The 2026 Genesis GV70 has been spied testing with hybrid powertrains that are set to be offered alongside existing petrol and battery-electric (EV) versions.
Images show a camouflaged GV70 being tested with ‘HEV’ badging – which stands for Hybrid Electric Vehicle – confirming the mid-size luxury SUV will become available with a hybrid powertrain as previously reported.
Parent company Hyundai recently introduced a new-generation hybrid powertrain to its Palisade large SUV in Australia, which produces 245kW of power and 460Nm of torque, and returns combined fuel consumption of 6.8L/100km.
This petrol-electric powertrain is expected to also be fitted to the GV70 – as well as the Genesis GV80 large SUV and the G80 large sedan, which are expected to be launched in early 2026, although Genesis has not yet confirmed their release in Australia.
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Yet according to Autoblog and earlier reports out of Korea, in addition to the more conventional hybrid setup, Genesis will also offer an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) version of the GV70 from December 2026.
A two-pronged hybrid powertrain approach would enable the G70 to better compete with premium mid-size SUV rivals like the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and Lexus NX, all of which are available with at least petrol and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) – and in some cases HEV and EV – powertrains.
EREV options are rare in Australia’s new-vehicle market. In fact, if you exclude Nissan’s e-Power models, which are similar in concept, the only one currently available is the Leapmotor C10 REEV, but previous examples have included the BMW i3 REx and Mazda MX-30 R-EV (not sold here).
Several automakers and suppliers are developing new EREV powertrains, in which a smaller-capacity (usually petrol) engine acts only as a generator to power an electric motor (or motors) that drives the wheels, providing an EV-like driving experience without the range anxiety.
The EREV setup operates in nearly the opposite way to how the Hyundai group’s next-generation hybrid powertrain behaves in the Palisade and, soon, Genesis models.
It teams a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with pair of electric motors, one of which is designed to optimise fuel-efficiency and smoothness, while the other focusses on providing a power boost.
The current, first-generation GV70 was introduced in Australia in 2021 with the choice of 2.2-litre turbo-diesel and 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines, as well as a flagship 3.5-litre petrol V6.
The battery-electric GV70 Electrified was introduced in 2023, and now has a 360kW/700Nm dual-motor EV powertrain offering up to 462km of WLTP range, while the diesel was dropped the following year.
The return of EREV powertrains follows slower than expected growth of EV sales globally, leading many automakers to reduce their EV sales forecasts, push back their all-EV production plans, and spend billions developing replacements for previously discontinued combustion-powered models.
The significant increase in popularity of hybrid vehicles in key markets including China and the US – as well as Australia – has also prompted many automakers to revise their product plans.
Genesis previously said it would release only new EVs from 2025 before going electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric only by 2030. However, it has since abandoned that EV-only strategy and will release a range of hybrid models as soon as 2026, with EREVs expected to appear across the Hyundai group from 2027.
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