Silence can speak volumes. The Mona Lisa might not say much but by the green energy chariots of ancient Carthage she certainly gathers legions of admirers. And now Genesis. Pause here dear reader and think. Consider a marque: a badge, the pedigree, the status of one of Korea’s most respected brands. What comes into one’s mind? Surely Hyundai. Connotations of top design and reliable and safe cars attach themselves to the Hyundai badge. But now Hyundai goes one better with its upmarket luxury brand….Genesis, which shouts quality and excellence.
So what does a GV60 Sport Plus have in store for us? Nothing short of a taste of cars of tomorrow. And tomorrow arrives not with a roaring engine and a fruity exhaust note, but rather with a whisper: an incantation almost that conjures up a silent spirit of swift satisfaction. But wait. This is a Sport Plus, so you might expect a little zest for your money. And by the power of nitroglycerin that’s what you get for your £66,900. (£74,855 with various add-ons). Two electric motors driving all four wheels combine to give 484bhp to take you to near 150mph in a flash. Bimble in sleepy mode if you must but if the voices in your head tell you to press the ‘boost’ button you will unsettle your viscera as The Devil takes you forward at warp speed. All that performance…. and in silence too. It’s a jolly exciting car.
You won’t be surprised to discover that the new Genesis GV60 Sport Plus looks exactly how a new sturdy top quality electric MPV ought to look. No. It’s not a sports car. Instead it’s an accommodating package suited to all seasons and reasons within reason. As such it conforms in appearance to the practical paradines of today’s SUV configurations. It doesn’t look particularly sporty despite the nomenclature, but it is stylish, with a reassuring sprinkling of Genesis magic to bring a smile to one’s lips. It’s beneath the skin though where the magic works its spell. The GV60 is an electrically propelled motor car that runs with the best, swapping a bygone era for a futuristic flourish of high-tech electric wizardry.
There is one word to describe the interior… luxurious – offering superb comfort and oozing quality. Every high tech aid is there for your ease and safety – and one wonders just how much more sophisticated a luxury car can get. There is even face recognition technology so that the car recognises you as you approach and unlocks doors. I was, however, so disappointed that there was no cheery greeting from a robot lurking in the dashboard offering a nice cup of tea.
From ‘The get go’ as our American cousins would say, the Genesis GV60 blazes a trail towards an emissions free, battery-powered betterment of the environment.
Always one to leap out into the unknown – but only after breakfast – I was keen to see what this Genesis would mean to me. More to the point: can the infrastructure deliver the spark-o-matic network necessary for positronic progression towards high capacity commuting, tension free touring or positive pottering? Or do the negative ions still need ironing out before one is free to go and flow electrically? These are serious questions despite the flippant tone. (One day I shall become solemn and write a regular column headed “The Parson Knows”).
The Genesis GV60 Sport Plus is certainly the car to meet all your requirements. First it ticks all the boxes regarding contemporary SUV practicality. As a car qua car it can’t be faulted. It all comes down to the question of electric energy. Once you give the internal combustion engine the boot, how much lead in your pencil do you need to lead the field? We all know how the charge of The Light Brigade ended don’t we? Will THE CHARGE OF THE RIGHT – ON BRIGADE as epitomised in electric motoring, come through with all cells shining like radiant savers seeking to point the way forward? In other words, will doing right turn out to be the right thing to do?
On a single charge the GV60 will give 289 miles of motoring. A rapid charger gives you 80% capacity in about 20 mins. Just enough time they say in which to allow your coffee to cool in its eco-friendly insulated bio degradable beaker as you make use of the time to text your MP about the scandalous lack of public lavatories. You can use a domestic three pin socket if in dire straits – but this is not recommended. (Unless, of course, you happen to be borrowing the socket of your neighbour Victor Frankenstein).
Up and running the car is exceptionally smooth and silent. Electric torque makes for swift getaways and you can go far faster than you will ever need. There are lots of safety devices and driver aids. I liked the silent running that induced in me a state of calmness when my Neanderthal atavism had begun to fret without carbon energy to assist. It certainly didn’t help though that when stopping to access a rapid charge point shown on ‘Zap Map’ an inconsiderate motorist had parked his gas guzzling Mustang in the charging bay. Not for the first time did I discover that strong language has a weak effect on positive outcomes.
If ever a car chimed with the times, this is it – an attractive and sensible SUV configuration that many crave: and that’s what you get with a flourish of promise. In depth inspection doesn’t disappoint. It’s a solid, smoothly styled customer that’s easy on the eye. Rivals will struggle to match its specification, never mind exceed it. In fact it is one of the best SUVs in its class. I wouldn’t even consider a Mercedes EQB now that this is available. The Genesis brand continues to flourish, burnishing the motoring world with its peerless incandescence. Even though this is an ‘expensive’ car, one gets more than one expects for one’s money. Highway value, not highway robbery, is the Genesis watchword. I raise my glass to an optimistic future for Genesis. (Health and safety note. Charging one’s glass must only be done when the car is tucked away for the night).
