Volkswagen Touareg vs Genesis GV60

What's the difference?

A car as impressive as it is frustrating, the Touareg R is a vehicle for a very specific buyer. Someone whose daily commute consists of limited distances, someone who can always charge at home overnight and someone who appreciates the subtlety of the performance and luxury the Touareg brings.

For everyone else - there are better options. Performance-focused PHEVs can be tricky to charge and extract the full benefit from, and at this price you have access to some serious performance-oriented combustion SUVs or the choice of going fully electric.

While this R-badged VW might be the most mind-bending of the lot then, it also has the most 'specific' appeal.

An electric SUV is certainly an unconventional choice for a halo model, and is unlikely to be a big seller, but that’s not really the focus for Genesis. Instead, the arrival of the GV60 Magma means something bigger for the brand.

It’s a clear sign of intent from Genesis that it means business with Magma and has a long-term plan for Australia and taking on the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.

But, as for the car itself, it’s undoubtedly a very nice proposition, with some genuine performance potential and an engaging driving experience - even if it is thanks to technology rather than simple mechanics.

To dismiss it as simple a ‘luxury Hyundai’ would be doing it a disservice, too, as it offers not only a more premium package but overall a different driving experience. It’s less outrageous than either the Ioniq 5 N or 6 N, but still outrageously fast.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Touareg, as always, screams big Volkswagen. It’s more subtle than the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 with which it shares its underpinnings, yet looks as slick as either up close.

It’s defined in its face by a massive black grille, integrated light fittings, and as usual with Volkswagen, some pretty subtle highlights and tail-lights in attractive LED patterns.

The wheels sell the vibe of an R. They’re enormous and gloss black, matching the theme and style of its smaller siblings, black highlight trims replace chrome or body colour bits to set it apart from the rest of the range.

It doesn’t look quite as modern as something like Kia’s Sorento or EV9, and it doesn’t look as elegant as the Volvo XC90 or as defined as the Land Rover Defender, all in the same price bracket.

This helps the Touareg maintain a certain mainstream appeal, and a sporty edge, without being too egregious.

Still, some might want some more overt visual flourish to indicate they’re driving a vehicle which is capable of sprinting to 100km/h from a standstill in 5.1 seconds.

Perhaps I’m in a different camp, one which appreciates the ‘sleeper’ nature of a giant family SUV capable of incredible driving feats when pushed.

Inside is always a pleasant surprise in a Touareg. While it might be the most affordable of the giant SUVs on this platform, it maintains the air of luxury and plush nature of its more expensive counterparts from Audi and Porsche.

You’re met by nicely trimmed leather seats and a chunky VW R steering wheel, massive screens and lavish amounts of padded leather surfaces everywhere. It feels every bit the luxury SUV the price indicates, in case you were worried you’d be getting something which feels more like a T-Roc than an Audi. For what it’s worth I quite like all the Volkswagen switchgear.

The GV60 is somewhat of the ‘odd one out’ in the Genesis line-up, with its more aerodynamic shape giving it a distinct visual separation from its bigger SUV siblings, the more upright GV70 and GV80.

But like any self-respecting performance brand, Genesis has given the Magma version some major design upgrades to give it a more aggressive and dynamic look. In keeping with its ‘Unspoken Dominance’ pillar, the design team have added a new 'Magma signature' three-hole bumper plus a redesigned lower front bumper that improves air-flow and track-inspired, aerodynamic canard wings on the sides. 

There are new wheel arches and side skirts, which also have the three hole design element, that help accentuate the stance along with the new 21-inch alloy wheels.

Finally, the look is completed with a new rear bumper design and the unmissable rear wing. You could certainly argue the wing is a bit over-the-top but it completes the look and gives the GV60 Magma a purposeful appearance - even when standing still.

Inside has some obvious similarities to the Hyundai duo, namely the basic layout of the cabin, but there are some key differences to separate them.

The most obvious change is the overall higher level of design and finish, with the Magma featuring a lot of leather and suede, offset by contrasting Magma-orange stitching - with white stitching available as an option. The sports seats are a particular highlight, finished in a combination of leather and suede with the specific Magma stitching pattern.

Then there’s the new, unique, steering wheel and instead of the blue and red ‘N’ buttons, Genesis has included a multi-function ‘Magma’ rotary dial/button and a ‘Boost’ button that allow you to adjust the various drivetrain modes (more on those later).

