In the first of a new series, we spend time getting to know some of the latest fleet models a little better… This week it’s the Genesis GV60.

Our Genesis GV60 certainly turned many heads in its week with us

DAY 1

I’m quite used to new cars turning up for a week, but it sometimes surprises me how much attention they get. In the case of the Genesis GV60, it was a lot – although, admittedly not as much as it would’ve been if the lumo yellow (sorry, Sao Paulo Green) that was originally booked in had turned up.

Three different people thought it was an Aston Martin, the window cleaner at the chip shop was wowed by how quiet it was and someone nearly walked into a lamppost they were so distracted by what it was!

The thing is, it does look different – Genesis is trying to stand out, especially on the inside. That’s something to be applauded in an industry that’s fairly conservative.

DAY 2

There are a lot of noises to deal with in the GV60. Firstly there are the ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ chimes – complete with graphics on the big driver display. Then there’s the usual reversing and seatbelt detection beeps that keep you on your toes. But the one that really took me by surprise was the speed camera warning alert. That’s partly because it kicked in when I was nowhere near a camera – on closer inspection it was set up to start 400 yards away from the thing!

Now, I welcome almost every form of safety technology, but this one seemed a bit too intrusive. Even though I was driving under the speed limit, it kept on going – cutting the radio volume at the same time – until I passed the camera! Needless to say, it’s now deactivated.

DAY 3

GV60 is the sibling of the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, although the three brands have done an excellent job of masking that fact. And I’m talking dynamically as well as visually because the Genesis is aiming for the ‘sportscar’ category. Big wheels, a firm ride (certainly feels stiffer than the other two) and the highly entertaining ‘Boost’ button. In reality, it serves little purpose, but never fails to put a smile on the driver’s or passenger’s face. The highest accolade I can give it is the feeling I got when deploying the Boost was on a par with how I felt flooring a Bugatti Veyron many moons ago. Very different cars, but a similar sensation that I was a little unprepared for!

DAY 4

Car interiors are often a tricky thing to get right when manufacturers deviate from the norm. So respect to Genesis for adding some lovely touches inside the GV60. The highlight is the revolving gear selector that goes into ‘decorative’ mode when the car is turned off. The glovebox ‘drawer’ is also a more practical option than many conventional items. Decent quality, too. Talking of quality, the GV60’s Nappa leather seats are also something to behold – comfortable, easy to adjust and get comfortable and supportive all around. The ‘comfort seat’ pack is £2,790 though, so you’d want them to be pretty good!

DAY 5

Elsewhere in the interior, a minor frustration of the lack of physical buttons for regularly used items, such as the audio shortcuts. Changing stations can be a bit of a faff and involved more steps than necessary. It’s not a deal-breaker – and is inline with how infotainment systems are going. But personally I’d favour a bit more simplicity. But I guess I should count myself lucky because if I was in one of the select models from a certain German automotive Group, it would be total touchscreen and haptic-heaven!

DAY 6

Depending on your situation, the importance of practicality can vary massively. With five in the Challen family – six if you include Bruno the cockerpoo – it’s right up there. Thankfully, the GV60 passes the Mrs Challen test (she’s often the most critical of cars, but she was impressed) and the kids (and their friends) were quite taken with the Genesis. I’ve seen some criticism of the boot which is, to a point, justified. It’s not the biggest, but then those batteries have got to go somewhere! Another minor gripe is the lack of a rear wiper – not great for a country that excels when it comes to rainfall.

DAY 7

The GV60 is a very impressive car – for all sorts of reasons. As a new entrant into the UK market, Genesis has had to endure some stick about initially arriving with ICE cars, but this one – the first EV in the lineup – ticks a lot of boxes. However, if drivers DO tick a lot of boxes, it will be pretty pricey – the base price of GV60 FUN (a dual motor Sports Plus model) was £65,405. Chuck in the options specced and it takes you to north of £71k. That’s a lot of money for a car in this class, but Genesis will argue that the quality is worth it. There is a truth to that – plus the fact that it looks a bit special – just ask the window cleaner…!