Genesis is a premium brand of the Hyundai Motors group founded in 2015. In a way, it is to Hyundai what Lexus is to Toyota. Taking over the E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform) platform of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the Genesis GV60 is distinguished by a more personal style, and above all some more avant-garde features.
The premium brand’s first dedicated electric vehicle, the GV60 incorporates for its 2023 model year, and this is a first, facial recognition for locking/unlocking the vehicle.
The Face Connect feature gives customers the ability to access their car using their face through a facial recognition sensor. The Face Connect system uses a sensor for this with deep learning image processing. It is set up using an app and owner customers will only need to access the car with the physical key once to set up a profile. Biometric recognition is also integrated, like what is commonly found on smartphones.
A led indicator on the B pillar provides visual feedback and all data is stored in the vehicle via encrypted software. According to Genesis, no biometric data is uploaded and stored remotely.
This function is already used by millions of users on their smartphones, with applications such as face iD from Apple. Genesis believes that incorporating this feature into the GV60 is ideal for outdoor activities such as swimming, climbing and running where carrying a physical key is not practical.
This technology is already available on the American market for the GV60. The latter is priced at $71,000 for the Advanced version and $79,000 for the Performance version. Before landing in France, the Genesis GV60 will first have to prove itself in our German, English and Swiss neighbours, test markets selected for their potential in the high-end segment. It will compete there with the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Tesla Model Y and the BMW iX.