2011 Hyundai Equus coming to the States, debut expected in July 2010
Hyundai Equus luxury sedan coming to the States in July 2010!
Rumors of Hyundais plans to bring its high-end Equus luxury sedan to the States have been circulating over the web for quite sometime. It was announced during New York Auto Show that Korean largest carmaker is going to bring around 100 units of Equus sedan to its US dealerships this summer already to evaluate if market is ready for a super luxury Hyundai sedan.
The rumors have now been confirmed and according to Autoweeks latest report, an anonymous source at Hyundai revealed the Equus sedan is due to arrive to the US market in July 2010 with price of $60.000. The Equus will be available in low numbers and will be used to build brands image among US auto enthusiasts and especially those people that still dont see Hyundai as a tier one automaker.
Hyundai Equus made its world premiere at the Seoul Auto Show in April. Since its official launch the model has only been on sale in South Korea, but Hyundai already announced it plans to ship the Equus to other International markets, including China and Middle East.
Although the Korean-spec Equus is available with either a 3.6L V6 or 4.6L V8, US version will only be available with the top of the range V8 power. The 4.6L Tau engine develops an impressive 366 hp and 439 Nm of cranking power. Right now, the engines are mated to six-speed automatic transmission, but Hyundai already announced it is developing an all-new 8-speed automatic transmission, which will soon be applied to a range of its vehicles.
When Hyundai brings its luxo-limousine Statesside, the Equus sedan will be loaded with all the luxury amenities already available in Korean market. Those include electric parking brake, lane-departure warning system, smart cruise control, 3.5-inch display screen connected to the driver information system, Amplitude Selective Dampers (ASD), video cameras in the rear and front, High Intensity Discharge (HID) head lights and Adaptive Front Lighting System.
In the US market, Hyundai Equus will be set to compete against the similarly priced Lexus LS460, which costs $64,700 but features less standard equipment.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Can’t wait to see and test drive one.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Interesting strategy.. Only $4700 dollars separating this and a base Lexus LS. Would like to have seen pricing in the mix-50K level and sell 500 units..
However, with only 100 units destined for the US, its pretty exclusive.. Another way to think about it is only ~2 vehicles per state, hhh
July 1st, 2009 at 2:50 am
Im sorry to say that…if hyundai doesn’t make a luxury brand..we may have another phateon (sorry for spelling) headed to NA.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:10 am
The Brand should be called Equus. I mean its already has VS 460 on the back as well. I can See:
Equus VS 260
Equus VS 360
and
Equus VS 460
VS Then 4 for Model 60 for appointment level and trim.
Equus should and can be an affordable alternative to Maybach or Rolls Royce. Just look at the Appointment on this car, its not Lexus Comparable, its Rolls Royce Comparable. The Sonata has more in common with a Lexus than this thing. They should make a Coupe priced at $56,000. Make it Ferarri Enzo fast like a Covette, but for half the price.
The Big Sedan should be VS 400 Series. The Coupe should be VS 300 Series. The Azera Sized Sedan should be the VS 200 Series. Thats my 2 cents though.
BTW, the LS460 is not the base Model.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:51 am
The Lexus website shows the least expensive LS 460 at $63,825 + $875 (DP&H) for a total of $64,700 so I am assuming this is the base..
http://www.lexus.com/models/LS/detailed_specifications.html
What is the base model and what is the starting price?
July 1st, 2009 at 6:10 am
You have a point Alex. I just didnt call it a base, becuase the other models are a sacrifice of power. Its a substantial sacrifice as well. Almost 30 HP!!!
1. Azera is catching up to the Lexus ES. One Engine upgrade and it can be ahead of the ES. For $10,000 less, Hummm…..
2. The Genesis Sedan outperforms the Lexus LS that costs $40,000 more in almost every category. Only the LS 460 has superior performance, but in these times fuel economy matters, and even the Genesis V8 has superior Fuel Economy.
