Styling
Some of the things which have changed on the 2026MY GV60 are the usual discreet midlife updates any car would go through - as in, there are new body colours, while the 19- to 21-inch alloy-wheel designs have been refreshed (sadly, that means the glorious and technical-looking 21s that used to be on the range-topping
Sport Plus have bit the dust) - and then there are some proper visual signifiers of the facelift as well. Principally, all the wheel-arch surrounds and the front, rear and side-skirt trims at the bottom of the car are body-coloured now, when they were dark plastic before. The headlights are a new design, with each of the four 'bars' that form them now completely filled from side-to-side with LEDs that illuminate at all times. And the front bumper design has changed significantly, with downturned outer intakes framing a smaller lower grille.
Interior
Inside the 2026MY GV60, the major change is that the widescreen panoramic display that always made up the main focal point of the dashboard is no longer populated by two 12.3-inch screens that were separated in the middle, but is now one gigantic 27-inch OLED edifice in which the displays segue seamlessly into one another. It looks great and operates very slickly, so it's a nice development for the Genesis. Besides that, though, all that's really occurred here is the addition of some extra upholstery colours and materials, plus the fitment of a D-shaped steering wheel and a revision to the central wireless charging pad for smartphones that makes the handheld device sitting on said pad easier to access. In other words, the passenger compartment of a GV60 remains a classy and top-quality place to be.
Practicality
The Genesis isn't quite so hot on the practicality front. Space in the second row of seating is fine, but it's not amazing for something that's an EV with a completely flat floor back there, and the boot measures a relatively measly 432 litres - you can thank that rakish rear screen of the GV60 for such a modest amount of capacity. At least, in this single-motor version we're testing here, there's a bigger frunk up front, rated at 53 litres due to the fact there's no propulsion unit elbowing its way into the cargo area's space.
Performance
There are no changes to the actual powertrains in the GV60, although two of them have been renamed. This single-motor, rear-wheel-drive variant was formerly known as the
Premium, but has now become the Pure. It still has 229hp and 350Nm, and is capable of 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds.
The two AWD dual-motor models continue as well, the 318hp and mid-grade Sport even retaining its name in the process. Meanwhile, that aforementioned Sport Plus has now become the Performance, but it still has a massive 490hp (for ten-second periods when on 'Boost') and 700Nm at its disposal, and thus runs 0-62mph in four seconds precisely.
What
has changed is the fitment of a bigger 84kWh gross battery pack, something already seen in other
Electrified Genesis models. This now allows every GV60 to lay claim to a 300-mile-plus official one-shot range. The Performance will apparently do 311 miles, the Sport 318, and this Pure has seen the biggest climb of all - it'll go 27 miles further than before with a claimed 348 peak. We saw an easy 3.3 miles/kWh from it on a not-particularly-ecocentric road test from Thruxton down to the New Forest, so a real-world 265 miles is going to be readily achievable as a minimum.
Ride & Handling
There are no chassis changes to talk about here, although the Performance does gain that Virtual Gear Shift tech that aims to simulate some of the thrill of driving a fast combustion-powered car. In that respect, it is following in the tyre-treads of its illustrious
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and
Kia EV6 GT relations, although we'd say the GV60's effort isn't the most convincing implementation of this system we've ever tried.
Anyway, on that note, Genesis let us thrash a 2026MY Performance around Thruxton circuit's high-speed layout. And the car did very well, considering it's a 2.2-tonne electric SUV-hatchback-thingy. It's not exactly the operational comfort zone for the GV60, of course, but it was suitably enjoyable to steer around the rapid track in Hampshire nonetheless.
Where the GV60 really excels, though, is for ride comfort and rolling refinement on public roads. Driving the Pure down to Brockenhurst and back, at no point did we ever discern anything truly telling about the road surfaces we were traversing. It's a lovely, lovely machine in terms of its comportment and dignity, as you'd no doubt expect of a premium EV like this.
Value
Genesis says that, despite the addition of some extra technology, spruced-up looks and the bigger battery pack all clearly enhancing the GV60's overall proposition, the prices of the new car haven't been increased. In fact, the starting price of a Pure like this has come down ever so marginally, to £54,115. However, with a Performance knocking on the door of £68,000 (despite the fact that, while 490hp is good, it's way off the 650hp the two other high-performance Korean EVs based on this chassis possess - maybe the impending GV60 Magma will address that power deficit), it's still not a notable bargain in this segment. And there are a number of four-figure option bundles and one-off items that can push a GV60's list price even higher, if you're not careful at ordering time.
Verdict
The facelifted Genesis GV60 is a very capable thing, suitably polished with the additions made by its parent company. It continues to face a wealth of talented opposition, though, including various options which are considerably cheaper to own - so whether this round of updates goes far enough to prompt renewed showroom interest in the GV60 remains to be seen.
