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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
Motoring

BYD ATTO delivers upgraded features and performance

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BYD ATTO 3 EVO

By Bill McCarthy

They say that many a good tune is played on an old fiddle. This seems to be partly true with BYD’s upgraded ATTO model, the ATTO 3 Evo, which has retained one of its musical party pieces with the door pocket strings – and a couple of quirky touches.

The original arrived only a couple of years ago as BYD’s first model, but this new version has been so comprehensively upgraded that it feels like a revolution rather than a simple refresh. It now offers a choice of rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, delivering more range, faster charging, and hot-hatch-beating performance – a hot SUV if you like.

The Chinese manufacturer says it has listened to and addressed concerns from customers. Now priced from nearly £39,000 to just under £43k, expectations are high with an upgraded model that ditches the old front-wheel drive layout for either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Primarily a five-seater, it now comes in two specs – Design and range-topping Excellence. Both were driven here.

What’s new on the outside?

At first glance, the Evo’s visual changes are subtle but effective. The dimensions are unchanged, but BYD has sharpened the SUV’s muscular profile with revised front and rear bumpers, slimmer side skirts, and new 18-inch alloy wheels, and there’s a sportier rear roof spoiler. Additional features include a powered tailgate, privacy glass, and a panoramic sunroof on Excellence models.

Upmarket interior

The interior is a comfortable place to be, feeling solid and well engineered.

Rear head and legroom are decent, though the sloping shape restricts headroom for taller passengers. Much of the original’s gym-inspired styling remains, but has been refined. I’m not a fan of the oddly shaped door handles, but the interior remains bright and spacious. The gear selector has moved from the centre console to the steering column, thus freeing up space.

The focal points are twin displays including a new 8.8-inch digital instrument panel and a large 15.6-inch central touchscreen that still rotates between portrait and landscape.

The infotainment system includes DiLink (4G) with integrated Google features including Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play Store, plus an eight-speaker sound system.

There are plenty of bells, whistles and premium features including heated electric front seats, heated rear seats (Excellence only) and a head-up display (Excellence only), a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking radars, USB-C ports, and a wireless charging pad with integrated cooling.

Electric performance

The ATTO 3 Evo delivers instant pace via a larger 74.8kWh Blade Battery. The Design’s rear motor offers 309bhp and 380Nm – a huge step up from the original’s 201bhp – and can hit 60mph in around 5.5 seconds.

The dual motors on the Excellence produce 443bhp and rocket the car to 60mph in under four seconds. That used to be considered supercar territory.

The driver can choose Sport, Normal, Economy, or Snow modes. The original could snatch at the steering wheel under hard acceleration; here, the rear-drive balance feels more composed, though respect is still required.

On the road, both were tested over a range of challenging roads in the Cotswolds, some of which were unplanned due to a glitch in the navigation. However, that probably enhanced the test, as some genuinely challenging roads were undertaken by myself and a driving colleague.

The stiffer chassis and upgraded rear suspension smooth out all but the worst potholes and bumps, delivering a ride that is comfortable with good steering feedback, especially in Sport mode.

On some winding country lanes it felt stable, even when pushed to the limit.

Claimed range on the Design is 316 miles, with the Excellence, with the extra motor, returning 292 miles. It was difficult to judge with just a limited drive, so these figures should be treated as provisional.

A new 800V architecture allows for 220kW charging, meaning a 10-80% top-up takes just 25 minutes. It also retains Vehicle-to-Load for charging external devices.

Practicality

Boot space has now increased by 50 litres to 490 litres. The ATTO 3 Evo also has a 60:40 split-folding rear bench. In addition, it now features a new 95-litre front ‘frunk’ under the bonnet (a space where a traditional engine would be), which is perfect for storing charging cables.

Safety and Warranty

Safety kit includes a full suite of airbags, autonomous emergency braking, hill-start and descent control, and lane-keep assist. BYD backs it with a six-year, 93,750-mile warranty, plus eight years or 155,350 miles for the battery.

And the party piece?

And yes, the door pockets still play guitar licks. I even picked out Smoke On The Water again. The ATTO 3 Evo has matured – but it still knows how to rock.