Equus = Horse Hyundai's first real jump into the luxury game (although some have suggested that the brand create a separate luxury division). Yes, there's the lack of a hood ornament (on the American spec. edition outside of the exterior picture in this thread), and I've read that it may not have as good handles as some of the German and Japanese luxury cars, but it has a lot of features and amenities for a tad under $60k. There are two trim levels, Signature and Ultimate. Here's what you might find on each trim of the RWD sedan: Signature ($58,000): Interior Ultra-premium leather seating surfaces Electronic active front head restraints (adjustable) Front seatback pockets 12-way Power Driver Seat with Memory (I.M.S.) Power driver adjustable head restraint Power driver seat cushion extension and lumbar support Driver seat massage system 10-way power passenger seat Adjustable 60/40 power reclining rear heated seats Rear center armrest with dual cupholders and control console Heated front seats Rear seat wing-out butterfly adjustment for outboard seat head restraints Lexicon® 7.1 Discrete Logic 7® surround sound system with 17 speakers HD Radio® Technology XM® Satellite Radio Ultimate Navigation system with 8-inch display + Driver Information System In-dash 6-disc DVD Changer + NavTraffic iPod / USB and auxilary input jacks Leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood trim Steering wheel mounted controls (smart cruise, audio, Bluetooth®) Power tilt-and-telescopic function Microsuede headliner Power tilt & slide with one touch open/close sunroof Air Quality System with cabin air filter Dual automatic temperature control with outside temperature display Rear window defroster, electronic with timer Rear seat temperature controls Power rear sunshade Power rear side-window sunshade Integrated Memory Trip computer Bluetooth® hands-free phone system Power windows with auto-down, auto-up with pinch protection Power door locks Proximity Key Entry System and push button start HomeLink® Integrated Transceiver Electrochromic auto-dimming inside rearview mirror with compass Exterior High Intensity Discharge (HID) Xenon, Auto-leveling Headlights Adaptive Front Light System (AFLS) (cornering front lights) Front LED turn signal indicators LED outside mirror turn signal indicator Dual heated power side mirrors Auto-adjusting side mirrors (tilt down in reverse) Approach lamps Power tilt-and-slide sunroof with one-touch open Front fog lights Rearview camera Front and rear parking assistance sensors Acoustic laminated glass Automatic rain-sensing wipers Windshield wiper de-icer Auto-defogging windshield with humidity sensor Proximity key -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ultimate ($64,500): All of the goodies on the Signature trim, plus...... Interior Adjustable 50/50 Split rear seats with power reclining function Cooled rear seats First-class right rear seat : leg support and massage system Rear seat power adjustable (up/down) head restraints w/ manual tilt and wing-out butterfly adjustments Fixed rear center console storage Rear console refrigerator Rear illuminated vanity mirrors 8-inch LCD screen, interface with rear DIS integrated control on rear fixed center armrest; DVD player, HVAC, Audio control from rear seat Exterior Forward-view cornering camera Proximity key ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Equus comes with the following safety feautres: Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with Pre-Collision Warning Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Traction Control System (TCS) 4-Wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist Advanced dual front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact airbags, roof-mounted side-curtain airbags, and driver knee airbag Energy-absorbing steering column Smart Cruise Control Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Electronic active front head restraints with power controls Front and rear crumple zone ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There's only one engine for the car: a 4.6L V8 with 385HP and 333LB-FT of torque. And, of course, there's only a 6-speed automatic transmission available on this car (with Shiftronic, whatever the hell that is). The vehicle comes with a 5-year/60k mile warranty; the powertrain has a 10-year/100k warranty, and, buyers get 24/7 roadside assistance. The owner's manual comes on a freaking iPad for God's sake, and when a buyer takes it in for repair, he or she gets a loaner car to use while theirs is in repair. All in all, this car is a beautiful start for the Korean brand to come in to the luxury game; however, the main issue I see is that there may not be a lot of people willing to shell out $60,000+ on a HYUNDAI (given its reputation outside of the last 4 years or so for being about economy). Of course, performance compared to the German and Japanese luxury vehicles will be an issue as well, but I'm sure Hyundai can work these out within a couple of years. Just one question: WOULD YOU BUY ONE? (All hypothetical situations aside) I would, but that's just me.
No, if just for the fact that if you're going to drop 60K + on a car, you want to show it off and tell people about it. Saying Hyundai, anyone would think you bought a cheap car.
Hyundai has proven itself from the Elantra to Sonata to the Genesis Coupe to the Genesis sedan. Of course I would, because it's a great alternative to the other full size luxury cars, brands be damned. If you care about brands only, then no amount of quality or performance will favorably sway your opinion until it's widely accepted by the public.
Oh please, same craps were said about Lexus when they were first competing against the BMWs and the Audis. On the note of Lexus, a quick visit to Google shows that C&D put the Equus ahead of Lexus LS460L, a car costing 33k more, in a comparison test. Lulz.
BMW maybe, I wouldn't pay half that much for a new Mercedes. A friend, who towed cars for a shop, said that Mercedes break down more than any other car.
So true!!!!! My parents had a 2000 ML320 for 8 years and it kept having problems that were too expensive to handle (one repair bill was $2000). When they traded it in for a Cadillac, they only got $1500 for it.
Yeah, but I'd rather go with a BMW. Mercedes is great, but most of its popularity just comes from name value.
The new Optima looks nice though I've heard it's underpowered. The body was designed by Peter Schreyer of Audi TT fame who now works as KIA's chief designer or something.
I would. They should start a luxury line though. I saw one of these the other day and was like, "What the hell is that?" Doesn't have a Hyundai emblem anywhere.
That's not an oversight. Hyundai offers a "badging" package for this and the Genesis where the owner can have all the "Hyundai emblems removed" and replaced with model emblems.
