Hyundai Blog :: 2011 Hyundai cars - new Sonata & Tucson, news, dealerships, sales, spy shots, reviews, accessories, parts, tuning

Initially, the 2010 Hyundai Equus sedan has been set to be unveiled on March 3rd, but due to some unknown reasons, Hyundai postponed the official launch of its super luxury sedan until today, when Equus finally made its official debut in the South Korean market.

During the launching ceremony Hyundai revealed it aims to sell 13.000 units on its domestic market, while plans for the next year project sales lift up to 19.000 units. Initially, the Equus sedan will only be on sale in South Korea, but during the second half of the year, Hyundai plans to commence its sales in the Middle East and China.

Codenamed VI, the new luxury sedan, which took Hyundai three years to develop at the expense of 500 million won, is expected to compete against luxury cars such as Mercedes Benz S-class, Audi A8 and BMW 7-Series.

Base Equus, equipped with 3.8L Lambda V6 engine (290hp) will sell for 63.7 million won ($42,800), while the top of the range model with 366-hp 4.6-liter V8 gasoline engine will be available for 105 million won, Hyundai revealed during its press conference.

A 5.0L V8 engine is also scheduled to debut later in the year, when a stretched Equus limousine, featuring an extended wheelbase, will hit the Korean showrooms.

A plethora of luxury features, such as LED headlights equipped with Advanced Front Lighting System (AFLS), Parking Guidance System (PGS), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Pre-Safe Seatbelts (PSB) and TFT-LCD dashboard cluster with visual warning system will bring the Equus’ base price to 63 million won, while the top of the range Equus will be on sale for 105 million won -the priciest Korean vehicle ever.