2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Becomes First Production Model With Fingerprint Sensor

Hyundai is set to add fingerprint reading technology to its cars, starting with the 2019 Santa Fe SUV model in the first quarter of 2019.

The Korean car maker previewed the new technology during a recent event in China, where it’ll first become available, followed gradually by “other markets”. Hyundai didn’t provide a timetable.

The smart fingerprint technology will allow the driver not only to unlock the vehicle but also start it as well. Hyundai has integrated a biometric sensor on the door handle and another one on the ignition.

Hyundai is also taking advantage of the technology by providing a customized driving experience, with the system matching information of the driver’s preferences with fingerprint data. That includes adjusting the seating position, connected car features and door-mirror angles, according to the driver’s settings.

The company claims that they have addressed the security issues of the technology by adding capacitance recognition. This detects any differences in the electricity level in various parts of the fingertip, thus preventing forgeries and faked fingerprints.

Hyundai says that their smart fingerprint recognition technology’s chances of misrecognizing another person’s fingerprint as the driver’s is one in 50,000. This makes Hyundai’s new tech five times more safe than the conventional car keys, including smart keys.

Moreover, the system has real-time learning of fingerprints that’s supported by a ‘dynamic update’ system, enabling it to continually improve its success rate.

“In the future, Hyundai Motor plans to further expand the application of the technology to allow the adjustment of temperature, steering wheel position, and many other features which will be tailored to driver’s preferences” said Albert Biermann, President and Head of Research & Development Division of the Hyundai Motor Company. “This will ultimately offer quality driving experience to each and every Hyundai customer.”