The very elegant 2023 Genesis GV60 is a luxury fully electric five-seater SUV, that I had the joy of testing with our family! This is a particularly stunning car both inside and out so let's see how the new GV60 stacks up in our BabyDrive testing…
BabyDrive Verdict
The Genesis GV60 is a beautiful looking vehicle on the exterior and is strikingly different from all other vehicles. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the absence of side mirrors, replaced by side cameras. These are visible on the inside in screens on either door. They take a small amount of time to get used to, after a few days I found I didn't even remember that they are any different! The camera position is adjusted in the same way as mirrors would be using the dial on the door, below the screen.
On the passenger side door that knob is replaced by a mock speaker that is actually a secret storage pot.
The Genesis GV60 is full of beautiful details like this, nothing is left undesigned or utilised. Perhaps the most noticeable detail of the interior is the crystal ball gear dome. When the car is turned off it is a glowing glass dome…
…when you turn the car on it rotates to become a gear dial.
Nothing in the Genesis GV60 feels like it is left to normal car design; The glove box is a drawer like you find in the Hyundai Ioniq 5Â and I find it so much nicer to use than a regular glove box.
The doors of the GV60 have ridges running the length of them that glow at night and are also fantastic storage for mobile phones for passengers in the front and back.
My favourite storage has to be the cup holders in the rear doors. These are great for holding your cup of coffee but even better for holding drinks for little rear passengers because they can easily reach it while driving long.
All other storage throughout the GV60 has been carefully considered, with nicely lined glasses cases for both front passengers, ample under central console storage and more.
In the back there is a conventional plug socket in the rear footwell which is fantastic for charging your laptop if you are working in the car while you are waiting at school pick up or while your child naps in the back. Also great for rear passengers using laptops or devices while travelling and trips where you have a little Esky plugged in keeping snacks or shopping cool.
The rear footwell is flat making an easy walk through for little passengers getting to and from their child seats and for big kids and adults it makes the central seat a very pleasant place to sit and not have to straddle anything with your feet.
When it comes to installing child seats in the back of the Genesis GV60 there are ISOFix in the two outer rear seats, they are not within plastic guides but are lovely and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages in the of all three rear backrests, they are all clearly labelled and easily accessible through the boot.
The rear seats are nice and wide so I wasn't surprised to be able to install three Infasecure child seats across the rear seats of the Genesis GV60. I installed the Infasecure Attain More and Achieve More forward facing and the Infasecure Adapt More rear-facing Infant Capsule behind the drivers seat.
With the Infasecure Adapt More rear-facing Infant Capsule installed we could easily fit a 186cm driver in front.
With the forward-facing Infasecure Attain More and Achieve More child seats forward facing. We found the front passenger seat could be in it's furthest back position allowing a 190cm passenger in the front and there was still legroom for that child.
From the outside the Genesis GV60 is deceiving in size, you would not imagine the legroom and interior space would be so generous.
The rear passengers also have built in window blinds which are fantastic for shielding little rear passengers from the sun while you are driving along.
The space does not seem to have been taken from the boot. When empty the boot of the Genesis GV60 will hold twelve shopping bags. Which is comparable to the Volvo C40 Recharge which also holds twelve shopping bags. The BMW iX3 and Jaguar i-Pace that both hold thirteen and the Tesla Model Y which holds fifteen shopping bags.
You can fit all sizes of pram in the boot of the Genesis GV60. I found a twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot of the GV60 with a couple of bags of shopping.
A single pram fits in the boot of the GV60 with six bags of shopping around it.
Or if you have a family dog we found a medium to large size family fur baby will fit comfortably in the boot of the GV60.
There are aircon vents in the rear side pillars, these are wonderful for keeping the rear passengers a comfortable temperature while doing along.
There are heated and cooled seats in the front as well as a heated steering wheel button in the central console. These have been wonderful for keeping nice and toast in the Queensland winter!
In the back there are heated seat controls in the rear door panels too.
The interior of the GV60 is predominantly white/cream leather and suede, as my daughter says “it feels like the interior of a handbag!!”.
The perforated cream leather seats are incredibly comfortable and they do make you carefully with your kiddies that they don't mark them with their crumbs and feet!
There is a child lock button on the drivers door controls panel that locks both the windows and doors in the rear, which is great when travelling with little ones.
Being a fully electric vehicle the Genesis GV60 is lovely and quiet, it is a really smooth drive and feels a little like you are floating along! The steering is very light and it's a joy to drive.
The GV60 does around 400km to a full battery charge and we found it really economical with charge during our week with the car.
Visibility out of the back is limited when you have three child seats installed in the back of the GV60, thankfully it also has a very clear rear view camera giving you great visibility front or back while driving.
The media system in the GV60 is modern and easy to navigate.
There are some great features within the media system like voice memo. You can use the EV screen to plan your journey based on your battery range…
…and you can control the climate through the media screen also.
It has Apple Car Play and Android Auto so you can easily access apps etc on your phone while driving.
The rear view camera is very clear and you have different views to choose from.
You can turn the parking sensors on and off with a button in the central console.
The luxury Genesis GV60 also has face recognition entry and finger print recognition to start the car. I wasn't able to test this as I was loaning the car but this would be a game changer for families. Allowing you completely keyless entry, so you can go to and from the car with your child filled hands, to the beach etc without the need for a key at all! There is a fingerprint pad in the central console for you to start the car with too!
Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags, as well as a driver knee airbag, are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the new 2023 Genesis GV60 EV?
The boot of the Genesis GV60Â is a generous size and will hold twelve shopping bags. Which is comparable to the Volvo C40 Recharge which also holds twelve shopping bags. The BMW iX3 and Jaguar i-Pace that both hold thirteen and the Tesla Model Y which holds fifteen shopping bags.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as kid’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis GV60 with two shopping bags beside it.
A double modular pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis GV60, with six shopping bags beside it.
A single pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis GV60 with six shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot of the 2023 Genesis GV60 with eight shopping bags around it.
Or a medium-size family dog, will fit comfortably in the boot of the GV60.
The boot floor is carpeted and flat making it comfortable for dogs and a great spot for an emergency nappy change! There is also a net for storage you can put over the floor of the boot.
Underneath the boot floor is storage for charging cables etc.
How good is storage in the 2023 Genesis GV60?
Storage in the cabin of the Genesis GV60 is incredible! In the second row, there are two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seatback. These are a good size for reusable and disposable coffee cups.
There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold but not conceal an iPad.
In the back of the central console there are two USBC sockets and a huge net fronted storage area, it is large enough for an iPad or books or big water bottle.
The rear door bins in the Genesis GV60 are small and will only hold a disposable water bottle.
The best rear storage is the cup holders in the doors. They will hold a coffee cup or a kids drink cup or bottle fit really nicely and make it easy for them to reach their drinks while driving along without you having to pass drinks backwards and forwards from the front.
There is also an illuminated ridge that runs the length of all the doors in the GV60 that you can tuck a mobile phone into for handy storage.
There are lovely little jacket hooks on the rear b-pillars…
…and a conventional house plug socket in the rear footwell which is great for charging technology while driving or while working and waiting for school pick up!
In the front of the new Genesis GV60, the storage is equally beautifully designed. There are two cup holders in the floating central console that will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup.
Behind them is a sloped phone charging pad and a small lidded central console box.
Underneath the floating central console is a storage space with a net front, great for popping your handbag.
Across the footwell from here is another storage space where there are USBC and 12V sockets for charging.
Above this and hidden underneath the dashboard is a nicely lined glasses case…
…and there is another in the ceiling.
The glove box is a drawer which is wonderful to use instead of the usual design and is large enough to hold my purse and iPad with the manual.
The door bins in the front are larger than the back and will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad too. There are ridges along the front doors two where a mobile phone can be held…
…and a little hidden storage spot is the front of the small round speaker unscrews and there's a small pot there for hiding little things in! I think it would be a great place for popping your jewellery when you go to the beach!
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the new 2023 Genesis GV60? How good is the media system in the 2023 Genesis GV60?
The media system in the Genesis GV60 is lovely and modern, clean and easy to navigate and use.
The Genesis GV60 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connecting your phone is easy and you can then access your Apps etc and music on your phone whist you are driving.
You can control the air-conditioning through the through the media system as well as the controls on the central dash.
You can make voice memos using the media system too, which I love using with the kids in the car to record their funny conversations.
The reversing camera image is crystal clear in the Genesis GV60…
…with 360-degree camera views too.
You can turn the parking sensors off with a button down in the central console…
…as well as a button for turning on and off a front and rear-view camera you can use while driving. This is helpful when you have three child seats in the back however I didn't find the visibility to be too bad.
