Genesis GV70 vs Tesla Model Y

What's the difference?

Like its Genesis GV60 and Electrified G80 stablemates, the Electrified GV70 leverages the advantages of an electric powertrain perfectly. It’s refined, eye-widening rapid when you need it to be, highly specified and sharp value in its class. Impressive efficiency, top-shelf safety, thoughtful practicality and a 10/10 ownership package make this a compelling luxury SUV proposition.

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

The Model Y Long Range is the pick of the line-up thanks mainly to its ability to travel further on a full charge, but also the price is excellent. The styling is starting to date, especially compared to fresher rivals with intriguing designs. But the advantage to Tesla is its battery tech and the constant over-the-air updates which will continue to enhance this product long after you've bought it.

If you’re new to the party it pays to make a big entrance, and Genesis Chief Creative Officer, Luc Donckerwolke and his design team have applied a distinctive look and feel across the brand’s emerging range.

The two-tier, split headlight (and tail-light) treatment stands any Genesis apart, as does the diamond quilted grille and lower vent.

A combination of smooth, aero-influenced curves and harder keylines define a neatly proportioned SUV. Big snowflake-style 20-inch alloys fill the arches nicely and an angular (third) side window into the cargo section reflects an almost fastback sweep to the rear of the roof.

A quoted coefficient of drag figure of 0.29 is impressively slippery for a five-seat SUV measuring just over 4.7 metres long. And it’s worth calling out the most common mis-attribution for Genesis models that have passed through CarsGuide garage so far is that they’re a Bentley, and not just because the brand logo has wings.

Inside, the look and feel is relatively restrained but premium and visually interesting, with a dual-level dash design topped by a broad, 14.5-inch multimedia display and the heating and ventilation controls housed within a neatly curved fascia panel.

A simple, raised binnacle surrounds the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, while quilted Nappa leather on the seats, more genuine hide on the dash, doors and steering wheel, as well as suede headlining and ambient lighting enhance the top-shelf vibe.

One niggle is that I occasionally confused the two rotary controllers on the centre console, one managing multimedia, and the other, the transmission. Maybe it’s the length of my forearms, but more than once I found myself reaching for the larger media dial (placed ahead of the gearshift) when I wanted to switch gear positions. Likely something familiarity would fix.

The Model Y is a mid-sized SUV, about 4.75 metres long and has an aerodynamic wedge shape similar to the one Toyota’s early Prius had, but with a smooth and flat styling Tesla twist.

The clean and featureless look made the Model Y appear futuristic and modern two years ago but now, with the arrival of other mid-sized electric rivals and their intriguing and attractive designs, the Tesla is starting to appear dated. 

There is a styling update coming to the Model Y, but it won’t be a completely new car, just a few tweaks to keep it looking current. But it won’t do much. I think the time is up on this design.

The cabin embraces minimalism with plenty of clean and smooth horizontal surfaces devoid of buttons or dials. Only the large central screen and the steering wheel exist on the dashboard and in my eyes compared to rival offerings the Model Y’s interior has quickly gone from cool to devoid of personality.

At just over 4.7m long, 1.9m wide, and a bit more than 1.6m high, the Electrified GV70 is a substantial machine and interior space is generous.

Plenty of head and shoulder room up front and a close to 2.9m wheelbase means there’s lots of space for those in the back, as well.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I enjoyed ample head and legroom, and the car is broad enough that three full-size adults will be okay on short journeys, but would be best for two grown-ups or three (cooperative) kids on longer road trips.

Storage in the front includes a decent glove box (although a phone book-sized owner’s manual folder takes up much of it), two big cupholders and a lidded device charging bay in the centre console, a large storage box between the seats (that doubles as a centre armrest), and big bins in the doors, with plenty of room for large bottles.

Move to the rear and standard three-zone climate control means there adjustable vents and temperature adjust for back seaters, as well as netted map pockets on the front seat backs, door bins, again with enough room for bottles, and two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

Thoughtful touches include electric slide and recline controls on the centre side of the front passenger seat backrest so those in the rear can give themselves more space as required, as well as a two-way (manual) backrest recline function for the rear seat itself.

Parents of younger kids will also appreciate the ‘Quiet Mode’ function that mutes audio volume in the second row only.

Power and connectivity options include two USB-A jacks in the front (one for media connection, one for charging only) the Qi wireless device charging pad, and a 12V socket in the centre storage box. There are another two USB-A outlets in the back seat and a second 12V socket in the boot.

Speaking of which, boot space is a more than decent 503 litres (VDA) with all seats upright. Lower the 60/40 split folding rear seat and that number grows to 1678L, and there are six anchor points for securing loose loads. There’s also a handy 22-litre front cargo area under the bonnet.

The power tailgate works hands-free and features adjustable height and speed, and those keen on towing will be pleased to see a 1.8-tonne braked trailer capacity (750kg unbraked) with trailer stability assist included.

Don’t bother looking for a spare of any description, though. A repair/inflator kit is your only option.

Electric SUVs have moved practicality to a level combustion-engine equivalents can’t compete with thanks to their front and back boots and (no transmission tunnel) flat floors maximising people and storage space. 

The Model Y is practical with a 117L front boot and a rear boot with 854L litres of cargo capacity, while the cabin has large door pockets, wireless phone charging and two cupholders up front and in the second row.

The Model Y comes as a five-seater only, but leg- and headroom in the second row is excellent and even at 189cm tall I can sit behind my driving position. 

Back seat passengers also have directional air vents and two USB ports for charging.

Cabin practicality could be better, though. The large centre console is unnecessary as it’s not covering a transmission and driveshaft. We’re seeing other brands such as Kia make use of this area as a storage space perfect for even large bags.

Locking and unlocking the Model Y is done with a key card that needs to be swiped against a sensor in the B-pillar. This worked sporadically for me and I felt like the action could scratch the pillar’s surface.

There’s a phone app which can also lock and unlock the Model Y. We downloaded it and found the functions useful, from seeing how much charge is in the battery, to opening the boot, tracking the location of the car and turning the climate control on to cool or heat the cabin before driving. 

Only the weather changes more than Tesla’s pricing, but the latest adjustment to the Model Y Long Range price had it listing for $72,900. That could easily change again so it might be best to check back at CarsGuide or Tesla’s website for any updates.

At almost $73K the Long Range sits in the middle of the Model Y line-up, above the $64K entry grade and below the $83K Performance.

The standard features list for on the Model Y Long Range is decent and includes LED headlights and 19-inch alloy wheels, there’s the fixed glass roof, synthetic leather upholstery, the 15-inch central touchscreen, power adjustable and heated front seats, a 13-speaker stereo, sat nav, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control with direction air-vents in the second row and a power tailgate.

Also standard is Tesla’s so-called 'Autopilot' which is an advanced form of adaptive cruise control which combines braking and steering.  

Anything missing? A sunshade for the glass roof would be good. You can buy aftermarket ones but really it should be built-in. There’s no rear climate control, either, nor ventilated seats.

But the one item that’s not here and should be is a head-up display because the location of the speedo on the central display isn't ideal for keeping your eyes forward and on the road.

So, the price is good but the features list could do with a boost. Really, though, the reason for picking the Long Range grade is because it can travel further on a full charge than any other Model Y. You can skip ahead to the Efficiency section if you’re busting to find out what the range is.  

As for rivals, there are way more now than there were when the Model Y first came to Australia a couple years ago. Back then it was really just the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Now there’s the Kia EV6 and soon to arrive EV5, the Mustang Mach-E, the Subaru Solterra and its Toyota bZ4X twin, while the Polstar 4 is coming, too. 

The electrified GV70 is powered by two permanent magnet synchronous motors; one on each axle.

They each produce 160kW/350Nm in ‘normal’ operation, their combined output quoted as 320kW/605Nm. But press the steering-wheel mounted ‘Boost’ button and those numbers tick up to 360kW/700Nm for a 10-second burst of extra performance.

Transmission is via a single-speed reduction gear front and rear, while the drivetrain is tuned for rear-wheel drive bias, and features a ‘Disconnector Actuator System’ that can decouple and reconnect the front motor and drive shaft in line with driving conditions. The switch between RWD and AWD is designed to maximise efficiency through reduction of transmission losses.

The Model Y Long Range is all-wheel drive thanks to a motor powering the front wheels and another turning the rear ones.

Together the motors have a combined output of 378kW and 493Nm which is an enormous amount of power and torque for a family SUV like this and that means the 0-100km/h time is also a pretty quick 5.0 seconds.  

Power is provided by a 77.4kWh Lithium-ion battery, configured as a flat pack sitting under the floor and putting out a solid 394kW. Claimed driving range is 445km.  

The official Genesis energy consumption number is 19.9kWh/100km, and over a mix of city, freeway, and some B-road diving on the roughly 300km launch drive program we saw a dash-indicated figure of 18.1kWh/100km. Not bad for a 2.3-tonne, five-seat SUV, and regen braking, including single ‘i-Pedal’ operation, makes a useful contribution along the way.

A 400V/800V ‘multi-rapid’ charging system allows use of various charging set ups without the need for an additional converter, and the plugs are Type 2 for AC and CCS Combo2 for DC.

Genesis says charging from 10 to 80 per cent battery capacity takes around 18 minutes when plugged into an ultra-rapid 350kW DC charger. 

Drop the input power to a more typical 50kW fast charger and that time grows to 73min, while a 10.5kW AC charge blows out to just under 12 hours. Use the ‘Emergency’ charging cable connected to house power and you’re staring down the barrel of more than 34 hours.

In terms of charging costs, for the first five years of ownership that’s potentially academic because Genesis EV buyers are given the choice of a five-year subscription to the Chargefox network (currently Australia’s largest) or an AC charger and installation.

Also worth noting, ‘Vehicle To Load’ (V2L) capability means you can plug in things like a laptop inside the car as well as camping or work equipment from the outside.

The Model Y Long Range’s name suggests it's the version for those looking for the maximum distance they can travel on a full charge and it is the smart choice in the line-up. That said, the extra range isn’t all that much more than the other grades.

Tesla says the Long Range with its battery fully charged can travel up to 533km and has a combined cycle energy efficiency of 16.9kWh per 100km (WLPT).

A range of 533km is impressive but only 78km more than the entry-grade Model Y and just 19km more than the top-of-the-line Performance.

How accurate are Tesla fuel efficiency figures? Well, my own testing over a combination of all types of driving saw the trip computer report an average of 16.8kWh/100km.

Tesla says one of its 250kW Superchargers can add up to 275km of range in 15 minutes.

Quiet, smooth and powerful, the Electrified GV70 incorporates a range of tech features to enhance the natural attributes of its dual-motor set-up.

Not surprisingly, low noise levels are an inherent EV trait, but Genesis adds active noise control and acoustic laminated windscreen and door glass to create a serene interior environment.

Suspension is a strut front, multi-link rear design, with the impact of the battery pack’s lowdown weight managed via the ‘Road-Preview adaptive Electronic Control Suspension’ system.

The set-up uses a front windscreen-mounted camera to scan the road ahead and optimise the electronically-controlled suspension’s tune on the fly. It works beautifully.

There are four drive settings - ‘Eco’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’, and the custom 'My' mode, the latter allowing personalisation of the motor, steering and suspension.

But, no matter which mode you’re in, this GV70 is fast. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is a rapid 4.8 seconds, but press the steering wheel-mounted Boost button, for a 10-second burst of extra performance, and that time drops to a properly quick 4.2 seconds.

On the move it’s the equivalent of a ‘push-to-pass’ button, adding extra urgency for safe overtaking and lane changes.

The front seats proved comfortable on long stints, although it was disconcerting the first time the ‘Ergo Motion’ massage function kicked in automatically after one hour behind the wheel. I’m sure that setting can be altered but it took me by surprise.

Steering assistance is variable and road feel is good. In fact, the car feels lighter and more responsive in cornering than its 2.3-tonne weight would suggest.

If you really want to push through your favourite set of bends a torque vectoring system, using a combination of braking and torque control, keeps understeer in check, and the 20-inch rims are shod with grippy Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber (265/45).

In slower going on loose surfaces like dirt or snow an ‘e-Terrain Mode’ manages drive distribution between the front and rear axles to maximise stability and traction.

And as well as the regenerative braking functionality on-board the physical braking spec is impressive with big ventilated rotors (360mm fr / 345mm rr) and four-piston monobloc fixed calipers at the front, and single-piston floating units at the rear.

They can be a bit sharp in low-speed maneuvering but proved progressive and strong at highway speeds. A big plus for those hooking up the van, boat or horse float.

Speaking of low-speed maneuvering, despite the GV70’s sizeable footprint, parking is straight-forward thanks to proximity sensors front and rear, an overhead view, and a hi-res reversing camera.

CarsGuide hasn't been alone in criticising the Model Y’s overly firm suspension with potholes and bumps seeming to unsettle the vehicle easily.

But Tesla says it's updated the suspension to a more ‘comfortable’ tune and we had a chance to test it.

So, is it more comfortable now? Yes, but it could be better. There appears to be softer absorption in the suspension but anything other than small bumps are still prominent.

Body control remains a bit jelly-like in that there’s too much jiggling and leaning when driving normally, even on typical suburban roads.

At this price point we'd expect the ride to be more comfortable and settled. But this is unlikely to be a deal breaker for most people.

Otherwise, the Model Y drives like most electric cars with instant and quick acceleration, direct steering and it’s all done in silence which makes commuting far more pleasant than idling in the traffic with a petrol or diesel engine and a transmission constantly shifting from first to second and back.

And apart from not using petrol or diesel that's the appeal of electric cars; how easy they are to drive. 

What would make life even easier is a head-up display or driver’s instrument cluster because the current central screen set-up, which shows the speed in a fairly small size in the display's top right corner, is far from ideal.

There have been cases reported on Australian Tesla forums where displays have broken making the car illegal to operate and if this happens out of warranty the repair can be costly.

Be aware, too, that the 'Full Self-Driving' abilities of the Model Y are restricted in Australia. The law states that some autonomous tech can be used, such as adaptive cruise control with lane changing, but you must keep your hands on the wheel.  

The Model Y was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2022, scoring incredibly well for occupant protection for adults and children. The advanced tech on board includes AEB, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot warning.

Great all-round camera vision is offered by the Model Y, too, which is very much needed for rear vision given the back window's modest viewing aperture. 

For child seats there are three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX mounts in the second row.

The Model Y doesn’t have a spare wheel, but there is a puncture repair kit.

Quick note about the lack of physical buttons. I found not having easy to access physical climate control dials distracting. Most of the car’s other functions are also housed in the media display and I feel this is a potential safety issue.

Several decades ago, Lexus repositioned the local luxury car market with an unprecedented focus on the ownership experience. It woke the established players from their post-purchase slumber and things have never been better for luxury car owners. More recently, Genesis has entered the customer benefits arms race with its heavy artillery blazing.

Purchase an Electrified GV70 and it will be covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty (now the norm in the luxury segment), with eight-year/160,000km cover for the battery.

Then, under the umbrella of ‘Genesis Service Concierge’ you’ll also receive five years complimentary servicing with the choice of a valet pick-up and return, or a courtesy vehicle.

You can also factor in 10-year 24/7 roadside assistance and complimentary nav map updates for the same period.

Throw in a choice of a five-year Chargefox subscription or home A/C charger and installation and things are looking pretty much pain-free for at least the first five years.

It must be said the Lexus ‘Encore’ program adds extra layers in the form of rewards and access to exclusive events. But the benefits similar to the Genesis perks listed above are limited to three years and only owners of top-tier Platinum-eligible models pick up the full package. 

When it comes to ownership the Tesla Model Y is covered by a four-year/80,000km warranty which falls short of the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s five-year, unlimited kilometre cover and Kia’s seven-year, unlimited km promise on the EV6.

As for the battery warranty, Tesla will cover it for eight years or 192,000km, which is better than Hyundai’s eight year 160,000km deal and seven years or 150,000km from Kia.

The Model Y has condition-based servicing, meaning it will tell you when it wants to go to a Tesla workshop.