When it comes to all-electric SUV crossovers, you’re spoiled for choice right now as a lease customer.
You’ve got the existing heavyweights who’ve been around for a year or more in the form of the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
But there’s a new challenger in the green corner - the Genesis GV60, which has been hitting UK roads in the last couple of months.
(Genesis GV60, above)
The Tesla Model Y is also a contender - but with an asking price that’s a good ten grand more than the Genesis, Kia and Hyundai, we’ve not included it here in this face-off.
Genesis is, of course, the premium, luxury arm of Korea’s Hyundai. And there’s a real buzz about the Genesis GV60 right now.
A posse from Select Car Leasing enjoyed the British Motor Show last week, and reported how the GV60 attracted a real crowd of onlookers, who were desperate to check out the EV’s sleek lines and perhaps surprisingly-sumptuous interior.
So, what’s to like about the GV60, and how does it compare to its award-winning competitors? Here we dig a little deeper to find out:
LOOKS
The GV60 has a sleek, coupe-like profile with a sculpted, curved front and rear that makes it really stand out.
And it’s the Kia EV6 that comes closest to the GV60 when it comes to appearances. Like the GV60, the EV6 is elegant, swooping, low-slung and you could say it has more aggressive and futuristic lines than the GV60.
(Kia EV6, above)
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a different beast entirely when it comes to the design, adopting a more boxy SUV shape while also looking like something from the movie Star Wars.
(Hyundai Ioniq 5, above)
All three, it could be argued, hit an extremely high bar when it comes to design and which one you prefer is likely down to personal preference.
When it comes to the interiors, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is minimalist, clean and uncluttered, dominated by a whopping great pair of 12.3-inch digital screens.
(Ioniq 5 interior, above)
The EV6 cabin is sharper, more edgy, but utterly intuitive and again packing two curved 12.3-inch display screens.
(EV6 interior, above)
The interior of the GV60, however, is something else entirely. ‘Palatial’ might be one way to describe it - a sea of fine quilted materials and soft-touch fittings. The crystal ball controller that pops out of the centre console on start-up will also make you feel a little bit giddy with excitement.
(GV60 interior, above and below)
PRICE
It’s the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that’s the cheapest of the bunch when it comes to buying outright, with a price tag beginning at £41,650.
The Kia EV6 sits in the middle at £44,195. While the Genesis is the most pricey, attracting an RRP of £47,005, on the road.
(EV6, above)
As Genesis puts it, that fee is justified when you’re getting to enjoy a car that ‘sets the new standard in sustainable luxury’.
The good news for you, dear readers, is that lease fees for the Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are pretty similar, and begin at around £424 per month for the Ioniq 5.
RANGE
Yep, range anxiety is still something that plays on the mind of both electric vehicle owners and those looking to make the jump from petrol pump to plug.
Which of this trio will get you the furthest down the road?
The Genesis GV60 and Kia EV6 both get a 77.4 kWh battery and an extremely similar electric range. The GV60 can travel up to 321 miles between top-ups while the EV6 will go ever-so-slightly further at up to 328 miles.
(GV60, above)
The Ioniq 5 is available with two different batteries, a smaller 58 kWh unit and a larger 77.4 kWh one. With the bigger of those batteries, the Ioniq 5 will travel up to 315 miles before you need to stop and find a charging point.
So, as you can see, there’s not much between them - and in real-world driving conditions, the gap will be even closer.
When it comes to EVs, you can also talk about ‘fuel efficiency’ in the same way you would a petrol or diesel car.
The ‘miles per gallon’ equivalent for an EV is ‘miles per kWh’ - ie, how many miles the car will travel on 1 kWh, or unit, of electricity.
You can read our easy-to-understand guide on EV efficiency here.
Again, there’s barely a hair’s breadth between our trio.
The EV6 just pips it, able to travel 3.8 miles per kWh, while the Genesis GV60 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 both have an efficiency of 3.7 miles per kWh. And with the Ioniq 5, the figure is the same for both the 58 kWh battery and the 77.4 kWh set-up.
