Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis has nabbed a top gong from the annual Good Design Awards for its first all-electric vehicle, the GV60 compact SUV.
It was just one of two awards the South Korean premium marque nabbed on Friday in the automotive and transport category.
Its GV70 SUV, which is available in a range of fossil-fuelled combustion powertrains as well as an advanced all-electric powertrain, was also awarded an automotive design award.
But the zero emissions GV60 won a special accolade, tucking the “2022 Automotive Interior Design Award” under its belt for its spacious interior thanks to its dedicated electric platform.
Genesis GV60 spacious interior
Like its stablemate the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the GV60 is built on the e-GMP platform. Both brands have capitalised on the platform’s skateboard design which allows much more flexibility in designing the interior space than a combustion engine.
Whilst not as minimal as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the GV60 offers a floating centre console that elevates the front row from a cabin to a luxury loungeroom.
Regarding the accolade, the Good Design Award judges said:
“Genesis enters the dedicated EV sphere with the GV60, a compact SUV loaded with tech yet uncompromising in its luxury aesthetic. The eye-catching and aesthetically-pleasing silhouette, which is more coupe than SUV, still offers the latter’s variable AWD underpinnings, accessible ride height and efficient external dimensions while dramatizing lights, shadows and design cues for that EV street cred.
“The interior fit and finish is noteworthy, with lovely surprise-and-delight features such as the centre console’s ‘Crystal Sphere’ which glows different colours to alert the driver to the readiness of the vehicle. The absence of conventional engine sounds combined with active cabin noise cancelling is rather helpful.”
Other notable design features that caught the judges’ attention included the wide digital side mirrors (seen in image above), that also show alerts and vision on the small screens mounted to the base of the A-pillar.
Available in Australia from September, it is priced from $103,700, and is available in AWD and AWD Performance variants. The AWD vairant delivers 234kW/605Nm while the Performance variant delivers 360kW/700Nm.
As with other vehicles built on the e-GMP platform, the GV60 can be charged from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes thanks to its 800-volt architecture, and has a maximum range of 470 kilometres depending on driving style and conditions thanks to a 77.4kWh battery under the floor.
“The company’s long-range rapid recharge battery-electric tech can reach 450km while charging to 80 per cent in a claimed 18 minutes; housed in a flat-floor design to maximise space,” said the judges, who also applauded Genesis for eco-credentials and e-GMP features like vehicle-to-load (V2L) which allows owners to charge devices from the vehicle’s battery.
“Other sustainability ticks include the recycling of heat from electronic componentry to warm the cabin, eco-leather and trim made from corn polymer extract and recycled plastics, and a vehicle-to-load reverse charging system,” the judges said.
GV70 Electrified also noted by judges
Whilst the GV70 Electrified is not built on the e-GMP platform, the judges noted that Genesis has also made efforts to include features such as V2L, as well as carry through with sustainable materials.
“Sustainability is further addressed through the use of lightweight body materials, drag-reducing aerodynamics, and eco-friendly leather & fabrics,” they said.
“Among its innovative features, the GV70 features a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, which makes the vehicle a portable source of mains electricity. Fingerprint recognition enhances convenience, and an advanced Road Preview Electronic Control Suspension that monitors the road ahead and pre-emptively adjusts the electronic dampers for optimal ride comfort.”
With dual 180kW motors that produce 350Nm of torque and a single 77.4kWh variant, the $127,800 (before on-roads) GV70 Electrified can accelerate from a standing start to 100 km/hr in 4.2 seconds.
It does have speedy DC fast charging from 10-80% in 18 minutes, despite not sharing the same e-GMP platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the electric-only GV60.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.