2026 Genesis GV70 Electrified Review

Electric SUVs usually fall into two camps. The first is the sensible crowd, the cars that whisper about efficiency while looking like they were designed using a ruler and a spreadsheet. The second is the overconfident performance brigade, the ones that bolt forward like startled animals but forget to give you anywhere comfortable to sit. The 2026 Genesis GV70 Electrified does not belong to either of these. Instead, it strolls in with the sort of self assurance usually reserved for luxury yachts and celebrities who never queue for anything.

This is Genesis showing off. You open the door and you are greeted by a cabin that feels like a designer furniture showroom, complete with leather that looks as though it was stitched by someone who refuses to rush their work. The seats heat, cool and massage you, the screens stretch across the dash like a high resolution billboard, and everything you touch feels well thought out. It gives the impression that someone actually cared about how the driver would feel, which is not something you can say about many electric SUVs.

Under all the glamour sits a serious bit of engineering. Dual motors give it proper shove, the battery is large enough to handle real life and the ride comfort is so soft you begin to wonder if the tyres are filled with marshmallow fluff. It is not pretending to be a hardcore performance machine. It just wants to make every drive effortless.

The GV70 Electrified arrives with one clear message. Luxury does not have to be stuffy and electric does not have to be dull. This thing is out to make rivals look a little outdated, and in many ways, it already does.

Features and Value

The 2026 GV70 Electrified sits firmly in luxury SUV territory, but unlike many premium brands that treat essential features as optional trinkets, Genesis has gone in the opposite direction. You pay a premium price, yes, but what you get in return is a cabin overflowing with gear that would cost thousands extra elsewhere. It feels like Genesis wants buyers to experience the full luxury treatment straight out of the box rather than navigating a confusing options list.

Once inside, you are greeted by an interior that looks and feels genuinely expensive. The massive OLED display stretches across the dash with crisp graphics and smooth responsiveness, and the cabin materials have the sort of richness usually associated with far pricier badges. Every switch, button and surface feels thoughtfully designed, giving the impression that Genesis wanted this SUV to feel special before you even press the start button.

Comfort takes centre stage, with seats that heat, cool and massage in a way that would embarrass many high end sedans. Rear passengers are not forgotten either, with heating, dedicated vents and quality materials that make the second row feel properly premium. The Bang and Olufsen audio system fills the cabin with deep, clean sound, turning even mundane trips into a pleasant experience.

Key highlights include:
• A wide OLED infotainment display with sharp, premium visuals.
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that connect smoothly.
• Bang and Olufsen audio tuned beautifully for the cabin.
• Front seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions.
• Heated rear seats that add comfort for passengers.
• Fingerprint driver profiles that load your settings automatically.
• A digital rear view mirror for clearer visibility.
• Remote parking via key fob for tight spaces.

When compared with rivals where many of these features cost extra, the GV70 Electrified stands out as one of the most generous and well equipped options in the luxury EV segment.

Style Inside and Out

The 2026 GV70 Electrified is one of those cars that makes you turn around for a second look, even when you are the one who parked it. Genesis has always leaned toward a more sculpted, artistic design language, and here it is turned up to full volume. The front end wears a bold, confident face, with the signature crest grille cleverly hiding the charging port. It is the sort of detail that makes you nod approvingly, because it shows someone cared enough to make practicality look elegant.

The proportions are spot on. It sits low enough to look athletic, tall enough to feel substantial and wide enough to give it a proper road presence. The headlights and taillights, with their twin line design, look sharp and modern without falling into the trap of over styling. Even the wheels have a sleek, technical look rather than the oversized, cartoonish designs many EVs seem to be adopting.

Step inside and things get even better. The cabin feels like it was designed by someone who actually understands what luxury should look like. There is a simplicity to the layout, but also a richness in the details, from the stitching on the Nappa leather to the textured knobs and clean lines across the dash. The ambient lighting glows subtly rather than blinding you like a nightclub, and the OLED screen blends into the dashboard with the smoothness of a piece of modern art.

Genesis has clearly focused on crafting an interior that is beautiful without being pretentious and high tech without being cold. It is a space you want to spend time in, which is the whole point of a luxury SUV.

Space, Tech and Everyday Use

The 2026 GV70 Electrified feels like a luxury living room that happens to move. Everything inside is arranged to make daily life easier, smoother and far more comfortable than most mid sized SUVs manage. It is not the largest EV in its segment, but Genesis has used every inch cleverly, giving the cabin an open and thoughtfully organised feel that works just as well for weekday chaos as it does for longer trips.