3. The Next Gen Sonata has superior Specs and Fuel Economy than an ES. Look at the Lexus Website and then look at what Hyundai has been saying the specs for the Next Gen Sonata are. The Next Gen Sonata will have a V6 like the ES yet get 6 more horsepower, and 6 more MPG. The 4 banger will be rated at about 35-37 mpg, and Lexus doenst even sell a 4 Banger ES. The Sonata of course will cost $16-$17 to get in a base model, and go as high as $28 most likely.
4. Lexus has abandoned small cars and hatches in favor of big baby boomer sedans. While Hyundai is determined on making the small cars as good as a Genesis.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Smoke,Straight up, hyundai hasn’t gotten as good as rolls or Maybach just yet…this car should be fair competition for the s class, 7 series, and lexus ls. I’m pretty sure though, that it will mostly be competing with the ls.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Hyundai,nın Mercedes-benz s serisi,BMW 7 serisi ve japon otomotiv devi Toyota’nın lüks markası lexus’un LS modelinden iç ve dış tasarımından izler taşıyarak dünyaca ünlü otomotiv markaları(Mercedes-Benz,BMW,Lexus ve audi) gibi dünyaca ünlü avrupalı üreticilerden izler taşıyarak yaratılan hyundai’nın lüks modeli Equus 2010 ile sadece sınırlı değil:çünkü hyundai tasarımcıları otomobilleri avrupalı lüks otomobil üreticilerinden izler taşıyarak yaratıyorlar.Hyundai’nın şu anda Getz modelinin yerine türkiye,ye ihraaç edilen modeli yine bir alman markası opel’in yeni corsa’sının tamamen ön panjurunun kopyasını alan hyundai tasarımcıları avrupalılardan izler taşıysrak bırakın kendi üstün başarısını kendi yapmayıkı hyundai tasarımcılarıda çinliler gibi tasarımlarını kopyalıyarak yeni model üretmişler gibi sadece otomobillerin üstüne hyundai arması ekliyor ki hyundai tasarımcıları böylece çinliler ile aynı seviyeye geliyor ve otomobil ve ticari araçlarını kopyalıyor.Ayrıca hyundai’nın lüks ve spor sedan otomobili olan ve başta bmw 5 serisi,mercedes e-serisi,Lexus GS ve amerikalı cadillac CTS modeline rakip olarak hazırlanan ve bu yıl kuzey amerika’da yılın otomobili seçilen genesis’in spor modeli genesis coupe’nin güney kore’de ilk kazasını yapması ve hyundai’nın utanmadan hyundai-blog.com’da yayınlanan kazanın önemli olmadığı ve hyundai’nın sakız çöpü kadar cılız yaptığı otomobilin hava yastığının açılaması kazaya damgasını vurdu o yüzden hyundai’nı KINIYORUZ.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Ummm…can anyone translate that into english plz?
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:28 am
Correction. Like I stated earlier this week, Lexus now has a luxury Hybrid 4 cyl arriving. EVERYBODY is trying to get into the MPG game. Here is the Lexus I mentioned earlier this week. http://www.lexus.com/fcv/HSHybrid.html#/?page=specs.
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:22 am
Umm John,
1. Rolls and Maybach= almost non-existent brands due their horrid quality. A 1983 Hyundai Pony is more reliable than those things.
2. This thing will probably get 24/27 on the Highway. Bentleys Products which use the same ZF-Trannies as the Genesis and Equus do get 7-10 less MPG.
3. Sure they have more power, but with all that power 0-60 is only 0.8 seconds faster in some of the Bentleys than the Genesis.
Think about those facts.
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:26 am
Relax John, remember VW just threw the Phaeton out in the Marketplace. Hyundai like the prudent and conservative company it is, is just testing the waters with the Equus.
The Phaeton couldnt have been all that bad, becuase there will be a second Generation Model for 2011 coming out in summer 2010.
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:29 am
VW has moved a little upmarket as well John. However, unlike VW we have a KIA brand here to justify our move upmarket. If VW had a brand like SEAT or Skoda in the US VW going upmarket wouldnt seem as bad to some people.