Overall, despite some similarities, the more premium materials and finish certainly lifts the GV60 Magma over its Hyundai relations.

It’s a big SUV with big interior dimensions. It feels spacious and wide on the inside with a large centre console area for spreading out and a highly adjustable driver’s seat.

The seats are plush and comfortable, and visibility is pretty solid out of the cabin. Again, you're greeted by excellent touchpoints, from the steering wheel to the door cards and there’s even lashings of padded leather trim down the sides of the centre console for your knee to rest on.

Volkswagen’s screens are usually some of the best in the business and that continues here. They’re bright, sharp and served up with attractive and mostly functional and easy-to-navigate software.

The hardware behind them is also enough to keep them lightning fast when reacting to inputs, with satisfyingly smooth animations, too.

The one thing I like a bit less is how a few of the menus can be confounding. It took me a while to figure out I needed to set the default battery level higher than its current charge to get the engine to stay on, and I’d also love a button to simply switch between EV and hybrid mode.

In fact, the lack of buttons is one of the major issues in this car. Sure, the enormous centre screen is an impressive feature, syncing up with the dash design nicely, but you’re also forced to negotiate with touch elements for key climate functions. No matter how fast or slick the software is, there’s no compensating for a toggle or dial you can easily reach while you’re focused on the road.

For what it’s worth, the wireless Apple CarPlay worked seamlessly with the car in my time with it (and looked good too) while the wireless charger is rubberised and in a good location so your phone will be able to at least maintain its state of charge on the go.

Storage is plentiful up front, with large pockets with integrated bottle holders in each door, a large dual cupholder set-up in the centre console with variable edges and a large armrest console box.

In the back seat I have enough room for myself behind my own driving position at 182cm tall. It’s plenty wide and tall, but I don’t feel as though I had an enormous amount of legroom considering the size of the vehicle.

Still, the width will give you space for three adults across in relative comfort. Yes, there’s a large raise in the floor in the centre position to accommodate the all-wheel drive hardware underneath, but the width of the floor should allow a centre passenger to put their feet on either side.

Big door openings and the wide cabin make for easy child seat fitting, and there's even built-in window shades alongside two rear climate zones with physical controls, large bottle holders in the doors and a drop-down armrest, with some flimsy nets on the backs of the front seats to round things out.

Boot space is allegedly enormous at a quoted 810 litres, but the shape of it is less than ideal. Sure it’s nice and wide and oblong shaped at the base, but the rake of the boot quickly eats into the amount of height available, making it tricky to fit larger objects.

The space accommodated our CarsGuide three-piece luggage set with ease, but it didn’t leave much room to spare. It doesn’t feel like it’s double the 400 litre space typical of a one size-down SUV. 

There’s also a needlessly complex two-piece shelf, which lifts with the tailgate, but the boot wouldn’t completely close with the luggage set present unless you removed it. To the Touareg’s credit, the second row seats hinge forward significantly to expand space by a fair bit.

Under the floor there’s only a repair kit, as the huge PHEV battery takes up the rest of the space. A decidedly less than ideal flat tyre option.

The other glaringly obvious difference inside the cabin between the Hyundai pair and the Genesis is the latter’s signature 27-inch wide OLED multimedia display. Unlike many other vehicles that house two smaller screens in a single housing, Genesis offers an uninterrupted 27-inch display in high-definition.

It looks properly premium (especially when the map or other displays blend into the instrument section) and further accentuates that this is a luxury vehicle, even if much of the functionality is the same.

Accessing the Magma is possible either via the standard key fob or the latest generation Digital Key 2.0, which is able to be stored on your smartphone and even shared with others remotely.

Aside from the premium leather and suede finish, the cabin is quite practical for a performance car, with good space front and rear for up to four adults in reasonable comfort.

Again, the shared underpinnings - also known as the e-GMP architecture - is the Hyundai Group’s bespoke EV base so it has been designed to maximise interior packaging and it shows here.

Even though Genesis likes to compare the GV60 Magma to the Porsche Taycan as a performance EV rival, the reality is it sits closer to Porsche’s Macan on price and offers similar interior space despite being slightly smaller overall and slightly lower to the ground.

Of course, the commonality between the Hyundai pair and the Genesis means pricing the GV60 Magma is a challenge. 

It needs to be more expensive to cover its high level of equipment and finishes, but can’t be too much more expensive or customers are likely to stick with the Hyundai options.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6 N already cost $115,000, before on-road costs, which make them amongst the most expensive Hyundai’s ever offered in Australia. But Genesis is still a new-ish brand to Australian buyers, so it can’t charge significantly more, even if it does offer more luxury. Which is why the asking price of $130,000 feels like Genesis has hit the sweet spot.

At least for the car itself, but it leaves it in an isolated position in the broader market because there are no direct like-for-like, dollar-for-dollar rivals. There are several powerful, electric SUVs, such as the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y, but none are quite as performance focused as the Magma… except for the Hyundais.

For the asking price you get a unique bodykit for performance and visual differentiation from the standard GV60. There’s also 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli high-performance tyres.

Other Genesis-specific inclusions are suede and leather appointed seats, suede headlining, leather-appointed dash and door trims, a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats, remote start, fingerprint recognition, the brand’s Digital Key 2.0, a head-up display, connected car services and a 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

The Touareg offers a performance-focused plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain. Usually this means a little turbo four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, but instead this big SUV offers a 100kW electric motor and a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine which combine for a whomping “total system power” of 340kW/700Nm.

This allows a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 5.1 seconds. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and Torsen central differential. Up to 70 per cent of power can be sent to the front wheels, with up to 80 per cent of power going to the rear.

It is capable of driving at up to 135km/h under electric power alone, with the V6 kicking in beyond that speed.

It’s a rare set-up for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a plug in which maintains a large six-cylinder engine, and it runs even electric power through the transmission to all four wheels.

Some PHEV rivals, for example, use front combustion-drive only with no mechanical connection between the engine and the rear axle, which is driven purely electrically.

When it comes to towing specs, the Touareg offers solid official figures of 750kg for an unbraked trailer and 3500kg braked, although the maximum towball download is 220kg.

While Genesis has done a nice job separating the GV60 Magma from the Hyundai twins visually and in terms of specification, where the three models converge is underneath.

That’s because the GV60 shares the same dual-motor electric powertrain as the N models. And that’s no bad thing because it makes 448kW of power and 740Nm of torque in its standard setting and can stretch to 478kW and 790Nm when you engage Boost Mode.

In addition to that there is also a Launch Control function that allows the Magma to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds and the company claims it takes 10.9 seconds for it to reach 200km/h. The top speed is limited to 264km/h.

It also comes with Virtual Gear Shift, the Genesis version of Hyundai’s N e-shift, which simulates gears by creating a false ‘rev limit’ so you can tap the paddles on the steering wheel and feel like you’re changing gears even though it has a single-speed transmission.

Like other plug-in hybrids, the official combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle fuel efficiency number for the Touareg R is an eyebrow-raisingly low figure which you know won’t be achievable in the real world, but is probably technically feasible in lab-style conditions. 

In this case, it’s 3.3L/100km. When I picked up the car it had a low charge level, and the next day I was able to top it up to just 50 per cent because I don’t have a power point in my garage, and the achingly slow 3.6kW maximum AC charging speed is severely limiting if you need to rely on the public network, as the 17.9kWh battery is relatively large.

This should bring you to the obvious conclusion the Touareg R is not a good hybrid if you can’t charge at home, as you’ll never extract the full benefit of the electric set-up. Perhaps adding evidence to this is its official energy consumption which comes in at a painful 21.1kWh/100km.

As for hydrocarbons, in my week of driving (in which I tried to pick up charge wherever I could) I saw over 14L/100km. Makes sense for a heavy petrol V6 SUV. I’d say you’re likely to see a figure like this on a longer journey or if you drive it with enthusiasm as the R badge encourages. To add additional pain, it requires 98RON premium unleaded fuel.

With a realistic maximum pure-electric range of closer to 40km compared to the official WLTP-rated 51km (more on this in the driving section of the review), the R is also best for people whose daily commute is relatively short.

I can’t imagine, for example, the best benefit of this car will be extracted from someone who lives in the urban sprawl and commutes to the city every day with distances in excess of 50km for a return journey.

Additionally, the hybrid mode is very EV-heavy, draining the battery relatively quickly unless you manually put it in preservation mode.

For nerds who could be bothered, this mode is potentially a nifty feature allowing retention of some EV range at the end of a long freeway journey. But it takes a certain buyer to even be bothered with this.

