WHEN PEOPLE SEE the 2023 Genesis GV60—the first electric from Hyundai Motor Group’s aspirational luxury brand—they will likely see a winsome little crossover in fashionably large footwear, with look-at-me headlamps, a chopped roofline and bewinged hatch. I see light at the end of a long tunnel.

Built on Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform—the same skate, effectively, as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5—the GV60 has nearly everything in common with its Group siblings, mechanically and functionally. The hard points include the liquid-cooled and -warmed, 77.4-kWh battery with fast-charging, 800-volt architecture; dual-motor all-wheel drive; and a front double-wishbone/rear multi-link suspension.

Yet the triplets look nothing alike. Or rather they look drastically unlike, inside and out, each with its own clearly marked emotional parking space at Group HQ. The rectilinear-themed Ioniq 5 looks like a notebook doodle from geometry class, with cubistic proportions, intersecting rays and improbable angles. In personality, the youngest of the bunch.

LOOKING AHEAD The GV60’s next-generation infotainment system, the connected car Integrated Cockpit, links functions and navigation with the head-up display. The GV60 includes all of Genesis’s advanced-driver-assist safety systems as well as a Bang & Olufsen audio system.

Photo: Genesis

The EV6 is the longest and lowest of the three. It’s more conventionally pretty, more mature and less peer-facing. But it too has its drama. I’m particularly fond of the upswept character line from the lower body to the integrated rear spoiler.

Draped over the same length of wheelbase as the EV6 (114.2 inches), the GV60 measures a whopping 6.5 inches shorter, nose to tail. It reads, and is meant to live, smaller—easier to park, more personal and intimate. The shape cares naught for line but is all about volume. The clamshell hood minimizes shut lines. The double-slit headlamps and tail lamps are flush-mounted, embedded in the creaseless bodywork. Dare I say plumpy?

My point is not to pick a styling winner (the EV6) but to marvel at the Group’s energy and extravagance in making these three cars so different above the waterline. Man, that’s a lot of body-panel stampings.

I read the GV60 as a preview of coming attractions. On the far shore of disruption, vehicle designers will wield almost metamorphic powers, able to shape many types and styles of vehicles, in a range of prices, that will all discreetly share the same low-rise underthings.

But for now, the GV60—indeed, every vehicle relying on the E-GMP skate—suffers by comparison to the relevant Tesla model, in range and ease of charging. The GV60 posts an estimated range of 235 miles, according to the EPA; while the Tesla Model Y LR comes in at 330 miles.

CRYSTAL SPHERE The Genesis GV60 features a long list of surprise-and-delight features, most notably the illuminated glass orb in the center console. When drivers press the Start button, the sphere turns over to present the gear selector on its hidden hemisphere. Also pictured is the car’s rotary selector with handwriting recognition.

Photo: Genesis

Yes, the GV60 is capable of fast-charging up to 220 kW, but first you must find a charger that big. Tesla has, like, a kajillion superchargers. (Note: GV60 buyers get a complimentary three years of 30-minute charging sessions from the Electrify America network).

The Tesla is also roughly 500 pounds lighter than the GV60 with almost a third more cargo capacity, so it’s quite a bit more mass- and space-efficient. Haters gonna, but the global competitors will be chasing Tesla’s numbers for quite some time.

However, in terms of sickening, falling-elevator acceleration, I found the GV60 to be surprisingly competitive. The Performance AWD ($67,890) completes the 60-mph dash in 3.4 seconds, estimates Car and Driver. That sounds about right to my stomach.

Even in the default “Comfort” drive mode (429 hp max output), the GV60’s tastefully upholstered torque can hit you in the back like breaking surf. Moreover, your honor, by pressing the Boost button on the steering wheel, defendants can access a total of 483 hp, lasting 10 exquisite seconds. This, and logic-optimized traction at all four 21-inch tires, means the GV60 can impose its will over Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers if it needs to. Obviously, only for the greater good.

Our Performance AWD was upfitted with the active-adaptive suspension system, which is supposed to read the road ahead with the forward-facing camera. Hard to tell, really. I did give the GV60 a few hard licks out in the sticks. Due to its low center of gravity, the crossover’s cornering and road-holding confidence are inherently and unsurprisingly high. The low-speed ride quality is more problematic, due to the 21-inch wheels and all-season tires. These typically have a tympanic effect going over uneven pavement.

But, daddio, dig those wheels. The etching effect looks like Widmanstätten patterns on meteorites. That’s cool.

“Genesis seems intent on bewitching buyers with tech.”

The Performance AWD also includes an electronic limited-slip differential, through which, I’m told, the car can be made to freely fishtail under power—to drift, in other words.

Sure. That’ll happen. Boss: Who’s that ripping figure-eights in our parking lot? Employee: Your comptroller.

Speaking of hooning, the GV60’s Active Sound Design (noise-canceling system) offers drivers the choice of three polyphonic soundscapes to fill the sensory void left by combustion engines. There’s Futuristic (think Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon); G-Engine (“gas” although it could also stand for “growl”); or the soft, current-infused whine of E-Motor. All of them make you feel like you are the hero of your own techno-thriller.

If as yet unable to offer class-leading range, Genesis seems intent on bewitching buyers with all manner of mind floss and interfacing. Compared to the emotionally chilly interactions one has with a Tesla, the Genesis UX practically craves your touch.

Leave the handsome little keyfob at home. Thanks to the facial recognition system (and a camera hidden in the door pillar), the GV60 becomes accustomed to your face, like Rex Harrison. A fingerprint reader in the center console identifies the driver and brings up driver preferences, from seat position to audio.

Inside, the broad curved dashboard display integrates a feature-rich center touchscreen. But there is also the rotary dial/selector in the center console, with handwriting recognition built into its shallow, dished surface, like a glass ashtray. This selector’s many functions are almost entirely redundant to those in the touchscreen, but it did make me want a cigarette.

In either trim, the GV60’s cabin is awash in glowy, charismatic details. The star of the show is what Genesis calls the “crystal sphere,” a glass-like orb in the center console that illuminates when you get in the car. When you press the Start button on the dash, this orb turns over, revealing the illuminated rotary gear selector on its other hemisphere.

Which way? Forward, of course.

2023 Genesis GV60 Performance AWD

BEHIND THE CURVE The Genesis GV60’s hatchback follows a coupe-like profile to a tightly bobbed tail, a constraint on rear-seat headroom and cargo capacity. Behind the rear seat backs is a smallish 24 cubic feet of luggage space.

Photo: Genesis

Price, as tested: $69,560

Drivetrain: Battery electric, with temperature-controlled 77.4-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack; front and rear AC synchronous electric motors; electronically controlled rear diff; full-time AWD

Max power/torque: 429 hp (483 hp for 10 seconds, in Boost mode)/516 lb-ft

Length/wheelbase/width/height: 177.8/114.2/74.4/62.4 inches

0-60 mph: 3.4 seconds (Car and Driver)

Curb weight: 4,890 pounds

Minimum charge time: from 10% to 80% capacity, 73 minutes (at 50 kW)/18 minutes (>250 kW)

Cargo capacity: 54.7/24 cubic feet (behind 1st/2nd row seat backs)