AutoElectric VehiclesWill biometric security replace your car key? We’re living with a Genesis GV60 to find outMonth two with our Genesis GV60 and we’re talking face-scanning biometricsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
AutoElectric VehiclesWill biometric security replace your car key? We’re living with a Genesis GV60 to find outMonth two with our Genesis GV60 and we’re talking face-scanning biometricsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Month two with our Genesis GV60 and we’re talking face-scanning biometrics
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
I briefly tried out the face-scanner at a car show back when the technology launched in 2023. But now that I’mliving with a Genesis GV60for six months, I felt it was time to give the system a proper workout.
The feature is called Face Connect, and it works in a similar way to the face-scanners most of us use to unlock our smartphones. Then, once you’re in the car, a fingerprint reader (pictured above) is used to confirm your identity again, and only after that will the car switch on.
The setup
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Face saved (you can add up to four people), it was time to step inside and register my fingerprint. The small, circular reader is on the centre console. Resting your finger on it feels (and looks) far more natural than staring at the B-pillar, that’s for sure. Just as with a smartphone, you’ve to repeatedly press your finger against the sensor until it’s taken a complete scan of your print. With all that done, I can now unlock, start and lock the GV60, all without the key – and without my phone too, since this car also has an app that doubles as the key. More on that next month.
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Does Genesis Face Connect actually work?
(Image credit: Genesis)
(Image credit: Genesis)
No harm done, and a quickGooglesearch confirmed you need to touch a button on the driver’s door and look at the camera to lock the car, as well as unlock it.
As I write this I’m sitting in the car at a public charger. The key fob is at home and my phone isn’t (yet) set up to act as its replacement, so I’m fully reliant on the biometrics. It’s a clever bit of tech, but honestly I’m not sure what problem it solves. Normally, leaving the car fob at home would mean leaving my house keys too, since they’re attached. As I don’t have a smart doorlock, leaving the keys behind is a one-way trip to calling a locksmith for help.
The fob isn’t taking up space in my pocket, which is nice, but it’s often in my backpack instead, or the pocket already has house keys in it, so there’s little to be gained. I saw a post on the GV60 owners’ forum about a driver who liked being able to move his car in and out of the garage without first getting the key. A nice little perk, but hardly life-changing, and perhaps a useful reminder that this feature is free on all models of GV60. It’s a nice-to-have, but doesn’t offer enough to be worth paying a premium for.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Trial and error
It’s hard to tell exactly where to stand when looking at the camera. I’ve found it often fails twice (alarming when you’re away from home, as I am while writing this), then works on the third attempt. I moved a bit closer, then a bit to the right, then to the left and eventually it worked.
As well as looking a bit weird, you’ll also start to resemble a car thief eyeing up their next target. At least that’s how I felt, finger on the door handle, seemingly peering through the tinted rear window at what treats might lurk within. You’ll also look a bit silly locking it too, if it doesn’t work the first time.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The fingerprint sensor is much more reliable, and so far has failed at the first attempt maybe five percent of the time. It once locked me out after a couple of failed print readings, pictured above, and asked that I wait one minute before trying again. Since the key was at home and I was due to catch a flight in a few hours, this minute certainly felt like a long one.
I’m willing to live with the occasional hiccup, and every time I unlock the GV60 with my fingerprint I feel I’ve protected the car with an extra layer of security. Living in London, where car theft is a common occurrence, it’s hard to put a price on that.
Finally, the housekeeping. After two months with the GV60 I’ve covered almost 700 miles and, just as last month, the average efficiency remains at 3.0 miles per kWh.
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