Preview – 2011 Hyundai Equus

By Casey Williams – MyCarData

Before the Genesis Sedan and Coupe, the idea of Hyundai building high-performance luxury cars and sport coupes was a foreign thought. However, the Sedan has been compared favorably to high-end Japanese, German, and American competitors. Coupe buyers cross-shop high-performance sports cars. I’ve driven both cars and was incredibly impressed. Both were developed from the ground-up to match the world’s best and succeeded. Hyundai is ready to shock you once again.

Having recently debuted at the Seoul Auto Show, Automotive News reports the Hyundai Equus will come to the U.S. for 2011. In Korea, the Equus competes with the Lexus LS, Mercedes S-Class, and BMW 7-Series. While a high-end Genesis retails for about $43,000, the Equus will likely push $65,000 fully loaded. Based on stretched Genesis architecture, the car is probably worth the money. But, that’s rarefied territory that gave the Bentley Continental-based VW Phaeton absolute fits.

Exterior styling is an obvious interpretation of the Genesis and Sonata. The front is taller and more rounded while side profiles are broken with character lines that are a mix of Buick LaCrosse, Rolls-Royce, and the new Mercedes E-Class.

Photos of the Equus provided by Hyundai show a cabin awash in stitched leather, panels of wood, and arrays of electronics. Front passengers have access to an in-dash screen and joywheel that presumably controls the navigation, audio, and climate controls ala BMW 7-Series. Rear seats are separated by a wood-paneled console. The car is 7.2 inches longer than the already-spacious Genesis, insuring rear riders will revel in decadent amounts of space.

Hyundai has not said what powertrains will come to the U.S., but Korean models are equipped with the same 3.8-litre V6 and 4.6-litre V8 engines that move the Genesis. Most, if not all, Equus models sold here will come with the powerful V8.

Some people reading this may need to be revived after reading the Equus’ likely price, but I suspect most others will have a sense of peace. Hyundai has risen from, let’s face it, building pieces of junk to some of the highest-quality and best-warranted vehicles on the road. During 2008, the Korean company built over 2.8 million vehicles. In 2011, about 5,000 units of its global output will come to America in the form of a high-end luxury flagship. This is going to be good.

Hyundai Genesis

Jim Meachen, www.car-data.com

Hyundai’s new foray into the luxury car market is eerily reminiscent of the Japanese ‘ andspecifically Toyota’s ‘ entry into BMW and Mercedes territory more than 20 years ago.

Toyota, builder of small, fuel-efficient bargain-basement cars in the ’70s and ’80s, announced anew luxury nameplate in 1987 to the snickers of European and American manufacturers. Well, as weall know today, the joke was on BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Cadillac and Lincoln. One of the first twoproducts of the oddly named Lexus brand was a full-sized clone of the Mercedes S-Class. Hittingshowrooms as the LS 400 in the fall of 1989, it was as good as the Mercedes in most ways, but at aprice many thousands less.

The meteoric rise of Lexus is automotive history. Lexus rapidly expanded its lineup and went onto become the top luxury-car builder in the world with a level of quality and reliability neverbefore achieved. South Korean automaker Hyundai, reviled for its cheap and shoddily built productsafter it entered the U.S. market in 1985, has steadily improved its vehicles over the last decadeuntil now it sells some of the most well-built, well-designed and fuel-efficient cars and sportsutilities in the world.

Hyundai is as ambitious today as Toyota/Lexus was 20 years ago. That ambition is evident inHyundai’s first luxury undertaking, the 2009 Genesis full-sized rear-wheel-driven sedan. We thinkthat this time there won’t be any snickers from the Europeans or the Japanese luxury manufacturersover the Korean’s first attempt at a premium sedan. There might even be some consternation because,for the most part, Hyundai has hit the nail squarely on the head. The one thing that may hold theGenesis back is its Hyundai nameplate.