Up front, the seats are thick, supportive and endlessly adjustable. The flat EV floor gives the interior a clean layout, and visibility is excellent thanks to generous glass and sensible pillar orientation. Even the centre console feels like it was designed by someone who has actually dealt with loose cables and clutter.

Tech is where things really level up. The cabin is dominated by a huge 27 inch OLED display that links the instrument cluster and infotainment into one crisp, seamless panel. It is fast, sharp and crucially easy to navigate. Wireless phone mirroring behaves itself, and the fingerprint driver profile system instantly loads your settings with a quick tap.

Some key usability highlights include:
• A flat floor layout that boosts rear passenger comfort.
• A massive 27 inch OLED display with clean, modern graphics.
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that connect without fuss.
• A dedicated phone tray that keeps devices secure and visible.
• Rear sunblinds, vents and heated seats for added comfort.
• ISOFIX and top tether mounts for easy child seat fitting.
• A small frunk that stores charging cables neatly out of the boot.

As for storage, the 503 litre boot is not the biggest in the class, but it is shaped well enough to handle the usual family loadouts, shopping, prams, school bags, sports gear and weekend luggage all fit without any drama. The powered tailgate is quick and smooth, and the underfloor space neatly holds the tyre kit and accessories.

Overall, the GV70 Electrified blends luxury and everyday usability impressively. It is comfortable, clever and packed with features that make daily driving feel more relaxed and far more enjoyable.

Power and Performance

The 2026 GV70 Electrified hides some serious muscle beneath its polished, luxury focused exterior. Genesis has fitted it with a dual motor setup that gives the SUV instant torque and proper all wheel drive traction, making it far quicker than most people expect from something this plush. It is smooth and quiet when you are cruising, but when you put your foot down, it moves with real authority.

Standard output already delivers strong, usable power for everyday driving. The acceleration is immediate, clean and controlled, making overtaking feel almost effortless. Then there is Boost Mode, a feature that feels slightly mischievous. Press it, and the GV70 sharpens up noticeably, delivering a short burst of extra muscle that turns gentle acceleration into proper shove. It never feels frantic or unstable, just confidently quick in that refined, electric way.

Despite the performance figures, the GV70 does not behave like a sports car. It is tuned for smoothness rather than aggression, with the motors delivering power in one long, uninterrupted wave. Grip levels are excellent, the throttle is easy to modulate and the whole experience feels polished and deliberate.

Key performance stats include:
• Dual motor all wheel drive
• 320 kW of power and 605 Nm of torque in standard mode
• 360 kW of power and 700 Nm of torque in Boost Mode
• 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds with Boost activated
• 0 to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds in normal mode
• Smooth, linear acceleration with excellent throttle control

The result is a luxury EV that feels calm when you want it to and properly quick when you ask for more. It delivers its power with refinement rather than theatrics, which suits the GV70’s character perfectly.

Range, Charging and Real-World Efficiency

Range anxiety is the great party killer of electric motoring, the thing that turns otherwise sensible people into nervous wrecks watching percentages tick down like a deflating balloon. The 2026 GV70 Electrified does a decent job of calming those nerves. It is not the longest range EV on the planet, but it offers enough for daily life and weekend trips without forcing you to plan your journeys like a military operation.

The battery is an 84 kWh unit that delivers a claimed 462 kilometres on the WLTP cycle. In the real world, you can expect something close to that figure if you drive sensibly. Even with spirited driving, heavy traffic and a bit of Boost Mode mischief, the consumption stays within a range that feels predictable and manageable. It is the sort of EV you can live with rather than constantly babysit.

Charging is where Genesis has kept things pleasantly straightforward. Plug into a 350 kW fast charger and the GV70 can climb from ten percent to eighty percent in around nineteen minutes. That is enough time for a coffee and a scroll through your phone before you are back on the road. At home, an 11 kW wallbox will refill the battery overnight without any hassle. The car also includes vehicle to load capability, which means you can power appliances or gadgets directly from the battery when parked.

Key charging highlights include:
• 84 kWh battery capacity
• Up to 462 km WLTP range
• 10 to 80 percent in as little as 19 minutes on a 350 kW charger
• Around 7.5 hours on an 11 kW home charger
• Vehicle to load capability for powering devices
• Four levels of regenerative braking, including one pedal mode

Regenerative braking helps stretch your range, and the one pedal mode is surprisingly smooth once you get used to it.

