Tag Archives: SUV

Coupe, electric, GENESIS, Motoring

Luxury GENESIS now even better

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GENESIS GV60 Pure

By Bill McCarthy

There is no doubt in my mind that Genesis, the luxury arm of Korean manufacturer Hyundai, is maturing impressively.  Parent brand Hyundai was once known for budget motors. No longer of course, but its upmarket GENESIS brand now feels thoroughly luxurious, competitive in the £50k-plus market, and packed with technology.

A recent facelift sees three model specs: the new rear-wheel-drive Pure, the all-wheel-drive Sport, and the high-performance Performance.

The Pure, tested here, focuses on efficiency and luxury, while the Sport and Performance add dual-motor traction and increased power, catering to buyers who prioritise grip and acceleration over maximum range. I previously drove the ridiculously quick, 490PS Sport Plus twin motor a couple of years ago, and although the new Pure lacks that kind of performance, like most electric cars it still offers plenty of pace.

Price and styling

This entry-level model starts at just over £53k, but the tested version – featuring a host of optional extras – bumped the price to well over £63k. Visually, it remains a show-stopper, with a slippery, aerodynamic profile offering luxury, performance and now an extended range via a larger 84.0 kWh battery. With a claimed 348 miles, range anxiety is pretty much dispatched. 

Striking exterior features include quad lamps, the distinctive Bentley-esque badge, a lower crest grille, and eye-catching alloy wheels.

High-tech features include an Electronically Controlled Suspension system, which uses the front camera and navigation data to recognise potential bumps and potholes, pre-adjusting the suspension.

Cutting edge cabin

Inside, the cabin looks and feels superb, with planet-friendly trims made from organic and recycled materials. Despite the dual panoramic touchscreen, a wealth of physical controls remains, making life simple for the driver. The interior is roomy enough and comfortable, with high-quality soft-touch finishes.

This test car came with the optional £2,930 Comfort Pack, adding an 18-way electronically adjustable Ergo-Motion driver’s seat, ventilation for the front seats, heating for the rear, and Premium Relaxation Seats for both driver and passenger. The rear seats recline and fold to increase boot capacity from 520 litres to a capacious 1,580 litres, accessed via the powered tailgate.

Additional security comes from a face recognition panel in the B-pillar, supplemented by a fingerprint recognition button near the drive controls. The door unlocks seamlessly as you approach, and the door handles pop out. Still, I wonder about the longevity of these features – it feels slightly gimmicky.

The cabin’s touch-controlled cockpit is dominated by a new single 27-inch panoramic OLED display that controls instrumentation and infotainment, while Genesis Connect Services offers cutting-edge over-the-air updates and smartphone integration.

The interior centrepiece is the so-called ‘Crystal Sphere’: press the starter, and the sphere revolves to present the automatic gear selector. Switch off the car, and it rotates back to deliver subtle ambient lighting. When indicating, cameras show the road ahead on the screen – an excellent safety measure.

 In additions, the innovative Active Sound Design (e-ASD) delivers three virtual driving sounds. 

Upgraded powertrain

Thanks to a larger battery powering a single motor, the Pure boasts a WLTP combined range of 348 miles. An accurate figure was difficult to obtain, but across all types of driving and sometimes inclement conditions, I estimated around 300 miles. 

When you do stop, the 400V/800V ultra-rapid charging architecture proves a game-changer, capable of accepting up to 240kW DC to charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes. Smart Regenerative Braking 3.0 with i-Pedal further helps to maximise efficiency.

Safety and Innovation

The test car offers a comprehensive list of advanced safety kit, including numerous warnings and alerts, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera with dynamic reversing guidelines, smart cruise control with lane assist, collision warnings and blind-spot recognition. 

The £4,170 Innovation Plus Pack adds a head-up display, digital centre mirror, blind-spot view monitor, surround view monitor, remote smart parking assist 2, parking collision-avoidance assist, and the excellent intelligent front-lighting system.

Verdict

The GV60 Pure has matured excellently and still looks the part with sharp styling, cutting-edge technology and cabin comfort. It is not cheap, but similarly specced premium models will cost much more.