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:17 am
This will be like Hyundai’s “A8″…they are not looking to sell the Equus in huge quantities…hell, I’m pretty sure that they only expect to sell under 1,000 a year. It’s not like they are, as someone above stated, throwing the Equus on mainstream America and expecting consumers to pay that much for a Hyundai. Hyundai is learning where Volkswagen failed.
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:55 am
Yea, but wat i mean to say is…no one is going to compare an equus to a rolls or a maybach
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 am
The Equus,(pronounced “ekwuss” meaning horse or steed)should not be a brand but sold under the “Genesis” brand. Since Hyundai’s corporate has wisely decided not to create a separate stand alone brand channel, they should consider housing the Genesis brand as a separate branch within in select Hyundai dealerships or better yet upgrade those dealerships to keep the Genesis fleet separate from the other Hyundai non-lux fleet by extending their showrooms and create a separate area for the Genesis brand.
By giving Genesis its own exclusive brand “booth” within its Hyundai stores, with Genesis specific branding and no “H” logos associated with it, the exclusivity of the Genesis luxury brand will be amplified.
Hyundai’s successful launch of Genesis is proof that the Genesis brand has cachet and should be the luxury brand in the U.S.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:22 pm
You got a point John. They wont compare the models, but Hyundai does have a sales pitch. We need to advertise the fact that we use the same trannies that BMW, Bentley, etc… uses.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:53 am
I’m with John here. Yes it’s an excellent vehicle that I’d definitely buy over a 7 Series, S-Class, A8 or an LS if I was in the market for one, but NOT over a Rolls or a Maybach. Those vehicles are pure, superluxury cars and will NEVER, EVER be an “alternative”. People have money and they WILL spend it. If they are looking at a Genesis, they won’t buy an i10. Similarly, if they are looking at a Rolls Royce Phantom, they most definitely won’t consider an Equus. I consider myself to be a Hyundai fanboy but we have to draw the line somewhere and I think that calling this an affordable alternative is just horribly wrong. Maserati Quattroporte? Maybe, but not an Equus.
July 4th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Can any give me the training website for Lexus,Audi,Honda to study the training material about the cars
July 4th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Patrick, supposed someone who wants something more than an S-Class or 7 series, but wants to pay a 7 Series or even lower price for it.
July 4th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Yes, as stated, I would pick the Equus over the mainstream luxury vehicles. However, that does not make it an alternative to the Phantom or the 57/62. They are completely different vehicles. The Equus is under 5.2m long, whereas the Phantom and the Maybachs are all over 5.7m long. That’s almost 20 inches difference in the imperial system. The motors used in the Rolls and the Maybach are all over 5.5L and V12. The Equus comes with a small (by comparison) 4.6L V8. As for the price (I had to research this) the base model 57 is around $340k and the Phantom is around the same. The Equus is $60k. I could go on for hours about why they are not in the same category, but I really don’t care to do so right now.
July 5th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Equus will have superior MPG. Considering, the 4.6L V8 will be made larger to 5.5L.
July 5th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Remember that Hyundai is supposedly about “Eco-Luxury” now. As in we get better MPG than the premium competition.
Hyundai Commercial 2 Min long July 4th, 2012:
-Jeff Bridges Using Hyundai Douchebag Voice with a relaxing Piano played behind him:
“Isnt it foolish that in these times where gas is $5.00 a gallon some
car companies have cars the size of compact Cars with V6 and V8 engines”
-Small Audi Passes By, Small Lexus Passes By, Small Mercedes Passes By.
“Well other Premium companies dont think this is foolish. As a matter of fact, to them this is a standard practice.”
-Then a Elegant Next Generation Accent and Elantra follow each other down the side of a windy mountain.
“We at Hyundai like to provide the best premium cars possible, and the utmost superior fuel efficiency is our standard practice.”
“We dont provide fuel efficiency at a sacrifice like other car companies.”
-Then shows 4 year Corolla that needs a refresh badly with a cloth interior.
-Then shows a Chevy Volt with a cloth interior, and a sticker MSRP on the Window that says $36,567.
-Then shows an Accent with a Leather Interior, Hyundai Information Computer system/Navigation/DVD system with HIDs and standard chrome rims that says BlueDrive on the back and a caption that says “51 MPG”.
“We at Hyundai have stumbled on to something. We have stumbled on the idea that premium doesnt mean compact sized cars with V6 V8 engines.”
“Think about it!!!”
“Celebrate your Independence from the tyranny of gas prices today at your Local Hyundai Dealer.”
-Another Caption would say.
-Then the news comes on showing us at war with Iran over oil, with talk that China might join in if we dont pull our troops out.
July 5th, 2009 at 5:31 am
And Patrick, I work at a government entity where people can afford small Luxury cars, yet they cry about the gas prices too.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Yes I know that too and proved nothing about your point. The FEW people who even consider buying Rolls and Maybachs don’t care about those things. That’s why they buy them in the first place. Where did the small luxury cars argument come from? We’re talking about 5.5m+ sized super luxury cars. Flagship vehicles built and designed to showcase the firm’s engineering feats. If you have nothing more to add, please just admit that the Equus, whilst an extraordinary vehicle, cannot stand up to a Rolls or a Maybach.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I have to back Patrick on that one Smoke… Nice commercial though.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:14 am
Lmao@ I had to add that commercial EB. Ok the Equus cant quite match up to a Rolls or a Maybach, but for $60,000 this is a whale of a car. Its not an overpriced $60,000 car. Its an underpriced $60,000 car. A Tester from Autospies.com compares this at least to a BMW 750i, and thats about as close to a Baby Bentley you can get without touching the ultra Luxury makes like Bentley.
Think about the Equus:
4.6L V8=27 MPG 375 HP
Enlarged to:
5.5L that will be more than 400 HP(Fully Loaded=$60,000)
Think about the BMW 750i (Fully Loaded=$110,000):
750Li Sedan• 22 mpg hwy* • 400 Horsepower • Starting at $84,200 MSRP
Ok the HP isnt up with the Bentley, but whats the justification for all that hp when the Bentley is less than 1 second faster has inferior MPG and costs 4 and 5 time more.
Sell that to that person who is well off and can afford a Bentley, bit theyd rather get something cheaper and use that $180,000 or more they could save with buying an Equus on an investment.
Upper crust people are looking at our cars, and finding them to be of good value to use what money they save to make more money. Driving a Hyundai I know is going to help make me well off financially in the long run. Other people see this, however they have more discriminating tastes than I do, and the Genesis is dammed good but probably wont quite cut it for those buyers.
Therefore, I predict that Hyundai will sell every last one of those 100 Equuses they bring here in 6-7 months.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Remember, Bentley is a VW Product, so if they can do it we can too.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Smoke : Then the news comes on showing us at war with >Iran< over oil.
I have to say, THAT IS IRAQ not IRAN
ok then continue!
July 7th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Look, as I said before, no one is going to cross-shop something like a Bentley Arnage or Cont. Flying Spur with a vehicle from a “budget brand”. They have egos bigger than both our homes combined and they would rather fork out that extra cash to get whatever they want and that is a fact that neither you or I can change in any way. About the “Bentley is a VW product” comment – true but Bentley has heritage (in racing and quality craftsmanship) and an exceptional brand image. You can by no means use that as a basis for your argument.
One thing I will add, however, is that I completely agree that the Equus is indeed a strong competitor for the mainstream luxury vehicles such as the 7, S, LS, A8 as said previously. That category is what it is designed to compete in and nothing further. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and differ in their interpretation of what is needed to succeed in this category but all in all, I would definitely take an Equus for it’s exclusivity and value.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Persian lets be real dawg, The US will try to fight Iran.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:58 am
Well Bentleys poor reliablity brings down VWs reliablity as a brand. Partick, Iam not talking about cross shopping man. Iam talking about gainning new market-share.
