Genesis GV70 Long-Term Review Update: ICE Breaker

At the end of January, Genesis announced it had made the decision to become an all-electric brand in the UK. There’s a stockpile of internal combustion-powered cars available to customers who want one but, once they’re gone, everything it offers on our shores will be powered by batteries.

That has left us in an interesting position. You see, back in October 2024, we took delivery of OY24 XSF – a 2.5-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder powered Genesis GV70.

The ultimate goal of our time with the car, which will come to an end a few weeks after this report goes live, was to decipher if there’s a credible reason to opt for the relatively unknown Hyundai spin-off as opposed to a BMW, Audi or Mercedes.

Now, the latest news has opened up something interesting to ponder. Is it really a shame that we’ll be without any combustion-powered Genesis models?

Honestly, no, I don’t think so. Now I appreciate you, the Car Throttle audience will probably crucify me for such a take and I’d normally agree, but my time with the GV70 has revealed that engine as its weak point.

I’m a fan of our GV70. It’s very comfortable, it stirs conversation and quite simply it’s holding up well to its current life of a car launch commuter wagon and occasional carrier of cardboard boxes to the tip after adding more needless add-ons to my sim rig.

Yet, I don’t like the engine. It’s too noisy, it’s inefficient – returning around 27mpg over our few months with it – and not powerful enough to justify either of those things. It spoils the whole thing. I’ve driven Genesis’ EV SUV before too, and they’re perfectly okay – as fine as EVs pretty much can be. They’re hardly exciting, but motors suit the GV70 better than an engine does.

It won’t be too long until hybrid versions of the Genesises (Genisii?) come along to fill the gap for those who don’t want to go EV, and I’d expect those to be a significant improvement on the four-pot too.

Really, there are a lot of engines I’m sad to have seen die in recent years, but I won’t be pouring one out for this one.