An alloy is formed when two or more elements, usually metals, are combined together to produce a material that is superior to its individual components. Rose gold is an alloy made from a combination of pure gold and copper and it is used extensively in jewelry making.
The Genesis GV70 EV combines the luxury GV70 SUV with the modernity of an electric vehicle. The result, in this example, is the GV70 EV Performance AWD Luxury in the distinctive Atacama Copper Matte paint with Glacier White (with copper piping) interior. This colour received many positive comments, both online and in the flesh.
The GV70 EV is fully electric and driven by Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors on the rear and front wheels with On demand /Part-time e-All Wheel Drive). Combined they produce 320kW of power and 605Nm of torque available under normal driving conditions. This is upped to 360kW and 700Nm for 10 seconds when you engage Boost mode by pressing the Boost button on the steering wheel. This will blast the almost three tonne SUV from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 235km/h. If you want the full electric vehicle experience, I suggest you select ‘Futuristic’ from the e-Active Sound Design menu and turn the sound level to ‘Enhanced’.
There are four drive modes available to choose from, Eco, Comfort, Sport, and ‘My’ custom mode. ‘My’ custom mode includes personalisation of motor (power delivery), steering and suspension responses. In addition there is also an ‘E-Terrain’ Multi Terrain Mode with three settings; Snow, Mud, and Sand. When I was driving the GV70 I felt that it road nicely over the bumps. That should be expected considering that it has Genesis Adaptive Control Suspension including Road Preview-Electronic Control Suspension that automatically recognises road information in advance providing optimal the suspension movement.
The 12.3” digital instrumentation display has three themes, Eco, Comfort, and Sport, that change depending on the drive mode you are in. It also has a 3D function, which does take a bit of getting used to and can be turned off if you don’t like it. The 12.0” colour Head-Up Display is also impressive with information displayed such as Turn By Turn navigation information, Speedometer with Cruise setting speed / Speed Limit Assist information, and Genesis Active Safety Control information.
The ‘Performance’ for this GV70 EV is supplied from a 77.4kWh Lithium-ion battery that has a claimed energy consumption of 19.9 kWh/100km with a range of 445km. For my time in the GV70 EV I used 21.4kWh/100km, which would have given me a range of 361km. I drove in Normal mode mostly with just an occasional push of the Boost button and the regenerative braking control set on ‘3’ using the wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
With the purchase of your Genesis Electric Vehicle, you have the choice of either a 5-year Chargefox subscription and access to Australia’s largest charging network partner or have the added convenience of having a Genesis home charger installed at the location of your choice. Using a home charger, the approximate charge time from the AC Type 2 port is 7 hours 40 minutes. If you a planning to install a home charger you need to consider where the charge port is located on the EV you will be charging and for the GV70 EV it is at the front of the vehicle on the passenger side.
Charging via the CCS Combo2 port using DC public chargers drops the claimed charging time for a 50kW charger from 10 to 80% is approximately 73 minutes. Using a 350 kW ultra-fast charging this time is reduced to just 18 minutes. On the built-in sat nav in the GV70 EV you can show nearby EV charging stations and it states whether or not they are AC or DC charging, but not if they are available or not.
The ‘Luxury’ of the GV70 EV comes when you step over the Genesis puddle light and you are greeted by the Nappa leather appointed interior with fade-out G-Matrix quilted seat pattern and the leather appointed 3-spoke sport steering wheel, which is heated. The GV70 EV even has a leather appointed dashboard, door and centre console package with real stitching. The one thing that is absent is the aroma that comes from real leather. For me this is a big part that is missing from the luxury experience of Genesis vehicles and on this vehicle the white leather in this GV70 was also showing signs of discoloration after 10,000km on the odometer.
There are plenty of other high-end elements though like the suede on the headlining, A/B/C pillars and sun visors or the very cool back lit centre console side trims and door inserts that have many different colours for you to choose from. This is combined with alloy effect finish on the centre console inserts, dashboard and door inserts, door release handles and steering wheel trim. The door entry scuff plates are stainless steel, which is an alloy of iron and chromium, and the tempered glass rotary gear shift control dial has a scored metal feel on gear selector and indicator/wiper stalks.
Both front seats are heated and cooled with power adjustment for forward/back, recline, seat height front and rear, front leg extension, side bolstering on the seat back, and 4-way lumbar support and the driver’s seat has two memory positions. The front seats do not have a massage function, but do come with Ergo motion that can give you a pelvic stretch, lumbar stretch or whole body stretch and this will even happen automatically after you have been driving for a while as a way to refresh you.
