Rival car makers who were watching as luxury brand Genesis launched its third battery-electric model recently might rightly be concerned at the cracking pace the Korean car maker is setting.

While Lexus heralds the arrival of its second battery electric model, the RZ 450e EV “sometime in 2023”, Genesis has put the foot down and dropped the Electrified G80 large sedan, GV60 compact electric SUV, and now the Electrified GV70 SUV, all in in the space of six weeks.

It’s a heady pace from a brand that is still finding its feet in the highly competitive Australian prestige car market, having only launched as a standalone brand in 2019 but already boasting a competitive five-model, 20-variant range.

The Electrified GV70 is the latest model to join the brand’s expanding electric car line-up, with the significance of ‘Electrified’ before its alpha-numeric designation indicating it is an electric variant of an existing internal combustion model, as opposed to a dedicated or ‘clean-sheet’ electric vehicle, such as the GV60 Electric.

The Electrified GV70 joins four existing ICE-powered GV70s, comprising two 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrols, a 2.2-litre turbo diesel and the previous range-topping 3.5-litre twin turbo V6.

All bar the entry-level 2.5T are all-wheel drive, with the new electric model getting its drive courtesy of twin 180kW electric motors mounted front and rear.

The twin-motor AWD system’s combined outputs of 360kW/700Nm are enough to shift the 2310kg Electrified GV70 from 0-100kmh in a claimed 4.2-seconds, which is as quick as a 3.0-litre twin turbocharged Porsche 911 Carrera, which retails for $260,000.

No one’s suggesting the electric Genesis will be as thrilling to drive as the German sportscar benchmark but it’s $127,800 (MRLP) is also well short of the 911’s price tag.

In the context of the broader GV70 range the electrified model is hardly bargain buying, however, priced as it is some $43,000 north of its next most expensive stablemate, the 3.5T AWD Sport.

Under the floor is a 77.4kWh battery that enables a 445km (WLTP) range and can be charged from 10–80% in just 18 minutes on a 350kW DC fast charger, assuming you can find one of those rare beasts.

Also included as a sweetener in the purchase price is the option of a five-year Chargefox public charging subscription, or a home A/C charger and installation.

There’ll be no haggling over the price at a dealership, however, firstly because Genesis runs a fixed price, no-negotiation model and secondly because its sales model is online only, with customers encouraged to visit its ritzy experience centres to get a taste for the brand or to book a test drive where the car is brought to you.

There are no great surprises on the styling front with the Electrified GV70 building on the look and feel of its conventionally powered stablemates.

Electrified-exclusive elements include the brand’s inverted G-Matrix crest grille, featuring a hidden EV charging port, and a simplified, tailpipe-free rear bumper and skid plate. 

Inside, the second row is said to offer space that’s comparable to the conventional GV70, despite the presence of under-floor batteries, through a lowering of the centre tunnel and other improvements.

Other interior kit includes a 14.5-inch high-resolution LCD touchscreen multimedia unit with Augmented Reality (AR View) navigation function, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with 3D view, a handwriting recognition touchpad as an alternative way to access the various vehicle functions and fingerprint authentication technology that applies personalised settings to the seat, steering wheel, exterior mirrors, linked smartphone and more.

Available in single highly equipped ‘Luxury Package’ trim grade in 13 different colours, the Electrified GV70 doesn’t want for much on the features front, with standard kit including unique 20-inch wheels, a 14-speaker, 1050W Lexicon by HARMAN audio system, panorama sunroof, LED headlights, quilted Nappa leather-appointed seats, leather dashboard and doors, suede headlining, and 18-way adjustable heated and ventilated front seats.

We’re yet to drive the new model but Genesis claims the SUV’s dynamics are aided by the lower centre of gravity and centralised mass that come from packaging the battery beneath the floor and between the axles, as well as standard electronic torque vectoring technology.

Additionally, the SUV’s Road Preview suspension system uses a front windscreen-mounted camera to recognise road surface changes and then optimally control the electronic suspension.

Other notable Electrified GV70 technologies include Active Noise Control-Road (ANC-R) which measures and analyses road noises using sensors and microphones, and then simultaneously creates sounds at opposite phase to cancel them out, creating a more refined driving experience.

The driver can also select from three different virtual driving and engine sounds which are piped through the audio system into the leather-lined cabin.

Safety equipment extends to eight airbags, including a centre-side airbag, active bonnet technology for pedestrian protection and a raft of electronic driver aids including blind-spot monitor and collision avoidance, forward collision avoidance assist, high-beam assist, intelligent speed-limit assist, lane keeping assist, reverse parking collision avoidance and more.

An exterior and interior vehicle to load (V2L) function gives users the option of a household-grade source of electric power (3.6kW output) from the car’s traction battery to power and charge equipment including laptops, electric bicycles, and camping equipment.

On the ownership front the GV70 comes with the usual generous Genesis package which includes a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, eight-year/160,000km high-voltage battery warranty, five-year complimentary servicing, five-year Genesis to You and valet service, 10-year 24/7 roadside assistance and 10-year complimentary map updates.

The Electrified GV70 is on sale now but a Genesis spokesperson said the initial batch of 40 units had sold out and while there would be regular deliveries in coming months the number of existing orders meant any new orders would take about 10 months to fulfil.

Learn about RACQ Comprehensive Car Insurance