New Genesis GV60 Magma: fiery EV turns up the heat as it completes testing

The launch of the Genesis GV60 Magma is edging closer, with the Korean brand announcing the completion of the hot EV’s global testing programme. Set to be Genesis’ first-ever high-performance model, the electric hatchback has been pushed to the limit across some of the world’s most demanding environments to ensure it delivers on its promise of exhilarating performance married to refined comfort.

The GV60 Magma's journey has been a true baptism of fire (and ice), beginning earlier this year in the sub-zero chill of Arjeplog, Sweden. From there, engineers chased the heat, heading to the California Proving Ground in the US, where extreme temperatures were used to validate critical systems such as power output, cooling efficiency and thermal protection for the high-performance electric powertrain.

The globe-trotting development then took a turn for the cold again, crossing into the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground in New Zealand. Here, at 1,500 metres above sea level, engineers scrutinised the car's chassis precision, traction stability and braking robustness on icy, wind-swept terrain, to ensure stability at high speeds and to boost cornering confidence.

The final stage of testing took place in Korea this September, with an intensive assessment across real-world driving and racetrack capability.

Engineers drove the GV60 Magma from the Namyang R&D Center on motorways, mountain roads, and more congested urban streets to help refine its everyday drivability, while the EV was also put through its paces on the tarmac of the Inje Speedium Circuit, to assess its acceleration and handling dynamics.

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Genesis GV60 Magma development timeline

We caught the Genesis GV60 Magma testing back in June this year - this time just outside the Nürburgring. It was a rather suitable location for the forthcoming hot variant of the all-electric GV60 that’s set to be a more classy, and potentially more powerful, sister car to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. 

The latest prototype we caught testing provided us with some new clues as to how the production GV60 Magma will look, although we expect it won’t differ all that much from the wild GV60 Magma Concept unveiled in 2024.

The front end will get a bespoke bumper and grille arrangement similar to the concept’s with larger air ducts to the side helping to cool the front brakes. It will also receive the new, very sharp set of headlights with ‘Micro Lens Array’ technology that features on the recently facelifted GV60. 

We’re not sure if the wheels of the test car will make production or whether the concept’s aero-disc style of wheel will be implemented instead. Either way we think a set of 20-inch rims will be used - the same size as the Ioniq 5 N’s. Housing those wheels (and their wider track) will be extended wheelarches that’ll sport extra air vents behind. 

On the roof we can see there are fins to keep the GV60 Magma stable at high speeds and at the rear there’s what looks like an active spoiler plus a redesigned bumper. Although this car is painted silver underneath the camouflage, a bright orange aerial shroud on the roof hints that the launch colour will mimic the concept’s eye-catching orange colour. 

We’re yet to see inside the GV60 Magma in its full production form, although a 27-inch display across the dashboard will surely feature alongside a three-spoke steering wheel, sports seats and plenty of ‘Magma’ touches, such as bespoke stitching and accents. 

The GV60 Magma should be quite the performance EV if our experience of the Ioniq 5 N is anything to go by. Interestingly, during the Magma concept’s dynamic debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, it was the fastest four-seat production car on the hillclimb and beat the Ioniq 5 N’s time from the previous year by 1.5 seconds.

Technical details for the hot GV60 are still firmly under wraps. It’s possible it will feature the same 641bhp, all-wheel-drive powertrain as the Ioniq 5 N and the newly updated Kia EV6 GT. However, given that Genesis is the premium brand, we would expect the Magma to be the top car among the group’s high-performance family. So its 0-62mph time should be even closer to three seconds than those of its siblings. 

More power would be the only differentiator for the GV60 Magma, as head of vehicle development at Genesis, Tyrone Johnson, told us: “We have a completely different brief and what we’re trying to achieve is completely different from Ioniq 5 N or EV6 GT.” 

He added: “Those are categorically different cars and they have a completely different character. That’s not only due to tuning and stuff, that’s also due to some hardware changes between those two cars, and there’ll be hardware changes on the GV60 Magma also.”

We don’t yet know how extensive those hardware changes will be, but the GV60 Magma could feature a different set of springs to work with its electronically controlled suspension, or potentially an upgraded brake system – something Hyundai recently developed for an even more focused edition of the Ioniq 5 N.

The GV60 Magma will presumably carry over some of its sister cars’ more novel features, such as their trick virtual gearbox. The technology is designed to create a more engaging driving experience, by having drivers pull on the paddles on the steering wheel like they’re going through the gears in a petrol hot hatch or SUV, and the powertrain then adjusts the torque output to deliver a small jolt, like an actual gearchange. 

The Ioniq 5 N also offers several synthesised sound effects, including one based on the i30 N’s turbocharged four-cylinder exhaust note, to make the driving experience more immersive. However, we expect the GV60 Magma to provide a unique soundtrack.

Genesis intends to launch a high-performance Magma version of every model in its line-up, starting with the GV60. Johnson wants these models to deliver “a new unique combination with the Korean premium feeling – which is quite unique and special – and European driving dynamics.”

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