Will a Genesis shopper seeking a less expensive alternative to his Lexus or Infiniti, thinktwice about driving off in a Hyundai, known for its inexpensive family of compact and mid-sizedsedans, no matter how impressed he is with the car?You can hear his slightly aghast status-drivenneighbor proclaiming, ‘I knew things were bad George, but trading your Lexus for a Hyundai? Didn’tknow they were that bad, partner.’ Of course if old George can overcome the Mercedes/Lexus statusissue, it won’t take him long to wow his neighbors who then may think him the wisest shopper at thecountry club.

We say you can get 50 grand quality and substance for a fraction of the cost with the Genesisthat tops out at around $42,000 for a lavishly equipped 4.6-liter 375-horsepower V-8 model. Asusual, Hyundai has taken the best from the competition and molded it into a well-rounded automobile. This has been their modus operandi for the past decade. The styling is handsome yet conservative.The front end resembles a S-Class Mercedes and the profile has a striking resemblance to a Lexus LS460. The rear end includes some BMW traits. And the Hyundai insignia is purposely missing from thegrille.

The well-thought-out dashboard looks much like some layouts in the current-generation Infiniti.After a couple of hours behind the wheel and in the passenger seat it was easy to reach theconclusion that the Genesis is much more than a well-executed clone. It carries its own uniquepersonality. It breaks no new ground, but it’s a well-rounded and well-executed luxury sedan withall the current technology.

Hyundai says it used the Chrysler 300C, Lexus ES 350, Pontiac G8 and Cadillac CTS as its’primary competitive set’ and the Lexus GS, Infiniti M, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class as its’image target competitors.’ We’re not sure what that means. Hyundai officials seem to be sayingthey have set their sights on a wide range of competitors to match up with the least expensive 3.8-liter V-6 trim level up to the well- equipped 4.6-liter V-8. The base 3.8 makes 290 horsepowermated to a six-speed automatic. One published performance number has it rocketing from 0 to 60 in 6.3 seconds and completing a quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 95 mph. Considering gas mileage of 18city and 27 highway on regular fuel and a well-equipped starting price of $33,000 includingdestination charge it’s a solid package and matches up well with the Acura TL, Cadillac CTS, LexusES 350 and Mercedes C-Class.

The real kicker, however is the 4.6-liter V-8, which generates 375 horsepower and 333 pound-feetof torque. It can nail a 0-to-60 run in a heart-pounding 5.5 seconds and finish off a quarter in 14seconds at nearly 104 mph. Gas mileage on premium fuel is rated at a class-leading 17 city and 25highway. Hyundai says its acceptable to pump in regular if you don’t mind losing six or sevenhorsepower. This car can go head-to-head with the big boys including the 5-Series BMW and E-ClassMercedes.

We know that’s a bold statement, but it was made after spending a morning inside a extremelyquiet Genesis 4.8 cockpit with its rich- looking and rich-feeling leather interior, a dashboardthat sweeps gracefully from side to side, a well-designed center stack and comfortable chairs. Thedoors shut with a solid thunk. The one-touch power windows silently go down and up with a touch.The ride is ever so slightly on the firm side with a smile-inducing smoothness over rough roadsurfaces.

Back-seat passengers will find stretch out room in comfortable seats. That’s because the Genesisis a relatively big car stretching out 196 inches with a 74.4-inch wheelbase. That’s six incheslonger than the Lexus GS 460 and five inches longer than the E-Class Mercedes.

Trunk space is relatively generous at 16 cubic feet, but the rear seat does not fold down forthose pesky long items.

For $33,000 including destination charge you can purchase a very well equipped 3.8. Standardstuff includes a full array of safety features, leather interior, a sunroof, dual-zone climatecontrol and full power accessories including power tilt and telescoping steering wheel.

A $7,000 technology package adds navigation, rear backup camera and what Hyundai officials sayis the most advanced audio system in the industry, a 500-watt 17-speaker Lexicon surround soundsystem that includes an 11-channel amplifier.

A similar technology package can be ordered up for the 4.6 at $4,000. That means that for $42,000 you can have every amenity available on the Genesis. We call that a bargain.

And by the way, don’t forget Hyundai’s standard five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties.