Genesis GV60 Magma: The Performance EV That Isn't Afraid To Be Playful

Electric performance cars face a tricky challenge. With no combustion engine to build a relationship with, engineers have to work harder to create drama and personality behind the wheel. The Genesis GV60 Magma answers that challenge by leaning into pure eccentricity rather than trying to imitate a traditional sports car — and according to early hands-on impressions, that approach pays off.

Beneath the surface, the GV60 Magma shares its E-GMP architecture with Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, and its dual-motor setup delivers 641 horsepower — the same figure found in the Ioniq 5 N. Those bones already give the standard GV60 a distinctive character, from its unusual rotating-crystal gear selector to its unconventional silhouette. The Magma variant layers serious performance on top of that foundation without sanding away the oddities.

Where the Magma charts its own course is in how it fabricates an auditory experience. It pipes in artificial engine sound, but instead of mimicking the turbocharged four-cylinder note of the Ioniq 5 N, it conjures a V6 that supposedly screams to 9,000 rpm. Simulated gear changes mirror an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and paddle shifters let drivers trigger those fake shifts manually. The result is an EV engineered to feel like a rowdy hot hatch, an illusion that reviewers say works surprisingly well.

Drivers also get a set of Magma modes that reshape the car’s behavior across five parameters: motor response, steering weight, suspension tuning, electronic limited-slip differential, and stability control. A spider-chart display visualizes how each mode shifts the balance between those elements, and for those with the tire budget to spare, a drift mode is on the menu as well.

Beyond the theatrics, the Magma reportedly remains a comfortable and quiet cruiser when you want it to be — a dual personality that could help draw more enthusiasts toward electric driving. The broader takeaway is simple: not every performance EV needs to take itself seriously, and a little silliness can go a long way toward making electric cars more emotionally engaging.