When I review cars, I keep a small file in my notes app called “Nice Touch.” This helps me remember the little things that separate cars from one another. Drivers can and should be involved in the big-ticket items—performance, handling and exterior design, but it’s the details that stay in our memories. The 2026 Genesis GV60, the nifty electric crossover that sadly left my driveway a few days ago as I was writing this, had many of those Nice Touches, but three stood out:
First, the green suede above the door handles. That might not sound like much, but there was something about the small parallelogram cutouts, well-stitched and well-placed, that made the entire interior of the car deeply comfortable. There’s always talk in automotive design about “soft touch” things, but this was one of the softest things I’ve ever touched. It was really nice to touch.
Next, small pop-up circular camera windows that appear when you turn on your blink. When you blink, there is a circle on the corresponding side of the tachometer. It’s amazing how much progress manufacturers have made in car camera technology in recent years, and this was one of the coolest features I’ve seen in a long time. Not only is it a good safety technology, but it is also well placed on the dash, very clear and unobtrusive.
And finally, the mysterious crystal orb. What in the world that about? When you press the unlock button, the glass orb rotates, and a gear shifter appears. If you turn off the car, the orb comes back. It has no active resource. I can only imagine what a nightmare it would be to repair, especially when the warranty expires. It’s stupid. But if it’s just a conversation, I’ve never seen anything better in a car.
That being said, I enjoyed sitting in this car more than I enjoyed driving it. Not that it was a drag to drive, but it doesn’t compare to other electric cars in its segment, like the electric Porsche Macan, which costs $10,000 more, or the Cadillac Optiq. There is a 2027 GV60 performance model called the floating Magma, but I haven’t had any wheel time yet.
What you have instead is an 84 kWh battery that produces 483 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, which ten years ago would have been equivalent to a moon launch, but now you can’t imagine it being a “working” car. It goes from zero to 60 in 3.6 seconds, which is more than enough for me, or any average driver, but may not be enough for an enthusiast. You get the same basic performance from the Hyundai Ioniq. The GV60 is simply a luxury badge from the same company.
But it’s a luxury badge indeed, with Nappa leather, a dropped waistline, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, sun shades, a stunning Bang & Olufsen sound system and a leading range of safety features and driver assistance technologies. This is completely electric, so the fuel economy is perfect, although its maximum range is 252 miles. That doesn’t seem to be enough. Unfortunately, the bright future of electricity that they once promised us seems to be disappearing.
The GV60 felt new when Genesis first released it as its first electric car in 2021. In its current updated form, it’s not really a car for what the British call a “car enthusiast.” But if you like Nice Touches, it’s at the top of the market. The version I tested came out to just over $74,000, and that included the rotating crystal orb.
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