July 8th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Speaking about flying spurs, we should make one out of an Azera chasis. I do hear talk of a roadster, maybe they can make one out of an Azera and put a turbo or supercharger on that big boy.
They actually should consider that Twin Turbo 4.8L Genesis engine from Rhys Millen Racing that gets 550 horsepower and 520 lb.-ft. of torque for both the Eqqus and the Roadster.
July 8th, 2009 at 2:56 am
“Sell that to that person who is well off and can afford a Bentley, bit theyd rather get something cheaper and use that $180,000 or more they could save with buying an Equus on an investment.”
“I am talking about gainning new market-share.”
err… yeah.
“Upper crust people are looking at our cars, and finding them to be of good value to use what money they save to make more money.”
Yes I agree. As seen in first reports of Genesis trade-ins which were I believe an astounding 60% BMW, Merc, Lexus and Porsche! However, do you see any Bentleys, Maseratis, Rolls, Maybachs, etc? No? Didn’t think so. Neither will you with an Equus.
“Well Bentleys poor reliablity brings down VWs reliablity as a brand.”
That is completely irrelevant. Low volume vehicles all suffer from that. The Equus is a mass market product.
“Speaking about flying spurs, we should make one out of an Azera chasis. I do hear talk of a roadster, maybe they can make one out of an Azera and put a turbo or supercharger on that big boy.”
Do you even realize what a “Flying Spur” even is? It’s definitely not a roadster.
“They actually should consider that Twin Turbo 4.8L Genesis engine from Rhys Millen Racing that gets 550 horsepower and 520 lb.-ft. of torque for both the Eqqus and the Roadster.”
Firstly, it is not a 4.8L. Neither is it a 3.8L. RMR developed a stroker kit which brought the displacement up to 4.1L and secondly, it isn’t a twin turbo. There is a single Turbonetics turbocharger with an AEM EMS and a HKS sequential. That is a race powertrain mate. No Equus buyer is going to want a 5 speed sequential with race tuned gear ratios and an EMS tuned for racing, not refinement or fuel efficiency. If you are so concerned about fuel, maybe you should realize these race cars aren’t exactly hybrid standard. I know this cos I’ve been visiting the GenCoupe forum for quite some time now.
July 8th, 2009 at 3:15 am
The first flying spur (S2) in the 1950s was a Roadster, todays one is a behemoth.
Patrick, as an option for the Turbo system, not standard. Of course not standard. We do have to cater to some enthusiaists too.
July 8th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
The S2 which was built in the 60s were manufactured as 4 door saloons. Some were coach-built as drophead coupe/roadsters.
July 8th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Yes we do have to cater for enthusiasts but have you ever wondered how many people take their Merc S class or Lexus LS to the track? Likewise with the Equus. It’s a luxo barge and no true “enthusiast” is going to want to have such a car for satisfaction through performance. Not only that, it’s not simply a turbocharger you have to fit to get boost. You need a new manifold, intercooler, wastegate, exhaust, EMS, lots of new piping, etc. for everything to work. It just won’t be cost effective to do this on non turbo motors.
Genesis Coupe? Definitely. Factory performance upgrades would be a blessing if they didn’t void warranties such as those offered in Canada. People are spending money on this stuff anyways so Hyundai should tap into it and develop some factory bolt on parts with warranty attached, just as they were planning to do with their “HARD” parts (Hyundai Aftermarket Research & Development) before they pulled out. So yes I agree with you to an extent.
July 9th, 2009 at 3:24 am
They should actually consider an Equus Coupe. An engine for Enthusiasts, yet can be made race ready quickly for events from F1 to Drifting. I hope Haldex has an AWD system that can fit an Eqqus platform. As that would be quite nice.
These are things Hyundai needs to consider in the long term 3-5 years out.
