Fingerprint scanners are quite common - we use them every day on our phones, in case of the iPhone, we used to use them till Apple replaced it with the facial recognition technology. But now, this form of biometric technology is trickling down to cars. Hyundai, after debuting a fingerprint recognition system in the Santa Fe, has introduced one in the new Genesis GV70 which is an SUV from its luxury brand.
The fingerprint scanner allows to unlock the car and even start the engine
To be precise, the fingerprint scanner is inside the vehicle, not outside. It is an in-vehicle fingerprint-activated biometrics system. This system is more sophisticated than the one on the Santa Fe. On the GV70, the fingerprint scanner is located under the start and stop button which allows one to pay for file and parking via the Genesis CarPay system. This system isn't too dissimilar from how biometrics payments are handled 0n an iPhone using Apple Pay.
The system is so clever that it even functions in valet mode. When engaged it will hide the phonebook and home address on the infotainment display. The biometric data is linked to the car's settings, so it also allows you to open the car using the Genesis connected app and start the engine using fingerprint recognition all without the use of the smart key.
The car comes in a couple of trims
The moment the fingerprint sensor is activated it also restores all the customer settings like the driver's seat position, steering wheel orientation, latest navigation data and sound system volume and profile.
Now, one doesn't know if this is an optical or ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Optical scanners aren't the most secure ones while the responsiveness of the ultrasonic ones is questionable. One should hope this is a more of a standard fingerprint scanner considering it is being used to replace the key of a car. It is likely something more sophisticated something like the Touch ID fingerprint scanner technology that Apple uses on the iPhone SE and the iPad Air.
In addition to the fingerprint scanner, this car also gets a powerful sensor on the back which can read through non-metallic materials like blankets clothes, seats and even a dog crates to detect pets in the car. It also gets a rear-seat reminder tech which is also expected to be assimilated in Hyundai's vehicles.
The new GV70 comes after the launch of the GV80. Its powertrain information isn't out yet but it is likely to have a front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive version of the car with either a 2.5-litre turbo or a twin-turbo V6 motor. It is expected to go on sale in South Korea in December and arrive in the US by the mid of 2021.