How It Drives

The 2026 GV70 Electrified is one of those SUVs that immediately tells you what it cares about, and what it cares about is comfort. Not the floaty, disconnected sort of comfort that makes you feel seasick, but the kind that takes Australia’s rough, patchy roads and turns them into something vaguely civilised. The suspension tuning is soft enough to keep passengers happy but controlled enough to avoid the wallowy behaviour you sometimes get in plush EVs. Speed bumps, potholes and coarse surfaces are dealt with quietly and without any fuss, which makes the car feel genuinely relaxing on long drives.

Steering is light and surprisingly precise. Around town it makes the GV70 feel smaller than it actually is, helping you slot into narrow carparks or thread through busy streets without breaking a sweat. Out on the open road, the steering gains just enough weight to feel stable and confidence inspiring. The all wheel drive system does its job in the background, keeping traction secure even when the weather turns or the road surface gets greasy.

The regenerative braking system is adjustable using the steering wheel paddles, allowing you to choose how much resistance you want when you lift off the accelerator. Once you settle into your preferred setting, it becomes second nature, and the one pedal driving mode is smooth enough for daily use without upsetting passengers.

Noise levels stay impressively low, with only the faintest whisper of wind and tyre noise creeping in at highway speeds. Combine that with the strong visibility provided by the wide windows and the excellent digital rear mirror, and you get a driving experience that feels calm, confident and deliberately refined. The GV70 is not pretending to be sporty, and that honesty makes it a far better luxury EV.

Safety and Driver Tech

The 2026 GV70 Electrified takes safety seriously, packing in a long list of systems that work quietly in the background without being irritating or intrusive. It carries a five star ANCAP rating and builds on that with updated sensors, smarter software and a few genuinely premium touches that help it stand apart from other mid sized luxury EVs.

One of the most impressive features is the blind spot view monitor, which shows a live video feed of your blind spot directly in the instrument cluster. It takes the guesswork out of lane changes and feels far more confidence inspiring than the usual warning lights. The adaptive cruise control is equally polished, using navigation data to slow the car for corners and speed zones more smoothly than many rivals.

The collision avoidance systems cover you from almost every angle. It can intervene to prevent front, side and rear impacts, and the backover detection works from 5 to 85 km/h, a useful range that covers everything from carparks to busier roads. Lane keeping and driver attention alerts are gentle but effective, while the 360 degree camera gives a crystal clear view for tight manoeuvres.

Families are well catered for with eight airbags, ISOFIX mounts, three top tether points and rear occupant alert. Intelligent speed limit assist and safe exit assist add further reassurance in day to day driving.

In short, the GV70 Electrified brings big luxury car safety to a mid sized SUV. It feels thorough, modern and reassuring without drowning you in constant beeps and warnings.

Ownership and Running Costs

The 2026 GV70 Electrified gives you one of the most buyer friendly ownership packages in the luxury EV segment. Genesis has taken the usual high cost, premium brand aftercare model and flipped it into something far more generous. The result is an SUV that is not just enjoyable to drive but easy to live with long term.

You get a solid warranty setup, low running costs and several inclusions that rival brands would happily charge extra for. Servicing is straightforward, support is widespread thanks to Hyundai’s network and ongoing costs are predictable, making the GV70 an appealing option for anyone concerned about long term expenses with an electric car.

Ownership stats and highlights:
• 5 year, unlimited kilometre warranty
• 8 year, 160,000 km battery warranty
• Free scheduled servicing for 5 years or 75,000 km
• Roadside assistance for up to 10 years (when serviced through Genesis)
• 5 year Genesis Connected Services subscription
• Choice of 5 year Chargefox subscription or home wallbox charger
• Servicing available at any Hyundai dealership, not just Genesis centres

With fewer consumables than a petrol car and predictable energy use, day to day running costs stay low. Genesis has made owning this SUV surprisingly stress free, and that alone gives it a clear edge over many European competitors.

Verdict

The 2026 Genesis GV70 Electrified succeeds because it stays focused on what matters. It delivers comfort, quality and technology in a package that feels genuinely premium without trying to imitate the louder personalities in the luxury EV world. It is smooth, quiet and beautifully finished inside, and it gives you far more included equipment than most rivals at this price.

Performance is strong when you need it and refined when you do not. The cabin feels special every time you climb in. The ownership package is one of the most generous available, making long term living with the car easier than many European alternatives. It is a thoughtful SUV rather than a flashy one, and that is exactly why it works so well.

Yes, some competitors offer longer range or a bit more boot space, but very few match this blend of value, comfort and everyday usability. For buyers who want a luxury EV that feels relaxing, high quality and complete straight from the factory, the GV70 Electrified is an impressive choice. It may not shout for attention, but it earns respect the moment you drive it.