The 2023 Genesis GV60 is the luxury brand’s first purpose-built electric vehicle. The electric crossover gets a technical boost in the form of new biometric features, including the world’s first facial recognition technology for keyless entry and engine start in a production vehicle.
The so-called Face Connect feature allows customers to use their faces to unlock and access their cars thanks to facial recognition sensors with deep learning image processing drivers. You only need to enter the car once with the physical key and set up your facial recognition profile – all subsequent locking, unlocking and engine starts can be done without the physical key.
Some may find this technology too intimidating and confusing. However, Genesis says the system is easy to use, with an LED indicator on the B-pillar that shows the car’s status and provides confirmation whenever the system is activated. The automaker also ensures that biometric data is never uploaded or stored externally outside of the car’s HMI. If this technology sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because a very similar feature is now very popular on smartphones, used by millions of users around the world every day. Genesis believes its use on the GV60 is well-suited for swimming, mountain climbing, running, and other outdoor activities where carrying physical keys is impractical.
For now, it looks like the technology will only be available for the 2023 GV60 for the European market. The Korean brand says the luxury electric crossover can now be ordered in select mainland markets, including the UK, where the GV60 is sold in Premium, Sport and Sport Plus grades. In the US, meanwhile, the electric crossover is available in two versions: the entry-level GV60 Advance with standard all-wheel drive and 248 miles of range, and the top-range GV60 Performance with 429 horsepower.
