) motors, one on each of the front and rear axles. This combination has a total output of 320 kW (429 hp), the same peak torque of 605 Nm (446 lb-ft), and a maximum Korean driving range estimate of 368 km per charge.
A Boost Mode is included, which when engaged increases the output of the 160-kW motor to 180 kW for 10 seconds, enabling the GV60 to go from zero to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds.
Along with this, the engineers have tucked in a not-so-secret Drift Mode. From a stop, the driver is meant to hit the brake, change into sport mode, change the electronic stability control mode, then hold both the shifter paddles in for three seconds. (For ’90s kids, this sequence may bring the Konami Code to mind.) Once Drift Mode is engaged, the GV60 is said to be released of its mild mannerisms and made significantly easier to break into oversteer. It’s hard to imagine this getting much use, but at least the enthusiasts aren’t being forgotten in the EV revolution. Information on exactly which models will receive which features has not yet been provided.
The GV60 will accept 350-kW DC fast-charging and will charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 18 minutes. Level 2 charging speed is also faster than average due to an increase in capacity from 7.2 to 11 kW, and it will be equipped to power external devices at a rate of 3.6 kW.
Handling is managed through a MacPherson strut front suspension and five-multi-link rear, an electronic limited-slip differential, and an electronic suspension control system that uses forward camera and navigation data to adjust automatically to upcoming road conditions.
