Almost half the leased cars in the UK are battery electric now. No surprise, really.
Petrol and diesel lease rates look stupidly expensive by comparison. The Benefit-in-Kind tax rules favor electric cars hard. Plus, you get quiet cabins and instant torque.
But “electric” is not a magic spell that fixes everything. Some EVs handle like shopping carts. Others have range but no soul. The Genesis Electrified GV70? It actually works. It is fast, it is plush, and it does not ask you to compromise just to drive to the office.
Less Talk, More Voltage
This car launched in 2023 originally. By 2025 it had already learned a lesson or two.
Genesis listened. Engineers in Seoul and Germany talked a lot, drove tens of thousands of miles, and tweaked the specs. The result is a machine tuned specifically for European roads.
The battery gets a bigger share of the pie. You can now hit 298 miles on a single charge according to WLTP tests. That number matters more for a salary sacrifice deal than a weekend trip to Scotland.
It pulls luxury, speed, and family duty into one package without breaking a sweat.
You get three trims. They are well appointed. All of them.
Look At The Lines
Most executive SUVs look like they came from the same committee. The GV70 ignores committees.
Korean design has teeth. Sharp angles, expensive materials, and a sense of… drama. The new model keeps the good bits but polishes them.
The front bumper got reshaped. The headlights use Micro Lens Array LED tech. This means the light beam is actually useful at night rather than just bright. The charging port hides in the grille. It heats up automatically. Why? So it does not freeze shut when winter arrives.
There is no massaging around this point: looks matter to executives.
You can paint it in ten different ways. Solid, matte, metallic. If you want to disappear into traffic, fine. If you want heads to turn, also fine. The Dynamic and Luxury trims wear new 20-inch wheels. The Pure trim gets 19-inch ones for aero benefits.
Speaking of aero, the grille flaps open and close on their own. There is a full underbody cover too. This reduces drag. Less drag means better range and less wind noise at 70 mph. Win win.
Interior: Soft Touches
The inside changed more than the outside. And it changed for the better.
Soft materials are everywhere now. Not the hard plastic that creaks after three winters. Real leather. Real wool. Actually, a blend. Sustainably sourced yarns made from plastic bottles and old fishing nets. Sounds weird? It feels like cashmere.
The dashboard features a massive 27-inch panoramic screen. One piece of glass covering the cluster and the infotainment. Black, grey, or white leather options sit next to brushed aluminium. It looks expensive.
A cabin should be a place you want to linger.
It is quiet. The ambient lighting soothes. You sit low and wide. Good for your back, good for your stress levels.
Work and play mix here. The trunk space is sensible. The rear seat has legroom to burn. It fits a pushchair or a laptop bag without sighing.
Fleet managers look for value. Drivers look for comfort. This car bridges that gap. It does not demand your attention but it holds it when you are in it.
Is there a catch? Maybe the learning curve of Genesis buttons. Otherwise, the price per mile is hard to argue with.
The charging cable goes in. The car thinks for a second. Then you are off.
