Genesis will introduce its last new internal combustion engine by 2025, and the brand expects to only sell EVs by 2030. The 2022 Genesis GV60 is the first dedicated battery electric vehicle from the Korean automaker, and it directly previews that all-EV future. There are plenty of challenges when producing a first, but it seems like the GV60 was a walk in the park for Genesis, or the entire Hyundai Motor Group. Despite its quirky styling, the compact SUV is roomy, supports fast charging speeds well above average, and—perhaps most important—is fun to drive.

We spent a few days driving the 2022 Genesis GV60 Performance, which, as its name suggests, focuses on delivering a dynamic experience behind the wheel. And although its power numbers are impressive, the GV60 also is comfortable and quiet, with plenty else to like.

For an SUV that has Performance in its name, you'd expect it to deliver exactly that. The GV60 Performance does. With two electric motors (one in the front, the other in the rear) combining for 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, the GV60 is the most powerful Genesis today, and by a good margin. It gets more interesting: An electric green button on the steering wheel with the word "Boost" increases the horsepower to 483 for 10 seconds at a time, enabling hard launches that'll rearrange occupants' organs. There is noticeable wheelspin initially, but once the tires hook up, your head will hit the headrest and off you go.

Slow things down, and you'll find the GV60 is supremely comfortable. For a more relaxed pace, try Eco mode, which keeps things peaceful in the cabin and changes the steering to an effortlessly light and numb setup; the motors' power delivery is linear and tame. You won't get the same kind of reaction in Sport mode, which stiffens the dampers and delivers power to the wheels quicker.

We'd like to see some improvement in the braking department. The brakes are configured to favor the regen function (where the motors act as generators when slowing the car) and when the friction brakes take over there doesn't seem to be as much stopping power as we'd like, given how much horsepower the GV60 is working with.

Another compromise for all that power? A shorter driving range. The EPA says the GV60 Performance is capable of 235 miles per charge, which is below average at this price point. We've seen longer ranges in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, which share the same platform and battery with the GV60 but cost less. Granted, neither of those electric crossovers has as much power as the GV60 Performance, but they're still fun to drive and are capable of more than 300 miles of range in certain configurations.

The GV60's advanced driver assistance safety features work as well here as they do in the conventionally powered GV70 SUV. Those include smart cruise control with stop and go, highway driving assist, lane keeping assist and forward collision avoidance assist, among many others. Although the lane keep and adaptive cruise control blending is good, it's no Ford BlueCruise or GM's SuperCruise. You still have to keep your hands on the wheel and be attentive at all times; still, the GV60 was centered in its lane and followed a safe distance from the car in front.

It's no surprise the GV60 benefits from the same attention to detail afforded other Genesis vehicles, such as our 2022 SUV of the Year, the GV70. In the electric GV60, however, there is a circular and oval theme that's similar but not quite identical to the scheme employed by the GV70, and it's everywhere inside, from the door panels to the air vents and center console. And although the GV60 and GV70 launches were separated by mere months, there is new switchgear on the GV60's steering wheel and HVAC controls. The temperature control knobs have been replaced by toggles, and the buttons for the ventilated and heated seats are now located behind the shifter. These changes are welcome—take it from me, I've been daily driving MotorTrend's long-term GV70 test vehicle for months.

There's also more futurism throughout the GV60, namely in its face recognition feature that unlocks the car for you; consider car keys a thing of the past. Once through the door, the driver can start the GV60 with a scan their fingerprint, after which a console-mounted sphere rotates to reveal the shifter; besides being a feature that will impress your friends, the sphere is also a good indicator of whether the car is on or off, something that's not always clear in silent-running EVs. The sphere also solves one of the GV70's more curious issues: That the shift knob in that SUV is sized similarly to and placed alongside the infotainment control knob; here, the greater distinction ensures no misplaced twirling. Another appreciated feature is the traditional full-length sun visor for the panoramic roof. Electric cars are increasingly arriving with big tinted glass roofs, but the GV60's regular-car-like shade is welcome.

With dual 12.3-inch screens—one for the infotainment system and the other for the instrument cluster—the GV60 looks contemporary. The new infotainment system has better graphics and the same easy to use layout, but it still lacks wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto—a feature that's standard on cheaper models. Although we're fans of the new digital instrument cluster, some of us missed the 3-D graphics available in the GV70 but were pleased with the animations in the GV60.

Because of its long wheelbase, there's plenty of space inside. Rear-seat occupants won't have to fight for legroom or headroom—even the one who sits in the middle, as the flat floor ensures a comfortable seating position. One thing we'd like to see in a midcycle update is the ability to fold the rear seats from the cargo area; currently the only way to fold them is from the side of the seats.

As electric vehicles flood the market, it's hard for consumers to know which EV is the best for them. Tesla was the simple answer a few years ago, but the market is different today, and virtually every automaker is going electric. The 2022 Genesis GV60 is a great first try by a company that's still relatively new to the game, a solid blend of performance and comfort and—and just like with other Genesis models—a great value. At the GV60's $69,560 price tag, there isn't another competitor in the field that delivers this much horsepower with as many features and as much technology outside of Tesla's Model Y Performance.