Genesis GV60 Standard Shows That Single-Motor And Small Wheels Are Crucial For Range

Genesis recently expanded the GV60 lineup with a new entry-level version, which brings quite a noticeable range improvement.

The 2024 Genesis GV60 Standard was announced in October with an MSRP price of $52,000 (plus +$1,195 DST), $8,550 lower than in the case of the Advanced trim ($60,550). It has an EPA Combined range of 294 miles, compared to 248 miles in the Advanced trim. The difference between the two is 46 miles or almost 19 percent.

The main technical difference between the Standard and Advanced versions is that the Standard version has only one 168-kilowatt motor (rear-wheel drive), while the Advanced has two for a system output of up to 234 kilowatts and all-wheel drive. An additional change is the wheel size, which is 19 inches for Standard, instead of 20 inches for Advanced. The battery pack capacity is the same in both cases at 77.4 kilowatt-hours and both cars are equipped with a heat pump.

The EPA range and efficiency ratings, recently listed on the EPA website, reveal that basically, the entire 46-mile range difference is a result of the higher efficiency of the Genesis GV60 Standard over the GV60 Advanced. This shows us how important it could be to ditch the second electric motor and stick with smaller wheels if you want to maximize the driving range.

Because the EPA’s website also lists the Advanced trim with 19-inch wheels, we can see that solely on the powertrain level, there is a 30-mile difference (11 percent).

Energy consumption, including charging losses, of the 2024 Genesis GV60 Standard with 19-inch wheels is 112 MPGe or 301 watt-hours per mile, compared to 95 MPGe or 355 Wh/mi in the case of the Advanced trim.

This difference in efficiency not only increases range, it also reduces energy cost per mile and potentially reduces strain on the battery pack (less charging).

If power output and some additional equipment are not a priority, then the entry-level version sounds like a better option. It might also attract more customers to the Genesis brand.

The range difference between RWD and AWD versions (with the same wheel size) is more than 10 percent, despite the fact that the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform comes with a physical front motor disconnector in the AWD versions. It’s not an unusual result, according to our data. Depending on the model, the difference varies from several percent (Volkswagen ID.4) up to more than 15 percent (Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge).