Cadillac Optiq-V vs. Genesis GV60 Performance: Which Slightly Warmed Electric SUV Is Best?

• What's new: For 2026, the Optiq V introduces extra power into the lineup, while the GV60 adds a larger battery.
• Why it matters: Luxury SUVs have high standards for quality, comfort and performance.
• Edmunds says: Both vehicles offer well-appointed cabins and plenty of power and speed, but one of them ends up offering more fun from behind the wheel.

The Optiq-V holds a big horsepower advantage over the GV60 Performance, at least until you hit the GV60's Boost button. Even so, the bigger and heavier Cadillac won the sprint to 60 mph with some ease, though interestingly, it did not keep that advantage over the quarter mile. By the end of that distance, the GV60 has caught up and is pulling away from the Optiq-V. 

However, the Cadillac struck back with a big lead in braking (16 feet) and a smaller one on the skidpad (0.03g). It does come with summer tires at all four corners, compared to the all-seasons on the GV60, and the extra grip certainly helped it in those two tests. The Optiq-V also took a narrow win in range (by just 2 miles), but the GV60 was more efficient with its energy use because it was able to eke out similar range with a smaller battery pack. 

You may have noticed a third column in the table for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. It is a worthy inclusion for two reasons: If you want even more performance for less money, it's quicker and grippier than this pair.

On the track

Numbers in hand, it was time to hit the track back-to-back in these vehicles, and that quickly illuminated some of the differences between them. Neither possessed what I would consider great steering feel; there was a bit of numbness in both when they got off center. But even without that feedback, the GV60 still proved to be quite entertaining. Its lower grip threshold made it eager to slide around, and once it started to slip, the Genesis did so predictably, allowing you to add throttle to help control the rotation.

The sustained power output that helped it to a better quarter-mile time than the Cadillac also got it down our straightaways with more eagerness. It might be down on power to the Optiq-V, but the GV60 certainly felt like it had more to give at speeds above 50 mph.

If we were recording lap times around our track, it wouldn't surprise me if the Optiq-V were quicker by a healthy margin. Those summer tires and much better brakes make it feel more controlled and composed, especially in the higher-speed corners, where it's much more stable. Both SUVs tended to give up grip at the front quickly, but the Cadillac didn't feel nearly as playful around our track. It was restrained a bit, in stark contrast to the Genesis' sillier tail-happy shenanigans.

Our time in the Optiq-V was also cut a bit short by a warning about braking temperatures. And this was a recurring theme throughout the day; it went off while we were testing braking and after just a lap or two on the track across two different sessions. There wasn't a notable loss in stopping power at the times the warning went off, but that was enough to get us to dial it back and it certainly cut our chances of enjoying the Caddy short.

Verdict

Picking between these two is tough. Though it held an overall advantage in our testing numbers, I found myself less drawn to the Cadillac as the day went on. And that's not because it failed to impress; in fact, the way the Optiq-V could dance its 5,508 pounds around is surprising, but the V team at Cadillac tends to mean business. It has more to do with how fun it was to really lean hard on the GV60.

The Genesis might have a horsepower deficit and less grippy tires, but it overcomes those shortcomings with better power delivery and a penchant for four-wheel slides that were really exciting to experience. And with the Magma coming, that level of enjoyment is about to shoot even higher. Your move, Cadillac.