The navigation directions come up in the driver display screen as well as in the media screen. When a junction comes up the directions overlay a camera image which make them really easy to follow.
The 2023 Genesis GV60 is a lovely smooth and quiet car to drive. Like most luxury cars you are cocooned from a lot of the outside road and wind noise making your drive less tiring. Also being electric the GV60 is effortless and a pleasure to drive.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The indicators are not too loud in the Genesis GV60 and the rear doors and windows can be locked using the child lock button in the driver's door control panel.
I found the doors and windows of the Genesis GV60 were not too loud to open and close and the doors close nice and gently and quietly.
There are controls on the side of the front passenger seat so the driver can control its position without having to get out. I love this feature so you don't have to get out at school pick-ups and drop-offs and when helping elderly relatives in and out of the car.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the new 2023 Genesis GV60?
The 2023 Genesis GV60 has ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are not within plastic guides and are easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three second-row seats, clearly labelled and within plastic guides and easy to connect to through the boot.
The rear seats of the Genesis GV60 are lovely and spacious and I could comfortably fit three Infasecure child seats across this second row. I installed a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More Infant capsule alongside forward-facing Infasecure Achieve More and Attain More child seats.
The footwell in the back is flat making it a great walkthrough for kids getting to and from their child seats. It also makes it comfortable for adults to sit in the rear central seat.
Legroom is great in the GV60, with a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule in the back a 186cm driver can fit in front of it.
On the passenger side a 186cm front passenger can easily sit in front of a forward-facing child seat.
The GV60 is quite a low roofed car, I found posting Bub into their child seats in the back from inside and outside the car is still nice and easy though.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
I found there is room to feed Bub in the back with a child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the new 2023 Genesis GV60? And How good is the new 2023 Genesis GV60 to drive?
The seats of the new 2023 Genesis GV60 are beautiful cream leather with a perforated diamond pattern for the heating and cooling. The front seats are very comfortable and are adjustable with controls on the side of the seat bases.
Both front seats are heated and cooled in the model I drove with my family which was wonderful for our Queensland winter mornings! I also enjoyed the massage in the drivers seat too!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the second-row seats are very comfortable too. There is room to sit comfortably between two child seats. In the central seat and having no hump in the rear footwell means you have ample legroom.
For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The rear seats are also heated, the button is in the rear door panel. You do have to watch your little ones don't turn that on in the summer though!
The steering wheel is also heated which feels wonderful on cold mornings!
The steering wheel has a very smooth electronic full adjustment in/out and up/down.
The cruise controls are on the left of the steering wheel and they are easy to use. I found the cruise control in the Genesis GV60 to be very accurate on both motorways and at lower speeds on undulating roads.
There are four horizontal rose gold air-conditioning vents on the front dashboard of the Genesis GV60; two below the media screen and one at either end of the dash…
… and two more rose gold air-conditioning vents in the rear side pillars for the second-row passengers.
You can control the climate using the panel on the dash…
… or within the media screen.
There are handles above both rear doors that are well-positioned to hold a baby toy for rear-facing passengers.
The rear doors have built-in window blinds which is fantastic for keeping rear passengers shielded from the sun while driving along. These are manually raised and lowered, unlike in the Genesis GV80 which has electric rear window blinds!
There are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors…
Visibility in the Genesis GV60 is great out of the back when you don't have child seats installed in the central rear seat. When you have three child seats installed it is very limited.
Thankfully there is a rearview camera you can activate while driving along which really helps with this.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Genesis GV60 was okay to park as the visibility is good and the cameras are really helpful!
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2023 Genesis GV60?
The 2023 Genesis GV60 has been given a five-star ANCAP safety rating. Scoring was 89% for both Adult Occupancy testing and Child Occupancy testing.
ANCAP said of the Child Occupancy testing:
In both the frontal offset and side impact tests, protection was GOOD for all critical body areas for both the 6 year and 10 year child dummies.
The Genesis GV60 is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, however the Type A capsule could not be correctly installed in the rear outboard seating positions using the ISOfix anchorages.
The Genesis GV60 comes with eight airbags as standard, including dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags, as well as a driver knee airbag and a centre airbag which provides added protection to front-seat occupants in side-impact crashes is also standard on all variants.
The Genesis GV60 has a seatbelt removal warning for all seats, which is clearly visible in the driver's display screen.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when my daughters are asleep!
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