CHARGE TIMES
For the majority of EV owners, charging the battery will take place at home or work via a ‘Type 2’ charging cable - the Europe-wide, universal socket for putting energy back into electric cars.
So let’s take a look at those Type 2 connection charge times for the Kia, Genesis and Hyundai.
Both the Kia and Genesis are identical - taking 7 hours 20 minutes for a replenish with a Type 2 connector. The GV60 and the EV6 both also support 350 kW rapid charging which will take the battery from 10-80 per cent in just 18 minutes.
With the Ioniq 5, the smaller battery takes around 8 hours to replenish. But, like the Kia and the Genesis, the Hyundai also supports rapid charging at 350 kW and both batteries can be taken from 10-80% in 18 minutes.
Again, there’s little to choose between our three contenders.
PERFORMANCE
We know lease customers are looking for the most amount of bang for their buck, so let’s look at how much oomph you get with the entry level models.
The 58 kWh Ioniq 5 will sprint from 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds, while the base 77.4 kWh model reduces that to 7.3 seconds.
The cheapest GV60 will hit 62mph from a standstill in 7.8 seconds.
And the most affordable Kia EV6 gets from 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds.
There are, though, variants that pack a real punch.
The Kia EV6 GT boasts power of 577 bhp and can launch itself from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds - making it the quickest Kia ever.
(Kia EV6 GT, above)
The all-wheel-drive ‘Ultimate’ version of the Ioniq 5 is also potent, coming with power of 325 bhp and a 0-62mph sprint time of 5.1 seconds.
Meanwhile the Genesis GV60 ‘Sport Plus S’ is also a bit of a road monster. There’s power of 490 bhp and a four second 0-62mph acceleration time. That makes this particular GV60 quicker than a Porsche 911 Carrera.
STANDARD KIT
Whichever of these EVs you choose, you can expect an abundance of kit as standard.
The entry-level Kia EV6 features ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, rear parking seniors and a bunch of driver aids, including the ‘Level 2’ autonomous Highway Driving Assist (HDA) system and forward collision avoidance.
The cheapest Ioniq 5 still gets a wireless phone charging pad, mood lighting, and Highway Drive Assist Level 1.5 with smart cruise control and lane keep assist.
While the base GV60 comes stacked with goodies like fingerprint reader authentication, as well as driver assistance packages such as Highway Driving Assist, lane keep assist, smart cruise control, a reversing camera, and rear parking sensors.
PRACTICALITY
All three EVs being compared here boast an interior with plenty of space for rear occupants.
The Ioniq 5 certainly feels cavernous in the rear, largely thanks to its minimalist cabin and sliding second row seats.
(Ioniq 5 boot, above)
When it comes to legroom in the back, there’s 37.6 inches with the GV60, while the EV6 and the Ioniq 5 have slightly more at around 39 inches.
The GV60 also makes do with a slightly smaller boot than the EV6 and the Ioniq 5, with 432 litres of space behind the rear seats. The Ioniq 5 is the roomier, with a 527 litre boot, while the EV6 has 490 litres in the trunk.
(Genesis GV60 boot, above)
All three, though, also have a small ‘frunk’ at the front which offers an additional 50 litres or so of space for your packed lunch.
AWARDS
The three cars featured here have a trophy cabinet Manchester City would be proud of.
The Genesis GV60 recently scooped the coveted ‘Red Dot Award’ for Product Design.
The Kia EV6 took home the overall 'Car of the Year' award at the prestigious 2022 What Car? Awards, as well as being named 'Electric SUV of the Year' at that bash.
And the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has lifted plenty of silverware, too, including the ‘World Car of the Year’ gong at the World Car Awards, and is also the current Auto Express Car of the Year.
** For further info about how to choose the right electric vehicle for you - and how it can save you money on your fuel bills - check out our handy EV guides section.
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