The driver can also adjust passenger seat for recline and forward/back using the controls on the side of the seat or the passenger seat can be fully adjusted from the infotainment menu. I find this feature useful when I have my elderly mother in the car with me, so I can adjust her seat for her.
To connect your phone to the infotainment system the GV70 EV has wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and the voice control only works when this is connected. In the cubby under the powered sliding cover at front of centre console there is a wireless charging pad and two USB-A ports. Under the central arm rest is felt lined cubby with one 12V socket. Something that I like on the centre console is that the two cup holders have grippy sides and a removable rubber mat for easy cleaning. In addition, the drink bottle storage cubby in the front doors is a good size, but your bottle will need to be stored slightly tilted over.
The rear seats had adequate head and leg room for me, but taller individuals may find it a bit tight. Rear passengers get heated seats as well, including the centre seat, which is not always the case. The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two rigid cup holders in the front of it and the drink bottle storage cubbies in the rear doors are awkwardly shaped with bottles needed be laid down in them, so it is worth remembering to remind children to screw the lid of their drink bottle on tight.
If you do have younger children you will appreciate the manual blinds on the windows and that there are mats on floor including one over the low transmission tunnel. There are two ISOFix/three rear tether child seat restraint points available, but only enough room for two car seats due to the width of the GV70. For their device charging there are two USB-A ports under the central air vents. The rear climate has digital temperature and mode controls and very annoyingly when the rear passengers adjust their air speed it also adjusts the front air speed and my children like hurricane force speed and I like a soft breeze.
The GV70 EV does have a gesture open boot, but it was a bit hit and miss for me as to whether or not it worked. You can also open/close the boot from the tailgate (the button is on the windscreen wiper), the key fob or by using the button in the cabin. The boot is a good size for the weekly shop or a pram and a small shop and the boot space has four substantial tie down points, one 12V socket, and a 250V 16A three prong plug for the vehicle to load connection that allows you to power items, like a hair dryer, using the GV70.
I liked that the cargo cover can be neatly stored under the boot floor when not in use, along with the charge cord and the vehicle to load adapter. If more space is required the rear seats have a 60:40 split fold mechanism with a manual release in the boot space. The tyre repair kit and first aid kit are stored in the small frunk under the bonnet at the front of the GV70.
The GV70 EV has a 5-star ANCAP (2021) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 89% (34.11 out of 38) and a Child Occupant Protection score of 89% (43.62 out of 49). The GV70 EV has eight airbags including front airbags for the driver and passenger, a front centre side airbag, knee airbag for the driver, side (thorax and pelvis) airbags for the driver and front passenger, and side curtain airbags.
The surround view monitor includes a 3D Surround View function combined with a standard rear view camera and front and rear parking sensors. To alert nearby pedestrians that the GV70 EV is reversing it emits a bong also. For convenience you also get auto lights with high beam assist, and auto wipers.
The list of active driver safety features is extensive with everything and more you would expect from a modern vehicle. ANCAP tests of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in all test scenarios, including AEB Junction Assist where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle. Overall, effectiveness of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system performance was rated as GOOD. ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed GOOD performance in lane keep assist scenarios, and ADEQUATE performance in the more critical emergency lane keeping scenarios. Overall performance of the LSS system was classified as GOOD and the ANCAP Safety Assist score was 87%.
Included in the purchase price of every GV70 EV is a 5-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, 8-year warranty on high voltage battery, 5-year complimentary servicing, 5-year Genesis To You and valet service, 10-years of 24/7 roadside assistance and 10-years of complimentary map updates. The only thing which could improve on this offering from Genesis would be if they swapped over your car seats when they deliver the loan car as part of Genesis To You.
This Rose Gold coloured Gensis GV70 EV Performance AWD Luxury blends a family-orientated SUV with an electric powertrain to deliver something quite special. This particular GV70 EV is priced at $129,800 excluding on-road costs. You can Build & Price your GV70 EV online or visit one the Genesis Retail Outlets for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The acceleration under Boost mode | Interior doesn’t smell like a luxury vehicle |
| The unique colour | Rear air speed controls front air speed on climate control |
| 5-year Chargefox subscription or home charger installation included in purchase price | Gesture open boot didn’t always work |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.