What It IsGenesis has been doing luxury justice since 2015, and the GV60, which delivers a properly posh experience in electric-crossover form, is only one example. But instead of leaning further into a luxury-first attitude, the upcoming GV60 Magma will push Genesis in an unexplored direction as its first high-adrenaline model. Gleaning inspiration from the BMW M and Mercedes AMG playbooks, the GV60 Magma will take the standard GV60 EV crossover and dial up the heat with a more potent electric powertrain, angrier styling, and a sportier interior. Why It MattersThe GV60 Magma will inject some pep into Genesis’s step as the first red-hot ride in the marque’s new Magma performance sub-brand. Genesis claims that every vehicle in its lineup—which includes the G70, G80, G90, GV70, and GV80—will eventually have a Magma variant, all offering a different performance-to-luxury ratio depending on the model. The Magma brand will also cross over into motorsport, with Genesis Magma Racing set to make its WEC and IMSA debut in 2026 and 2027, respectively, in a bid to win the iconic 24-hour races at Le Mans and Daytona. PlatformThe GV60 Magma will be built on the E-GMP platform that underpins several other Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia models. The platform has already been used for some existing high-powered EVs, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV6 GT. The former won our EV of the Year award in 2024 thanks in large part to its fun-to-drive factor, which bodes well for the GV60 Magma.GenesisPowertrainConsidering its shared underpinnings with the Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV6 GT, it would make the most sense for the GV60 Magma to crib the high-output electric propulsion setup from those models. Both feature a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive electric powertrain that makes 601 horsepower normally, with the ability to temporarily deliver 641 horsepower via a boost feature. With 158 more horsepower than the most powerful standard GV60, the borrowed powertrain would provide the Magma with plenty of gumption. The 483-hp GV60 Performance zips to 60 mph from a standstill in 3.7 seconds, and the Magma should cut that time to around 3.0 seconds flat.CompetitionBlending performance and luxury tends to be a German affair, and with that country’s popular marques already offering that cocktail in the EV crossover segment, the GV60 Magma will be going toe to toe with models like the Porsche Macan EV and the Audi SQ6 e-tron. What Might Go WrongWith the GV60 Magma expected to start around $75,000, its price might be its biggest handicap. That’s a lot to pay for a newbie in the performance EV SUV space, even if a comparable Porsche Macan EV starts at more than $100,000. Since the GV60 Magma can’t cash in on reputation and name recognition the way some of its competition do, it’ll have to justify every dollar of its MSRP with impressive performance and standout luxury accommodations. It will also face internal competition from the Ioniq 5 N and EV6 GT, so it will need to differentiate itself from its platform-mates to make the extra cost worth it. Estimated Arrival and PriceThe GV60 Magma is expected to enter production at some point in 2025. At the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Genesis claimed that the first models will go on sale in South Korea during the third quarter of 2025 with European models following suit at the end of the year. We probably won’t see the Magma stateside until the first half of 2026. See all the cars worth waiting forMore Swanky Genesis ConceptsAustin’s car fixation began at a young age and at 1:64 scale. Eventually, Hot Wheels weren’t cutting it anymore, so he developed an obsession with his father’s full-sized 1965 Ford Mustang instead. Desperate to break into the automotive industry, he bartered his way into a job at a local BMW dealership by promising to stop hurling nerdy technical facts at the salesmen who came into the neighboring coffee shop where he worked.
That was also around the time when he started writing automotive reviews, news articles, and technical guides for a number of local and international publications. Now at Car and Driver, Austin brings more than 10 years of experience in the automotive industry and an all-so-common love-hate relationship with German engineering to the table.
Source: caranddriver.com
