Funny thing about the 2011 Hyundai Equus is that it's ubiquitous. Crowding the entrance drives of the plushest downtown hotels, stuck in freeway gridlock, always two of them within sight at all times.
You see them all over the place, as long as that place is Seoul, South Korea. There, the locals have wholly embraced the home team's latest luxury sedan. If there's any skepticism there regarding the idea of a premium Korean rear-drive four-door going toe to toe with the mainstays of the segment, it's been overwhelmed by the momentum of everyone's pocketbooks voting all at once.
Now It's America's Turn
Parked conspicuously at Hyundai's Namyang proving ground during a visit there a few weeks ago, the Equus looks dignified. Its sheet metal could hardly be described as original and boasts nothing that could be called daring, but its anonymity is at best discreetly handsome and at worst not in the least offensive. Its long 120-inch wheelbase, punctuated by two creases down the body side, provides an understated sense of stature.
The Equus we're about to drive is a prototype that is about 80 percent representative of the final U.S. specification. There are a few Korean-market styling details such as the grille, wheels and hood ornament that will change on U.S.-bound models.
Hyundai has firmed up the suspension and retuned the steering for the U.S. market since it correctly figures that the Koreans' yen for wallowy softness won't go over well in the States. That's kind of a reversal from the way things usually go when cars are brought over the pond.
Feels a Little More Lexus Than BMW
Indeed, the 2011 Hyundai Equus' ride dispatches irregularities in the pavement with a confidence that's dead smack between the softness of a Lexus and the tautly damped response we typically associate with BMWs. And while the steering is of the electrically assisted variety, it is not lifeless, since the rack-and-pinion retains the hydraulic actuation muscle that makes steering feel natural.
We did a few runs through a set of slalom cones and the Equus' mission is confirmed, as it turns in with more alacrity than an LS 460 but is short of the out-and-out enthusiasm of a 7 Series. Then we clicked the Sport button to the right of the console shifter and didn't notice a lick of difference in its hunger for turns, or the ride quality. It's possible that this prototype's button was intentionally ineffectual, as engineers were still fettling the suspension calibrations.
Possibly only a G5 bizjet would provide a more coddling place to spend a jaunt.
Possibly only a G5 bizjet would provide a more coddling place to spend a cross-country jaunt. The Equus has every doodad you can think of, but the real luxury is the space. This is a large car — especially in the cabin, where it counts. Backseat accommodations, too, are vast.
It's quiet inside. Very quiet. At 130 mph on the high-speed banking of the proving ground's oval, you hear the rush of the wind and little else. The 4.6-liter engine makes a muted, distinctly V8 growl when you give it full throttle; otherwise you don't hear it. Its get-up-and-go is entirely acceptable, too, if not blazingly quick.
Korean Luxury Liner
Here's what we know about the 2011 Hyundai Equus that's coming to the U.S. In terms of features, dimensions and general comportment, it's intended to take on the BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS 460 and Mercedes-Benz S550. Naturally, the Equus will sport a more palatable price point. If this sounds familiar, it's because Toyota's Lexus division made the same bold move 21 years ago with its LS 400 sedan.
The Equus will be offered in two trim levels, a five-passenger Signature trim level and a range-topping four-passenger version called Ultimate. Signature models boast an extensive complement of equipment including (deep breath) air suspension, active cruise control, a lane departure warning system, a back-up camera, leather, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-reclining rear seats, a massaging driver seat and a 600-watt, 17-speaker sound system.
Ultimate trim adds an elaborate rear-seat treatment comprising a console with a refrigerator, cooled and massaging rear seats, La-Z-Boy-style lower-leg supports, a front-mounted peekaboo camera and an 8-inch video screen.
At launch, the Equus will use the company's 385-horsepower 4.6-liter Tau V8 and six-speed automatic transmission. Sometime later, Hyundai will introduce a 5.0-liter, direct-injected variant of the Tau V8 that boasts 429 hp and 376 pound-feet of torque. A new eight-speed automatic transmission will make the 5.0-liter feel that much stronger.
The Sales Strategy
That the 2011 Hyundai Equus is to trickle into dealerships Stateside before the end of the year is well known. What's less well known is official pricing, as Hyundai is still finalizing the commas and decimals.
So here's our guess. The 2011 Hyundai Equus will start at a bit under $60,000 for the Signature version, while the kitchen sink, the Ultimate, will push the sticker up to a max of roughly $67,000.
It's easy to be skeptical about a $60,000 Hyundai. It's an ambitious flagship from a company not known for such lavish offerings.
