SEOUL– South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. on Friday launched the upgraded GV60 all-electric model under the independent Genesis brand in the domestic market.
The GV60 SUV is equipped with a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery and can travel up to 451 kilometers on a charge, the company said in a statement.
The GV60 has three available options: rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and four-wheel performance. It is priced at 65 million won to 74 million won (US$49,000-$56,000), it said.
It comes with a set of new advanced features, including the world’s first face recognition technology for keyless entry in a production vehicle, as well as Digital Key.
The Face Connect function gives customers the ability to unlock and access their car using their face alone. The Digital Key feature allows customers to access the vehicle and lock or unlock the car using their smartphone.
The GV60 is the Genesis brand’s second EV after the electrified G80 sedan. But unlike the G80, the GV60 is only available with the Hyundai Motor Group’s EV-dedicated EGMP powertrain.
It sits below the GV80 and GV70 SUVs in the lineup, which also includes the G70, G80 and G90 sedans.
The GV60 shares its platform with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and its affiliate Kia Corp.’s EV6 sedan.
The facelifted “athletic” model is a crossover with coupe-inspired styling and features an extension of Genesis’s “Two-Lines” design approach with two sets of light units in the front and rear.
Front lights lie beneath a clamshell bonnet and sit above a lower and wider version of the brand’s crest grille, which helps enhance the dynamism of the car and cool its batteries, the company said.
Rear lights are placed under a low-level tailgate spoiler and wrap around to the rear three-quarter panels.
From the side, the GV60’s pop-out door handles and cameras in place of wing mirrors are meant to improve efficiency.
Genesis plans to start launching only hydrogen fuel cell or battery-powered vehicles in 2025 to compete with rival carmakers in the electrification push.
The Genesis brand aims to complete its lineup with eight hydrogen and battery models by 2030 and aims to sell 400,000 units a year in global markets.
The Genesis lineup is composed of the GV80 and GV70 SUVs, as well as the G90, G80, electrified G80 and G70 sedans.
Source: Yonhap News Agency