Can you see why plug-less hybrids are the Australian new car buyer’s electrification configuration of choice?

The Magma has the same 84kWh battery with what it calls High-Performance Battery Control (or what Hyundai calls N Battery) which are specialised heating and cooling systems designed to ensure the GV60 can withstand racetrack hot laps, as well as spirited on-road driving. This is a key selling point for the Magma, as it allows for extended high-intensity driving, which would otherwise drain the battery too quickly to limit any meaningful track use.

Not that Genesis is pitching the Magma as a ‘track car’ as that’s the domain of the Hyundai pair, but even for on-road driving in the dynamic settings having the battery capable of adapting to the different driving conditions is worthy of note and shows the evolution of the technology.

Overall, the range is rated to 425km, which is good for a performance EV but the low 400 kay range is starting to look a little low these days by broader EV standards. It’s also less than the Ioniq 6 N and 5 N, mainly because the Magma bodykit adds more drag and the extra luxury adds more weight.

In terms of charging, the key detail to know is, with the 350kW charger, you can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 18 minutes, according to Genesis’ claims.

And despite being the performance hero, it remains an EV at heart, so it is equipped with vehicle-to-load (V2L), which allows you to draw 200V of power from the battery to power small electrical devices if you need; which is not something many performance cars can claim to be capable of.

Here’s where things get a bit frustrating, and your experience will vary dramatically depending on how you use this car.

One thing we can get out of the way immediately is the Touareg is deeply technically impressive when you attack a few corners. Its immediate electric thrust is capable of propelling this large object forward with eye-widening speed, and the air suspension, wide grippy tyres, Torsen centre differential and tidy steering tune conspire to make it mind-bending to carve corners in.

It’s flat, stable, and far more accurate and agile than expected. The only hint as to the sheer physics of wrangling the Touareg around bends is the tyres screaming out in agony as the suspension and all-wheel drive system work their magic to keep it all under control.

Once the electric torque pushes you out from the corner, the deep satisfying thrum of the 3.0-litre petrol V6 quickly takes over as you lurch forward on the almost fluid-feeling suspension. It’s laugh-out-loud satisfying and certainly enough to capture passengers' attention.

In this sense, the R fulfils its mission of transforming the big Touareg into a handling and acceleration hero, but despite all the cleverness it doesn’t feel as sharp or lean as the Golf R, T-Roc R or Tiguan R.

There’s still a massive battery, as well as huge complexity and weight to deal with, no matter how technically fast it is. There’s always the unsettling feeling of this amount of weight moving around, and the occasional slight delay from the transmission as it figures out what’s going on between the electric motor and big engine.

Then there are the compromises. Normally, I’m a huge fan of how plush and luxurious the Touareg feels. It’s usually such a step above its station in the VW Group, occasionally even feeling preferable to its platform relations, but the R has some issues.

For a start, the enormous 22-inch wheels and low-profile tyres ruin the day-to-day ride quality, crashing over bumps and road imperfections, despite the fact there’s also air suspension supposedly providing a buffer between you and the tarmac.

Even in the more comfort-oriented drive settings you can hear and feel every bit the moment the wheels contact a pothole or bump. Clearly, it’s tuned more toward handling than maintaining the same luxury feel as the rest of the range.

The transmission is also occasionally hesitant, either from a standing start or when switching between electric thrust and the engine. This is much better when the battery is charged up from the reserve level, as there isn’t enough charge when driving around as a hybrid to push a big, heavy (and always) all-wheel drive very far.

But hybrid driving is also frustrating, for reasons mainly related to the software. With the battery charged, the 51km of claimed driving range feels a tad ambitious. I was able to charge it to about 50 per cent (the battery is huge, at 17.9kWh, and I could only pull about 3.5kW from a local AC charging unit) and scored about 20km of driving range.

It drains quickly, even in the hybrid driving mode, as it relies on the electric motor a lot for initial take-off.

This means unless you set the battery preserve mode manually in the hybrid settings screen, it will likely run the battery dry before you’re even able to get it somewhere where it can take full advantage of the extra electric thrust.

As an electric vehicle it’s also only alright. The short time I was able to spend in full EV mode proved the battery will drain faster than advertised, and the regen is so-so for assisting in braking.