But when it's there in the metal, and you drive it, the skepticism rings hollow. You begin to think that there really is a place for a car like this. You begin to think that maybe the Korean consumers are keyed into something that has more substance to it than mere national pride.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
Add A Comment »
nutsaboutcars says:
09:24 PM, 09/17/2010
I hope when hyundai makes this car available to u.s. consumers that they have really worked the bugs out of it because the genesis sedan still has issues like excessive road noise comming in to the cabin along with wind noise and the upgraded lexicon stereo in the tech pkg is not what they have advertised it to be..I have heard better audio systems in a accent..The windshield wipers are noisy and the v8 engine is not buttery smooth and refined as they say it is because my car with almost 16000 gentle miles on her with only getting the hughest quality fuels and regular oil changes knocks and it idols noisy..Hyundai should start with refinning the genesis ebfore building a bigger genesis to go after the lexus ls and the mb s class especially if they want the very well qualified buyers who buy those sedans to begin with and to go with that they need to step up there dealership treatment to customers buying these sedans because a customer who bought a genesis and gets treated like they bought a stripped down accent is very much unacceptable..I wonder are they over ther head with this ?
the_pill says:
11:05 AM, 08/15/2010
Quacks about Hyundai's luxury model, Equus, copying another make is obviously based on ignorance and indignant bias. It hardly matters whether the quacks are regarding their exterior designs, or interiors, the blithering knee jerk, reflexive, "copy" comments are uttered by laxative induced, pablum spewing, nail bitters.
Fact: Equus has been on sale in its own home market in South Korea, since 1999. Copy that?
Fact: Hyundai's award winning Tau V8 engines are all based in-house, R&D' by Hyundai, as are the rear wheel architecture developed specifically for this vehicle. Copy that?
Fact: Lexicon brand 10 speaker audio sound system available in the Equus, is well known to be exclusive only to Rolls Royce Phantom. hmm....still copy that?
There are more facts out there for others to find for themselves and for the "copy" criers and whiners out there, get your facts straight first before you post to avoid exposing your fanboy, chum chum, mouth breathing, ignorance.
gymotc says:
10:26 AM, 08/07/2010
The interior is competent but the exterior........is a hot mess, it looks like a previous generation hyundai where they did swhoopy lines without the straight lines to bring it all together. The way that rear window raises....eye sore! But i guess thats what happens when youre clearly copying other's design and trying to put it all in one!
theroad says:
06:00 AM, 08/07/2010
Apparently, Hyundai will send you a salesperson to your house or office, and when it's time for service, they will send someone out with a loaner Genesis to your house and return it when the service is done. In other words, you the luxury car buyer would never have to set foot inside an econo Hyundai dealership.
With that kind of service, for thousands less than Lexus, I'm thinking they may very well meet, or even possibly far exceed, their goal of selling 3000 a year. It's a really smart approach for a company in Hyundai's position.
ziggerman says:
02:14 PM, 08/06/2010
Chevrolet products range (starting price) from $11,985 for an Aveo Sedan to $106,880 for a ZR1. So, Hyundai is certainly not reaching those extremes with a 60k Equus.
As a side note, Corvette ZR1 sounds a heck of a lot better than Hyundai Equus, which is just an awful name for a company and car in the US. Toyota with its "Lexus LS460" seems to know this very well.
the_pill says:
04:32 PM, 08/04/2010
First let me say to all the naysayers, Hyundai sales of Genesis is on track! Also, Genesis was not about breaking sales records but establishing a beach head to luxify the brand. In case you aren't aware, Genesis is not Hyundai's bread and butter car, because Genesis is helping to push more sales of their frontline models like Sonata, Elantra and Santa Fe.
Take a look at their sales numbers and year-over-year growth, and you will see Hyundai is slowly carving up market share. Equus' mission is solidify Hyundai as a maker of technologically advanced automotive engineering and innovation.
And no, Hyundai doesn't need to establish another brand channel, they are selling Genesis for 30 and 40 large so to those fence sitting critics that say Equus will not sell well? You don't know spit about the car biz nor do you understand the strategy behind this emerging auto juggernaut in the U.S. Now sit back and watch, while history is made.
jm1212 says:
03:13 PM, 08/04/2010
the 5.0 should be exclusive to this car and the Genesis should keep the 4.6. that way, you at least have some reason to buy the Equus.
to be honest though, i don't see this selling very well. the styling is not very nice to look at, and American's arent ready to buy a $60,000 Hyundai. if they really were, the $40K Hyundai would be selling much better than it has. Hyundai should have made a luxury brand to market these products in, or at least move the entire brand into luxury territory and leave Kia as the mainstream brand.
wizard8873 says:
08:55 AM, 08/04/2010
Looks great and can't wait to test drive one to see how well they're improving. While some S class and 7 series buyers may look over this car, for those buying a GS, M37/56, 5 series etc, it would be a great car to cross-shop as you're still spending the same amount of money orl ess and possibly getting more car for you money.
david216 says:
06:19 PM, 08/01/2010
This is obviously a very nice, well made, competent car. But why would anybody pay $60,000 for a Hyundai when they could buy a 5 series BMW or E class Mercedes for the same price?
hn4u says:
10:39 AM, 07/30/2010
wow hyndia, you a very copy cat, out side, front like a mercedes s class , back looks like an acura, interior , looks like lexus ls, and most of your cars looks like other cars anyway. but my over all point, no way i will spend 60k on hyndia. i rather spend it on a mercedes, bmw, audi, infinity, acura, cadillac, where real vehicles come from. it does not even looks luxuries from the outside anyway.