Genesis' Electrified GV70 to dethrone gas GV70

Genesis is the tip of the spear for Hyundai Motor Group's efforts to sell more than 3 million electric vehicles globally by 2030. The Korean automaker's luxury brand pledges to phase out internal combustion engines in three years and transform its lineup to EVs by the end of the decade.

The brand is launching its third EV in the U.S. — a battery-powered version of the GV70 compact crossover that will eventually be the only powertrain option in the lineup.

The Electrified GV70 will be built at Hyundai's factory in Montgomery, Ala., with the company having invested $300 million to retool the facility to build EVs. The Hyundai Santa Fe is built there now and the Electrified GV70 will go into production in December, with sales targeted to start in early 2023.

The new EV follows the launch of the GV60 compact electric crossover built on Hyundai's Electric Global Modular Platform, known as E-GMP, and the Electrified G80, a battery-powered variant of Genesis' midsize sedan.

The vehicle's naming strategy — Electrified GV70 — serves as a stopgap until Genesis halts production of the gasoline version, at which point "Electrified" will be dropped and the EV will carry the original GV70 nameplate. That convention also applies to the Electrified G80.

Styling differences between the Electrified GV70 and the GV70 are almost unidentifiable both inside and out. There are some variations in color and texture, such as matte aluminum trim on the door panel, and functional enhancements to multimedia features specific to battery management.

Retrofitting the vehicle with a battery does not compromise interior space — the cargo area is just as generous, while the nearly flat floor at the rear maximizes space for back-seat passengers.

"These platforms are developed with the capability of electrifying them in the short term within the same generation," said Andre Ravinowich, senior manager of Genesis product planning and strategy. "It's not like this is second-generation GV70. This is still the original car."

Noticeably absent is any reference to electrification on the exterior of the Electrified GV70.

"Eventually, we will be an all-electric brand, so there will be no special electric designation — the Electrified GV70 will just be the GV70," Ravinowich said. "That's why the GV60 is just the GV60."

Minus exhaust pipes, the rear of the Electrified GV70 looks identical to its gas-powered counterpart. "Genesis" is centered across the tailgate in all caps, with GV70 badging to the left.

The front end emulates the gasoline-powered GV70's "G matrix" theme, with the diamond pattern splayed across — as on all Genesis vehicles. The design, which Ravinowich describes as "reverse G matrix," camouflages the charge port.

"Some products have a showy way of showing it's an EV, and the whole idea that the brand is going fully electrified means it wouldn't need to advertise in that way," Ravinowich said.

While Genesis has not confirmed the range of the Electrified GV70, Ravinowich said reaching 300 miles is not a priority at this stage in EV adoption and that most buyers willing to try EVs are comfortable with a number closer to 250. The GV60 equipped with the Advanced package has a range of 246 miles, while the Performance series has a range of 235 miles.

"If you have fast charging, it almost becomes an unnecessary thing to have more range because the battery just adds weight and cost to the car," Ravinowich said. "When we start moving toward the whole brand shift to EVs and we have no more gas cars to sell, then we're going to have to be a little bit more ambitious with range."

The Electrified GV70 will offer fast charging and be able to recoup in about 7 hours on a Level 2 charger, Ravinowich said. When hooked up to a DC fast charger, the crossover should take about 18 minutes to reach 80 percent.

These charging times are similar to the GV60, which is built on Hyundai's Electric Global Modular Platform that enables fast charging and plentiful range.

The E-GMP also allows for different body styles and products to be on the same production line, which is tricky to do with more traditional platforms, Ravinowich said.

Hyundai Motor Group is pouring $5.54 billion into an EV factory in Georgia that will have capacity to build up to 500,000 Hyundai, Genesis and Kia vehicles on its Electric Global Modular Platform.

For now, Genesis is not saying whether the Electrified GV70 will eventually migrate to its E-GMP.

"There are still some things down the line," Ravinowich said.