Genesis GV60 Magma: 641bhp performance SUV driven

Heated-up electric crossover borrows tech from Hyundai’s game-changing Ioniq 5 N – but is it better to drive?

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If the Magma sub-brand were a member of Genesis, it would undoubtedly be Phil Collins: louder, punchier and brought in to steer the group in a bold new direction.

That shift begins with this, the GV60 Magma, which was first revealed in concept form almost two years ago. Now we've driven the Korean premium brand's radical new 641bhp electric SUV on both road and track.

If you're unfamiliar with the GV60 Magma, it's a hardcore performance version of the GV60 electric crossover and the first model out of the newly formed Magma programme.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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As part of the Hyundai Motor Group, Genesis has freely raided the N division's parts bin: the GV60 Magma shares its fundamental hardware and software with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

It sits on the same E-GMP architecture, draws power from an 84kWh battery pack and matches the Ioniq 5 N's 641bhp peak output in Boost drive mode. It also adopts its own version of Hyundai's virtual gearbox, which is paired with a bespoke simulated exhaust note. 

Yet despite the mechanical similarities, Genesis insists the GV60 Magma has its own identity, with bespoke gear ratios for the virtual transmission and its own suspension tune. It sits 20mm lower than the standard GV60 on a 50mm-wider track, with 21in forged aluminium wheels wrapped in sticky, 275-section tyres.

The body is far more aggressively styled than the standard car, and to my eyes it looks great. There's plenty of aerodynamic addenda, with bumper canards to reduce front-end lift and vents behind the widened wheel arches for better airflow.

The rear wing is said to add some extra downforce, and the endplate winglets visible in the wing mirrors serve as a constant reminder that it isn't your common-or-garden electric crossover.  

INTERIOR

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The Magma theme continues inside, with orange stitching and seatbelts. Perceived quality is high, mixing soft-touch leathers with Alcantara door inserts.

Pleasingly, tactile physical switchgear remains for all the key functions, with lots of buttons and toggles to prod and poke on the dashboard as well as in the centre console.

You can select the sportier drive modes via the orange button on the wheel, but if you want to turn the virtual gearbox on or off, annoyingly you have to use the touchscreen.
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

And even though this is the sportiest version of the GV60, it retains the Crystal Sphere rotating gear selector.  

Mounted to the dashboard is a 27in panoramic display, which houses both the infotainment touchscreen and the digital gauge cluster.

The central touchscreen is responsive and easy to navigate, despite there being quite a few sub-menus. Still, the fact you can control it using a rotary dial in the raised centre console makes it easy to use on the move. 

The front bucket seats offer exceptional support and good adjustability, with substantial side bolsters helping to keep you firmly in place when pressing on.

And while this may be a sports SUV capable of hitting 60mph from rest in 3.4sec, it demands no compromises in terms of space and practicality.

There’s generous amounts of leg and head room in the back, which means taller passengers will have no trouble finding a comfortable seating position. 

 

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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So what's it like to drive? Initial impressions suggest the Magma is every bit as fun and engaging as its N-badged cousins. 

Naturally it's quite firm-riding, and this can grate the most around town. There's noticeable head-toss over broken Tarmac and the occasional thunk when you hit a sharp pothole. However, a bit of urban jitteriness is a small price to pay when you uncork full performance on a track. 

Even on a damp circuit there was plenty of grip to lean on, and if I got on the throttle early this would coax the rear axle into a progressive and controlled slide. Not the only Genesis with a trick of the tail, then...
Sam Phillips
Senior Staff Writer

Around the undulating Knockhill circuit it was taut, poised and seriously quick. Meaty, communicative steering, tight body control and indefatigable pace made it genuinely entertaining to drive. You do notice its 2240kg kerb weight through tighter corners, but it remains predictable and composed.

The brake pedal was a bit soft for my liking, with too much dead travel at the very top. It was actually more rewarding to stamp on the brakes hard into a corner, and even after sustained hot laps the brakes didn't fade. 

Equally impressive is the calibration of the virtual gearbox and exhaust note. Genesis claims the soundtrack mimics a V6, but at lower revs it has the burble of a Porsche 911 Turbo S and the free-revving zing of a BMW M3 as you approach the 9000rpm redline.   

On rural Scottish roads, the virtual transmission and engine note helped provide a greater sense of road speed while also boosting driver engagement. Short, sharp undulations can upset the vertical body control at speed, but through long, sweeping bends it maintains a nice neutral cornering stance.

If I'm being picky, the steering feels quite heavy for road use. If you're neat and tidy and opt for more progressive, measured steering inputs, however, you can find a good rhythm on a B-road. Flick the car back into Comfort mode (with the virtual gearbox and engine off) and it reverts to being an amiable, easy-going EV.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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The 84kWh battery is officially good for 264 miles of range, but my test car indicated 232 miles when fully charged and then managed 2.2mpkWh – reasonable, given that it spent an afternoon thrashing around Knockhill.

The maximum charging rate is 265kW, translating to a 10-80% charging time of 18 minutes.   

VERDICT

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At £75,915, the Magma costs roughly £10,000 more than the Ioniq 5 N, although it comfortably undercuts the Porsche Macan Turbo Electric by more than £20,000.

That's serious money for a compact SUV, and I'm not sure it feels as luxurious as the standard GV60, nor markedly better to drive than the Ioniq 5 N. 

Yet it still appeals for several reasons. It looks brilliant; it has the same duality as its Hyundai sibling in that it can transform from a quiet EV to a fast track weapon at the push of a button; and it puts driver engagement front and centre. 

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Senior Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.