Genesis Needs to Fix a Problem With the Most Stunning GV60 Feature
Shifting a vehicle into neutral is simple: Depress the brake and move the gear selector to neutral. But that has proven challenging for some Genesis GV60 drivers. The luxury SUV’s most stunning feature — the Crystal Sphere gear shifter — is to blame. This glistening glass orb in the GV60 doesn’t provide an easy way to shift the vehicle into neutral when the ignition is off. It requires a multistep process, which could be frustrating at some automatic carwashes.
How do you shift the GV60’s Crystal Sphere into neutral?
One of the most impressive features of the 2023 GV60 is Crystal Sphere, an innovative gear selector. It looks luxurious, but its power is in its performance. Genesis explains that the new GV60 gear shifter can communicate and interact with the driver, providing a seamless driving experience.
However, the gear selector doesn’t include an intuitive way to shift to neutral when the ignition is off. That could pose a problem at some automatic carwashes.
Here’s the step-by-step process to switch to neutral with the ignition off:
- Press Start twice without depressing the brake pedal.
- The vehicle enters IG On mode.
- Remove the cap on the right upper side by the sphere and press the button.
- Then you will be asked to depress the brake pedal and push the button again.
- Neutral will be engaged, and the shift selector will appear (the GV60 will remain in neutral regardless of whether you leave the vehicle).
- Press P to return to Park.
As a safety measure, the GV60 automatically shifts to Park when the driver’s door opens.
The process is so unintuitive that Genesis provides a video tutorial on how to use Crystal Sphere.
However, if the GV60’s ignition is on, the driver must simply depress the brake pedal and turn the gear selector to N.
2023 Genesis GV60: Price, specs, and notable tech
This all-electric SUV has plenty of other high-tech controls that are easy to use. One unique capability of the 2023 GV60 is the combination of facial recognition and fingerprint authentication to unlock and start the car.
According to U.S. News, this model is the first to register users’ faces and fingerprints on the vehicle. Genesis got rid of both key fobs for the new GV60 and now requires users to face the middle pillar on the driver’s side, press the door handle, and wait for the car to identify them. Once inside, the driver only has to press a finger on the console pad to start the vehicle.
The 2023 GV60 is available with one of two all-electric powertrains: Advanced or Performance. The Advanced trim has two electric motors and a 77.4-kWh battery, making 314 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque. The Performance trim is more potent, harnessing 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. All 2023 GV60 models have all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission.
Starting at $59,290, the Advanced trim gets an EPA-estimated 103 MPGe in the city and 86 MPGe on the highway, while the Performance gets 97/82 MPGe city/highway. Drivers can expect a maximum driving range of 248 miles with the Advanced and 235 miles with the Performance.
The GV70 learned from the GV60’s mistake
The 2023 Genesis GV70 must have learned from the GV60’s mistake because the larger SUV has an easy-to-use glass rotary dial shifter.
The neutral gear disengages the electric motor, allowing the vehicle to be pushed or towed without resistance from the drivetrain.
Neutral gear also protects the electric motor from potential damage that could occur when the vehicle is going through an automatic carwash.
For the GV60, shifting the car into neutral isn’t easy when the ignition is off, but Genesis avoided the problem in the GV70.