Factfile

  • Genesis GV60 Pure 
  • Price: £53,300 (As tested: £62,605)
  • Mechanical: 229PS, 84.0kWh battery/single motor driving the rear wheels via single-speed auto gearbox
  • Max speed: 115mph
  • 0-62mph: 7.5 secs
  • Combined WLTP range: 348 miles
  • Insurance group: 45-49
  • CO2 emissions: 0 g/km
  • BiK rating: 2%
  • Warranty: Five years/unlimited mileage
Electric/hybrid, Jaecoo, Luxury, Motoring

JAECOO a luxury SUV with off-road capability

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JAECOO 8 SHS

By Bill McCarthy

The first JAECOO I saw was on a trip to Devon, just after the brand’s launch. A JAECOO 7 sat in a pub car park. Curious, I took a closer look and found an SUV that blended the look of a Range Rover with a ‘waterfall’ grille reminiscent of a Jeep.

It clearly struck a chord with buyers, and a year later, it’s the best-selling car in the country. Owners, Chinese giant Chery, will be delighted and now the firm has moved upmarket with the new JAECOO 8 – a powerful, high-end, all-wheel-drive luxury vehicle.

The flagship SUV, the JAECOO 8 SHS-P, is a premium plug-in hybrid that brings three-row luxury to the brand’s line-up for the first time, available in two seating formats.

With prices starting from £45,500 OTR for the Luxury and £47,500 OTR for the Executive, it seriously undercuts similarly specced brands.

In addition, the warranty offers a seven-year / 100,000-mile warranty as standard, including an eight-year / 100,000-mile battery warranty.

Design and off-road capability

The Luxury version features seven seats in a 2-3-2 formation, while the more upmarket Executive model offers a 2-2-2 layout, with two captain’s chairs in the middle.

Both models are capable off-road, as demonstrated on a mildly challenging circuit on a country estate. I tested its adaptive all-terrain response and hill-descent control systems.

It remained stable and manageable even descending a ridiculously steep hill. It also includes settings for sand, mud and snowy conditions, plus lockable differentials for trickier terrain.

It’s a big vehicle and certainly looks the part. The popular waterfall design is retained here, and the elegant lines belies the vehicle’s genuine capability. It rides high off the ground with an impressive flood or streat wading depth of 600mm.

It also has some nat premium touches like hidden door handles and full-width LED taillights.

Luxurious interior

The interior feels premium, dominated by dual 12.3-inch displays that control major functions, including infotainment via a Sony 14-speaker sound system, smartphone connectivity, charging, and various apps. 

However, I found the touchscreen difficult to navigate at first – the menus are not immediately intuitive, and it takes time to find key functions while driving (which of course you should never do).

The other main controls are logically placed and easy to use, if you like a gear selector where wiper stalkwould normally be. For the record, I don’t.

The Executive adds powered, massaging Nappa leather seats – four heated, ventilated, massaging captain’s chairs. The cabin is large and spacious, designed around the brand’s ‘Enjoy Each Moment Outdoors’ philosophy whatever that means, with ample headroom, legroom and an airy ambience.

Rapid performance

This is a powerful vehicle, which I was able to test on some challenging roads around the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is the Chiltern hills.

Acceleration is very rapid for such a big vehicle, and both versions hit 60mph in under six seconds.

Power is delivered via parent company Chery International’s Super Hybrid System (SHS) – a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a three-speed DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission) and twin electric motors. Incidentally, all of the motors come into play when off-road.

Combined output is a huge 428 PS and 580 Nm of torque, which would make it ideal for towing.

Driving on these country roads, the car felt stable, although there is some inevitable lean on certain corners. Even a luxury model like this can be upset on poor road surfaces, but generally occupants are cocooned in a quiet, refined environment with a generally comfortable ride.

EV range

This is a plug-in hybrid, so the electric-only range matters. Chery claims around 80 miles on a full charge. On a short test drive, that was difficult to judge, but that is more than enough for most people’s daily commute without touching the petrol engine.

Once the battery is flat, you’re looking at official fuel economy around 40-50mpg. Not class-leading, but fine for a big seven-seater.

Practicality and storage

Boot space is substantial – cavernous, actually – with a capacity of 738 litres with the second row in place, expanding to a mammoth 2,021 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s enough to swallow a large furniture item, the dog and probably the kitchen sink, comfortably.

There’s a large centre console bin, a multitude of door bins, plus under-floor compartments for extra storage.

Verdict

The JAECOO is an attractive, well-rounded package – a true two-in-one choice between a seven-seat family hauler and a six-seat luxury cruiser, backed by punchy hybrid performance and rare off-road hardware such as lockable diffs.

The touchscreen can be as bit of a learning curve at first, and it leans, unsurprisingly, into bends. But as a spacious, well-specced, genuinely off-road-capable hybrid SUV with a seven-year warranty, it’s a cleverly priced alternative to far more expensive rivals.