2023 Genesis GV70 AWD - Electrified!

2023 Genesis GV70 Electrified

Right off the bat Genesis eliminated one of my gripes about EVs - they often look weird. The GV70 Electrified looks almost exactly the same as the GV70 gas powered version.

 

2023 Genesis GV70 with gas engine

By now most of my readers know my feelings on EVs; For the most part they are very nice driving cars often hampered by their range and the poor state of the electric charging infrastructure.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 Electrified has a range of up to 236 miles. That's not great but it isn't terrible, if it is realistic. In my week of driving the GV70 Electrified I'd say the range realistic but with one caveat - weather. We've been having some triple digit temperatures and the A/C was running constantly. I'd take my wife to the grocery store and I'd wait in the GV70 with the A/C on. That depletes the range. Hot and cold weather eat away at the EV range.

Center bottom of the steering wheel is a button that seemed out of place to me. It's basically a push-to-pass, or maybe an afterburner button. It adds 54 hp to the base 429 hp. This is a luxury car not a race car so why? I've said it before but it is worth repeating; If your selling point for an EV is straight line performance you do a disservice to all EVs.

Recharging an EV is always an issue. In my opinion if you own an EV you should have a level 2 charging station at your home. If you depend on commercial charging stations you may have a hard time finding a working one, and when you do you may have to queue up. 

Genesis says that if you use a Rapid Charge (the fastest) you can charge from 10% to 80% in about 18 minutes. That's fast but maybe fast isn't the best for the battery. Most experts suggest that a slow charging rate is better for battery health; let it run down (don't take it to zero) and slow charge it back to full charge. But that isn't feasible for most EV owners.

White seats! Beautiful to look at but boy do they show dirt and grime. There is a choice of Glacial White Two-Tone or Black Mono. Unless you are the neatest person on earth or you have a detailer on retainer opt for the Black Mono.

There are four drive modes - Eco, Comfort, Sport, and MY. I left it in Eco (the default) most of the time. 

I tried Sport and found that not only does it affect performance and handling but it adjusts the driver's seat to hold you in place during spirited driving. The seat changes from a more open, comfortable, open version into a more encapsulating version. Kind of neat.

One thing Genesis has to change is one of these two knobs.  Separately they would be fine but so close together they are a problem. In my one week I grabbed the top one when I wanted to change from Reverse to Drive. The top one is used to scroll through menu options and it caused no problem other than confusion. I can accept knobs for shifters even though I prefer a lever but this setup was far from optimal.

Amazingly you can tow the same amount with either a gas or EV GV70 - up to 3,500 lbs. when properly equipped. Be advised though that towing will deplete the charge faster so you'll need to factor that in on your trip to the boat launch.

Likewise the storage space is almost the same - 56.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 28.7 behind the rear seats for the EV, and 0.4 cu ft more for the first and 0.2 cu ft for the latter for the gas engine version. 

I enjoyed driving the 2023 Genesis GV70 Electrified because it drove virtually the same as the gas version, and that is as it should be. No one should find an EV daunting to drive. Get in, push the button and go. Sure there are things you need to get used to, like the way the GV70 Electrified (an other EVs) slowed when you take your foot off the accelerator. Nothing to worry about that's just the electric motor becoming a generator to add power back into the battery. It can be a bit confusing at first because it feels like the brakes are dragging but you'll get used to it. I did.

Being a Genesis the GV70 Electrified is not a bargain basement EV. A 2023 model starts at $65,850. The test version had a Prestige package that adds $6,800 to that for Nappa Leather seat surfaces, a bigger (12.3") digital instrument cluster, and heated rear seats among other items.

One thing I don't understand is the color choices. According to the Genesis public website (genesis.com) there are four colors offered and they all are extra price.

Genesis puts this warning on the website: "The Electrified GV70 will only be sold at select Genesis retailers in AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MN, NC, NJ, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WI due to extremely limited availability. Please contact your Genesis retailer for details."

So my verdict? The Genesis GV70 AWD Electrified is a good vehicle. If you are willing to live with the shortcomings of EV charging, and this is in your price range, check it out.