The Genesis GV60 can be driven with your face and your finger.
Sure, both are used to control any vehicle, but what about unlocking and starting them?
The all-electric GV60 is equipped with a facial-recognition system that lets you unlock it without a key.
You just tap a pad on the flush door handle and look at the door pillar, which has a scanner and a circular status indicator that turns green for authorized drivers before unlocking the door and extending the handle to greet you.
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The Genesis GV60 is a dedicated electric vehicle. (Genesis)
Once inside, there’s a fingerprint scanner, like those used by some laptop computers, that you touch to activate the power before you hit the start button and wait for the bizarre crystal sphere on the center console to flip over and reveal the rotary gear selector. You can leave the actual keys at home if you’re brave enough, and might as well.
The transmission selector is hidden under a crystal sphere. (Fox News Digital)
During a week of testing, I only managed to mess up the startup sequence once, unfortunately during a live TV demonstration on Fox Business Network,, but was successful on a follow-up try after waiting a few moments. As a backup, you can also download an app that turns a smartphone into a key and comes with a bonus. It allows you to send a temporary key to let someone else to drive the car. They should enjoy it.
The GV60 falls into the compact SUV segment. (Genesis)
The GV60 is the first of many electric models on the way from Genesis. It uses the same dedicated EV platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is the reigning World Car of the Year, and the Kia EV6, which was one of the finalists the Ioniq 5 beat for the title. The bones are good, even if the design is a little odd.
The GV60 has a pod-like shape that maximizes passenger space, but gives it the look of an oversize hatchback. Its long wheelbase provides more legroom in the front and rear than the larger, conventional GV70 SUV, while it’s tall, panoramic-glass equipped roof adds to the airy feeling.
The interior has dual digital displays and high-end trim. (Genesis)
The interior is dressed to the nines in a sort of retro-futuristic mid-century look that’s got a lot of glitz and is trimmed in high-quality leathers, microfiber and metal worthy of its $60,385 starting price. That’s a bit more than it was expected to be before the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act removed the South Korean-built GV60’s qualification for the $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credit that’s now only available for vehicles built in North America.
The entry level GV60 is called the Advanced and comes with a 314 horsepower all-wheel-drive system, a 248-mile range between charges and all the fixings. Standard equipment includes the Genesis Highway Driving Assist, which provides adaptive cruise control and a robust automatic lane-centering system, plus blind spot cameras and a 360-degree camera system for parking.
A Boost mode increases power in 10-second bursts. (Genesis)
Stepping up to the $69,385 GV60 Performance adds a computer-controlled adjustable suspension system and 429 horsepower that can be increased to 483 horsepower in 10-second bursts by pressing a Boost button on the steering wheel. Unfortunately thanks to that and a set of wider performance tires mounted to 21-inch rims, the range drops to 235 miles per charge.
Both ranges are significantly less than the comparably priced and powered Tesla Model Y Long Range and Performance, which are rated at 330 miles and 303 miles, respectively, but on par with the European compact SUVs.
The GV60 features a hatchback design. (Genesis)
The GV60’s ace in the hole is an 800-volt architecture that’s compatible with 250-kilowatt public fast-charging stations that can recharge the battery from 10% to 80% in as little as 18 minutes, which is as quick as any EV on the road today. Electric vehicles reduce charging speeds when their batteries reach the 80% level, to help extend their operational lives.
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The GV60 is quick when its moving, too. The Performance model is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, according to Car and Driver testing, and definitely feels that way, tossing you into the back of its quilted-leather seat like a muscle car.
Ease up, and it cruises along smoothly and eerily quiet. That is, unless you turn up the volume. Like many electric vehicles, the GV60 is equipped with an audio system for the cabin that provides several faux engine sounds. One is modeled after an internal combustion engine, and another, named Futuristic, is more along the lines of something that would power the Jetsons' flying car.
An air freshener system is installed in the passenger door. (Fox News Digital)
Suffice it to say, the GV60 doesn’t stink, and not just figuratively. The driver’s side door handle has a rotary control for the power mirrors that’s itself mirrored by what looks like a round speaker on the passenger side but is actually a vented compartment where you can install air freshener packs.
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It’s a novel combination of form and function, and that pretty much sums up the GV60. It’s an absolutely delightful vehicle to drive and be in, as long as you don’t need to stray too far from a place to plug it in.
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2023 Genesis GV60
Base price: $60,385
As tested: $69,385
Type: 5-passenger, 4-door, all-wheel-drive SUV
Powertrain: Dual-motor electric
Power: 429 hp/443 lb-ft
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
MPGe: 90 combined
Range: 235 miles