The Genesis GV60 will be the first “Magma” model to join the brand’s expanding lineup. The automaker introduced the performance line nearly a year ago, quickly tempering expectations that Magma would be as hardcore as BMW M or Mercedes-AMG. Since then, we’ve been wondering how it’ll compare to other performance electric vehicles, and a new spy video suggests it might actually be good. Very good.
The video shows Genesis testing a camouflaged GV60 Magma alongside a pre-facelifted Porsche Taycan and a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. It’s difficult to determine which Taycan model Genesis is using to benchmark the GV60, but the base Porsche produces up to 402 horsepower.
We know quite a bit about the 5 N. It’s a fun EV that can make up to 641 hp, propelling the family crossover to 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. While the GV60 and Ioniq 5 share plenty of hardware, the Magma won’t be a simple reskin of Hyundai’s hot N model.
The GV60 will have a unique tune that compliments Genesis’s characteristics while making “hundreds” more horsepower than the 429-horsepower GV60 Performance, according to Hyundai Motor Group’s Chief Creative Officer and design boss Luc Donckerwolke. The GV60 Performance, which can make up to 483 hp for 10-second bursts, already hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
Genesis officials have been coy about the specific upgrades the GV60 Magma could have, only saying that it would have a better battery and improved electric motors. The GV60 Magma concept that debuted last year featured wider fenders, aerodynamic enhancements, and 21-inch wheels. It’s unclear how much quicker the Magma will be over the Performance trim.
BEVs like the GV60 Magma democratize horsepower in a very inconvenient way for supercar makers. The I5N, which costs just $67,000, is exactly one second slower than the slowest cars on our list of the quickest vehicles ever built. The Bugatti Centodieci, Ferrari LaFerrari FXX K, Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, McLaren P1 GTR, and Rimac Concept_One, none of which are as cheap as the Hyundai, take 2.4 seconds to reach 60.
How long before a Genesis or Hyundai model joins that list?