July 9th, 2009 at 3:33 am
Patrick I saw an article a few days ago on some site where they claim Hyundai is working out the details of a special 100,000 mile powertrain warranty for Turbos and Superchargers.
July 9th, 2009 at 5:21 am
Hyundai/KIA needs to hurry up with the Sonata and Optima Hybrids to compete with the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln MKZ Hybrids.
July 31st, 2009 at 8:12 pm
new equus is sth that yuo cant forget it,sth like genesis which became the North America car of the year.it will be ahead from lexus ls 460l and even be compared as same as s class which is king of luxeries.new design,new technologies are sth important which are used in this car.
September 23rd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
its very luxury.how much is?
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:42 pm
pedra,: the Equus will be priced at about $60,000. This is MUCH cheaper than the Korean price.
To others:
If you’re thinking “Why in the WORLD will I pay 60K for this stupid car”, this car isn’t stupid.
Everyone somehow always thinks about the old Hyundai. Well, that’s the PAST! WERE INTHE 21st CENTURY! LOOK AHEAD, NOT BEHIND!
Be openminded. Go to a Hyundai Dealer. Ride the Genesis, ask questions, and you will be very amazed at how good the quality of the cars are. I my self own a Genesis v8. It is, just, jaw-dropping. Even after months of riding the car, I always think that I’m riding someone ele’s Benz or BMW. In my opnion, I think Benz or BMW are not good at making sedans. Maybe SUV’s, CUV’s, such. But I still love the Santa Fe, and the Veracruz. Oh also, LOOK AT THE NEW DESIGNS! The SONATA, and the TUCSON, they are ROKING! So smooth, liquid, so high quality and high performance. It seems like now Hyundai is only for Rich people. But it’s not! Thier prices are jaw-dropping inexpensive. I mean, the Sonata is a beautiful car! Expecially the newer one! It looks like a car that is AT LEAST $30,000 or over.
What I’m saying is, Hyundai has changed. Also Kia. They like, transformed in no-time! Hyundai and Kia took half the time to change than Toyota and Honda, also Nissan(and other companies.) So, just try something new. You might not like it, but how can you be so sure?
September 24th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Upper Trims of the Sonata are already $27,000-$28,000 Pedram.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
HyundaiSmoke,
Not including rebates. Which hyundai is generous on, whereas Toyota and Honda are not.
They will never offer $2,500 rebates, where Hyundai will regularly.
So that $27,000 vehicle just turned into a $24,000 with rebates and discounts.
A steal.
October 29th, 2009 at 5:36 am
Exactly Jay, btu I have a feeling by 2015 the Rebates either will be gone or eveybody else will have so many rebates stacked on their cars they will out do us. Kind of like how a lot of makes have out done our warranty.
Lets be real GM has the better more realistic waranty than we do. Who in the hell drives only 100,000 miles in 10 years these days? Ive had my 07 Accent for 2.5 years, and ill be at 100,000 in 6-7 months.
October 29th, 2009 at 5:39 am
With a Hyundai warratnty is not a selling point with me, anymore.
I want cars like the Accent to be more luxurious, and if I dont get that I will have no choice, but to jump ship when that Audi A2 comes to America.
October 29th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Did anyone else see the Equus Cameo on Law and Order SVU last nite? All the dealership vehicles that were for display, got bought up, and one ended up on TV last nite. FYI
January 18th, 2010 at 7:19 am
WHAT a car???!!!
amazing clean design, high end luxury
Nice job by Hyundai
February 11th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
You are all talking about the new Equus, you should see the old Equus LWB. It is square but truly comporable to a Rolls sedan. It is designed for an owner and driver which is the norm in Shanghai. The appointments are very high quality. On the passanger side rear seat, the seat reclines, a foot rest comes up from the bottom of the sesat, the front seat headrest folds down to the front and the whole seat moves forward with the front seat seat back folding down over the seat bottom allowing the rear seat passanger to look out the windsheild. The leather and wood is high quality as is the sound system etc, and very well priced, just over the cost of a 5 series BMW.