Recently Hyundai announced that in 2010 it will begin to sell the high-end Equus luxury sedan stateside. In 2008, the Hyundai Genesis debuted, a luxury sedan that costs thousands less than its competitors. That car was so good, it was named the 2009 North American Car of the Year. Now comes the Equus, which will slot above the Genesis in price, size and performance. Details are slim at this point, but based on its past strategy, we expect Hyundai to offer features and accommodations similar to the Lexus LS460, but at a price well below that car's $64,000 sticker.
The Specs
Styling is always subjective, but many of the lines on the Equus mimic the handsome Azera sedan. Its size and prominent, flowing, body side crease lend the car a presence that looks good in the metal.
The rear-drive Genesis chassis was stretched 4.3 inches to enlarge the rear -seat legroom. Overall length is up by 7.2 inches to 203.1 inches. Width and height are up less than an inch. Like the Genesis, control arms connect the body to the front wheels, a multilink system does the job in the rear. The Equus, however, has adjustable air springs and shocks at all four corners.
Behind the sloping, toothy grill resides the 4.6-liter V8 from the Genesis. In the Genesis, the double-overhead cam engine makes 375 hp and 333 lb-ft of torque when run on premium fuel. It's likely that the Equus will have a bit more power, and we've also heard that a 5.0-liter version of this engine will be available with somewhere near 420 hp. Backed by a six-speed automatic transmission, the over-two-ton Equus should run to 60 mph in under 6 seconds.
Like the Genesis, a full compliment of luxury features and new tech will be part of the deal. Expect heated and cooled seats front and rear, auto door closers, a high-end stereo, navigation, Blueooth connectivity. Electronic driver aids include adaptive headlights, lane-departure assist (when the car drifts out of the lane, the seat belt tugs the driver), stability control, radar-based cruise control, and likely a parking-assist system too. In other words, the full monte. We also wouldn't be surprised if the car offers massaging front seats like those in the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes S-Class.
The Drive
From the driver's seat, the Equus feels a lot like the Genesis, which is no real surprise since they share an architecture. The suspension and steering tuning is quite a bit different, however. In the Equus, the steering effort stays relatively light no matter how fast the car is going, while the feedback from Genesis wheel gets heavier with speed. With either setup, the feel is quite good, but considering the comfortable cruising mission of the Equus, we actually prefer its steering feel. The 4.6-liter V8 has plenty of power. It's smooth, and nearly transparent in most of its operations.
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