Other more performance-focused PHEVs suffer the same issue. For example, I felt largely the same way about the much-maligned four-cylinder PHEV Mercedes-AMG C63.

While hybrids like this may be impressive when conditions are ideal, they’re ultimately frustrating to use in reality. It’s a shame, because I wanted to like it more but it doesn’t quite capture the same magic of its R-badged forebears and siblings.

One of my personal favourite elements of high-performance EVs is their duality. On the one hand they can offer immense speed and power, but at the same time they can glide along in near-silence. Even the best adjustable drive modes in an internal combustion engine hero model can’t match it for the sheer breadth EVs can manage.

The GV60 Magma very much defines this dual personality of performance EVs.

It is especially quiet, with changes from standard GV60, including insulating glass, active noise control, extra gear meshing and more, to ensure it is quiet and refined inside the cabin. Driving it in its Comfort setting is a very relaxed and quiet experience, which is just what you should expect from a $130K luxury SUV.

But once you get out of the city and onto some winding country roads, as we did on the outskirts of Canberra, this is where the Magma is designed to shine. Unlike Hyundai’s N models which are deliberately designed for track use, Genesis says Magma is more of a grand tourer, focused on spirited on-road driving.

So, when you find a road you like, you can select one of the more dynamic drive settings - GT, Sprint or MY (personalised) - and turn on the Virtual Gear Shift (VGS) and virtual sound (which is a single, V6-inspired engine simulation) and have some fun.

Much like the Ioniq N pair, the GV60 Magma is a technological tour de force.

Typically, too much interference tends to dull modern performance cars, leaving the driver feeling more like a passenger. But that’s not the case here, because despite all the technology, or rather because of the way it is deployed, it’s a lot of fun to drive.

That is perhaps the most important element Genesis has taken from Hyundai, even more than the hardware or software, is making an engaging performance car. 

Building a ‘fast car’ is easy, but building one that is enjoyable to drive is much harder and that sums up the GV60 Magma.

As you should expect from a premium vehicle, the GV60 Magma comes generously equipped with safety equipment, passive and active.

For starters there are 10 airbags, including a centre ‘bag between the front passengers, so all occupants are covered. There’s also ISOFIX points for the rear outboard seats, impact sensing auto unlocking doors and even a projected path light when reversing to warm pedestrians, on top of the surround view parking cameras.

Then there’s all the active safety features, which include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), driver attention warning, blind-spot collision avoidance, blind-spot view monitoring, intelligent speed limit assist, lane keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, smart cruise control and safe exit assist.

However, while it may possess all the systems expected in a modern car, unfortunately there are still too many beeps, especially without a clear reason why it is beeping. This is an area where the entire Hyundai Motor Group, including Kia, can do a better job of integrating and calibrating the safety technology to make it seamless.

The GV60 was crash tested by ANCAP in 2022 and received a maximum five-star rating, which remains valid today.

The standard five year, unlimited kilometre warranty features with one year of complimentary roadside assistance provided (renewed for another year with each service at an authorised dealer).

Servicing is required once every 12 months or 15,000km and the most affordable way to do it is with pre-packaged service plans bundled in with purchase. These come in at $3400 for five years (a saving of $668 over the a-la-carte program) or $2050 for the three year plan (a saving of $222).

Even in its most affordable form this makes servicing average $680 a year which is a far cry from most affordable brands, but it could be worse considering the complexity of the powertrain.

Despite being in the market for more than a decade, Genesis is still finding its feet in Australia. Having started with a ‘Studio’ concept in the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs and finding that a challenging way to sell cars, the brand has been expanding its reach with more conventional dealerships.

There are now eight showrooms, or Showcases as the brand prefers to call them, and four service centres - one each in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. So there is still clearly some work to do for the brand to have a truly national reach.

But while it may be behind its rivals when it comes to physical location, they try to make up for it with customer care. 

The GV60 Magma is covered by the brand’s standard five-year/unlimited km warranty but owners also get 10 years of roadside assistance.

They also get complimentary servicing for the first five years, with intervals scheduled every 15,000km or 12 months.

And while the brand is expanding its footprint it is sticking with its ‘Genesis to You’ program that will see a service team member come to a location of your choosing - home or office - and give you a loan car while they take yours away for a service.

So you don’t even need to live near the service centres, Genesis will do the pick-up and drop-off for you. It may sound like a small detail but it should make ownership a much easier proposition.