Hyundai and Kia have already wowed us with the Ioniq 5 and EV6 EV crossovers, and now it’s the turn of sister brand Genesis to show what it can do with the group’s E-GMP electric platform.
The Genesis GV60’s chassis architecture and EV powertrains closely follow those of its sister cars, but this being a Genesis, it’s being pitched at a more upmarket crowd. Let’s find out how it stacks up on paper against those premium rivals, and a blue-collar EV with enough street cred to turn even snobby heads.
Read More: 2022 Genesis GV60 Electric Crossover Is Here And We’re Intrigued
The EV crossover market’s youth means there’s more variation among the cars than in other sectors in terms of size and price. But the cars we’re highlighting are all fully electric machines with plenty of ground clearance and liftback designs. And most have the option of a single motor and two-wheel drive, or two motors and all-wheel drive. Which would you pick?
Genesis GV60
› Price range: $50-60,000 / £45-55,000 (both est)
› Wheelbase: 114-in. / 2,900 mm (est)
› On sale: early 2022 (est)
Although Genesis has released the first official images of its new EV crossover, including its strange ‘Crystal Sphere’ shifter and digital mirrors, it didn’t reveal much technical or marketing details about the car itself. So we can only speculate for now on its exact size and cost.
But since it’s essentially a re-skin of the Kia EV6, we’re not totally flying blind. Given the GV60’s premium positioning, it might well skip the entry-level EV6’s 167 hp single-motor configuration and go straight to the 218 hp version of the same motor that should deliver 300 miles of range.
An AWD version with around 313 hp is a certainty, and crucially, all variants will have 800v charging capabilities that will take a battery from 10-80 per cent in as little as 18 minutes.
Will it get the supercar-slaying EV6 GT range-topper’s 576 hp powertrain? Possibly, but since the Genesis philosophy is about refinement rather than all-out performance, we wouldn’t bank on it.
Audi Q4 e-tron
› Price range: $45,000-55,000 (est) / £40,750-66,750
› Wheelbase: 108.8-in. / 2,764 mm
› On sale: late 2021 (already available in Europe)
The Q4 e-tron is the most luxurious car yet created from the VW MEB platform that also forms the basis of cars like the Skoda Eniyaq iV, Cupra Born and VW ID.3 and ID.4.
It comes in regular hatch and more slippery Sportback shapes (the latter adding 7 miles of driving range) and noteworthy tech includes an augmented reality head-up display similar to the one available on the Mercedes S-Class.
Depending on the market, base 35 e-tron cars get a 52 kWh battery and 168 hp motor that delivers a so-so 208-mile WLTP range and zero to 62 mph in 9 seconds. The Q4 40 e-tron which is the entry-level model in the U.S. range is equipped with a larger 77kWh battery and a 201 hp motor, shaving the 0-62 mph sprint time to 8.5 seconds and boosting range to 316 miles.
Other versions include a 261 hp bi-motor 45 Quattro and a 295 hp 50 Quattro, though the 6.2-second 0-60 mph time means even the fastest Q4 is slow by EV standards.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
› Price range: $42,895-64,900 / £40,350-67,225
› Wheelbase: 117.5-in. / 2,984 mm
› On sale: now
The ICE Mustang’s forward-thinking brother is outselling the retro-styled original, and even if the link between the two is tenuous, the Mach-E is a great car in its own right, and cool enough to overcome its non-premium badge.
Handsome, roomy and boasting a Tesla-like minimalist interior dominated by a giant touchscreen, it’s also fun to drive, if not as stable or refined as some of the VW MEB-platform cars.
The range kicks off with a 266 hp single-motor version that sends you to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, but the twin-motor AWD Premium boosts power to 346 hp and cuts the 60 mph time as low as 4.8 seconds. Still not fast enough? You can get the Mach-E GT with the optional Performance pack that does the job in just 3.5 seconds.
Polestar 2
› Price range: $45,900-49,900 / £39,900-45,900
› Wheelbase: 107.7-in. / 2,735 mm
› On sale: now
This four-door EV is more sedan than crossover, but with the right kind of badge, a raised ride height, and some solid electrical tech under the skin, the Polestar 2 could well be on a GV60 buyer’s radar.
The original line-up comprised a single powertrain setup that placed a motor over each axle. With a total output of 402 hp and 487 lb ft it can crack 60 mph in under 5 seconds. The downside is a fairly poor 249-mile EPA range.
If you’re willing to sacrifice some performance you can raise that to 265 miles by choosing the new 231-hp single motor model; European buyers also get the choice of marrying the single motor with a smaller battery.
Like the idea, but not the styling? Sister brand Volvo’s XC40 Recharge SUV and C40 Recharge crossover are very similar under the skin.
Tesla Model Y
› Price range: $53,990-60,990 / £49,000-58,000 (GBP est)
› Wheelbase: 113.2-in. / 2,875 mm
› On sale: now (autumn in Europe)
The hugely popular Model 3 sedan’s SUV alter ego gets a liftback body, more headroom and ground clearance, plus the option of a third row of seats, but otherwise it’s a similar recipe.
Unlike the less expensive Model 3 though, which starts off with a single-motor, rear-wheel drive model, all Model Ys get two motors and all-wheel drive.
The simple two-tier lineup starts at $54k for the Long Range, which the EPA says will do 326 miles on a charge and can hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Step up to the Performance models and you’ll storm past 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but the range is pegged back to around 300 miles.
Mercedes-Benz EQB 350
› Price range: $57,000-67,000 / £48-58,000 (both est)
› Wheelbase: 111.4-in. / 2,829 mm
› On sale: early 2022 (U.S.), late 2021 (Europe)
Unlike the other cars here, which were built from the ground up as EVs, Merc’s EQB can trace its DNA to the gas-engined GLB. For buyers on a budget, or who don’t need much space, there’s also the EQA, but the EQB is the GV60’s more natural rival.
Besides the Tesla Model Y, this is the only EV here to offer seating for seven – but don’t expect to put any NFL or NBA buddies in the third row.
Mercedes hasn’t yet detailed the full EQB line-up, but eventually buyers will be able to choose from front- and all-wheel drive configurations, as well as different power outputs and battery sizes, depending on where they are in the world.
The EQB 350 4Matic announced for Europe has a pair of motors producing a combined 288 hp for 0-62 mph in around 6.2 seconds and 260 miles of WLTP driving range, while the single motor EQB 250 makes just 187 hp.
BMW iX
› Price range: $83,200 / £69,905-94,905
› Wheelbase: 118.1-in. / 3,000 mm
› On sale: order now, delivery 2022
BMW’s most controversially-styled car yet is a much more expensive machine than the GV. The only model confirmed for the U.S. is the dual-motor iX xDrive50 that makes 516 hp, is rated at 300 miles of electric driving thanks to a colossal 111.5 kWh battery, and costs a hefty $83k.
European buyers get the xDrive50, too, but they also get the option of a dual-motor iX xDrive40 with a 70 kWh battery pack that is rated for 249 WLTP miles on a charge, makes 322 hp and costs 25 per cent less.
Neither model is a direct rival for the GV60, but the iX3 is. Unfortunately for clean-living North American BMW fans, though, this EV derivative of the regular X3 SUV isn’t available in the U.S.