Genesis GV60 vs Kia EV9

What's the difference?

Genesis has been in Australia for seven years, which in car industry terms is ancient (given the rapid pace of new arrivals). But the Hyundai-owned luxury brand has yet to make a real dent on challenging the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz and is now facing growing threat from the likes of Zeekr and Omoda-Jaecoo.

So it has opted for the tried and tested method of appealing to Australian customers - more performance. Australians have always had a soft spot for the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, so Genesis is hoping its new performance sub-brand, dubbed Magma, will help give it a sales boost as well as an image enhancement.

The Genesis GV60 Magma has just arrived in Australia and is the first member of what is planned to be an entire family of Magma halo vehicles. 

An electric performance small SUV is an unusual choice for a hero model, but there are some good reasons why this has potential and why it makes sense to be the first Magma offering. And both those reasons are largely the same, because the GV60 Magma is based on the same underpinnings and features and much the same powertrain as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6 N. 

Just like Hyundai N has three core elements - Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability and Everyday Sportcar - Genesis has created a trio of pillars for Magma. These are Design: Unspoken Dominance, Driving Sensation: Captivating Control and User Experience: Sharpened Immersion. 

Or to put it another way - slightly different, but fundamentally the same premise given the shared mechanical DNA. But Genesis has definitely put its own spin on it, so read on to find out if Magma is hot or not.

Kia’s newest addition is either an overpriced mistake or the logical next step for a brand looking to move up in the world.

It’s called the EV9 GT, and much like the many ‘GT’ variants that have gone before it, this one is packing plenty of performance. It’s also loaded with creature comforts, enough to push it into the same league as the luxury car establishment.

But it also takes Kia to new heights in terms of price, which were already pushing boundaries. And it comes at a time when electric vehicles are in hot demand, but at the other end of the price spectrum.

So is this the case of the right car at the wrong time, or simply the next step in Kia’s evolution?