Genesis GV60 Magma Wins Germany’s Most Prestigious Automotive Award

[Financial News] Genesis’ first high-performance electric vehicle, the GV60 Magma, beat competing models to be named the best vehicle in its class at Germany’s most prestigious automotive awards ceremony. It demonstrated its competitiveness in Europe’s premium high-performance EV market, earning high marks against electric vehicles from Volvo and Mazda for acceleration response, agility and braking performance.
Genesis said on the 11th that the GV60 Magma won the Upper Midsize Class category at the 2026 Golden Steering Wheel Awards, jointly hosted by German automotive magazine Auto Bild and weekly newspaper Bild am Sonntag on the 10th (local time).
The GV60 Magma finished first in the final evaluation, beating the Volvo ES90 and Mazda CX-6e. It scored particularly highly in categories assessing driving performance and vehicle dynamics, including agility, acceleration response, steering intuitiveness and braking performance.
The award also carries significance for Genesis’ premium electrification strategy, pursued through its high-performance brand Magma. Rather than simply maximizing power output, the strategy combines precise vehicle control with driving stability and ride comfort, and has received a positive reception in Europe.
“We did not define high performance simply as acceleration performance; we aimed to bring together precise control and refined comfort,” said Peter Kronschnabl, head of Genesis’ European operations. “It is meaningful that our first high-performance model, the GV60 Magma, has earned high marks for its dynamic driving performance and that the brand’s aspirations have been recognized.”
Earlier, in May, the GV60 Magma also won a main award in the Product Design category at the 2026 Red Dot Award, a renowned international design competition. Recognition for its actual driving performance, following recognition for its design, has created an opportunity to raise the brand’s profile in Europe’s luxury EV market.
Marking its 50th anniversary, the Golden Steering Wheel Awards is one of Germany’s flagship automotive awards, established in 1976. This year, a reader vote among 90 new vehicles produced 27 finalists, with three models selected in each of nine vehicle classes.
The winners were decided after a 23-member jury, including automotive journalists and racing drivers, tested the vehicles themselves at Germany’s DEKRA Lausitzring circuit. The evaluation took into account handling, ride comfort, ease of use, everyday practicality, sustainability and value for money.
[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter