Genesis will start building a hot new version of its GV60 electric crossover later this year – and it’s tipped to nudge towards £100,000 when it lands in the UK.
The track-inspired take on the high-riding hatchback – revealed as a concept earlier this year – is the first car from the Korean maker’s new Magma performance brand, touting Hyundai Ioniq 5 N performance but tuned specifically for the “gentleman driver”.
Tipped for a production-spec debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the GV60 Magma is expected to adopt much of its hot Hyundai sibling’s underpinnings, including its 89.0kWh battery and 641bhp dual-motor powertrain.
In the Ioniq 5 N, which shares the same E-GMP platform, this is good for 278 miles and a 3.4sec 0-62mph sprint.
Autocar understands this new model will be sold for as much as £100,000. The standard GV60 can be specced as high as £77,000.
Asked about how Magma cars will be tuned, vehicle development chief Tyrone Johnson – known for his work on the Ford Focus RS and Hyundai i30 N – told Autocar: “They will be built for the gentleman driver. This is not just about speed: it is about driving from A to B in an exciting, enthusiastic way.
“Speed is becoming much less important: it is no longer the one and only thing. We do not want to think about power, or push for specific power figures [such as breaking 1000bhp].
“This car will have enough power, probably more than owners will ever use.”
Driving engagement is another key pillar of the Magma brand, he said, suggesting the Ioniq 5 N’s artificial gearchanges and engine noise could be brought over.
“The characteristics of a car are not just made by the powertrain. Software is probably now just as important,” he told Autocar. “We can create motion cues, like the gearchanges and engine noise, as a sense of communication. It is more than just a fun gimmick.”