Introduced at the New York auto show last spring, the 2011 Hyundai Equus goes on sale next summer. It's Hyundai’s shoot-for-the-moon attempt to match luxury cruisers like the Lexus LS and Mercedes S-Class for thousands of dollars less. We nabbed some seat time in a Korean-market car last week near our Chicago offices. The early take is that the Equus needs some polishing, but there is potential.
Decide what you will about the car’s styling. We think it looks like a dressed-up Genesis: There’s a lot going on, but the sum of it doesn’t take the Equus outside the conservative lines we see in the LS and S-Class. Some might mistake the Equus for one of those – unless you get that peculiar-looking winged hood ornament, which Hyundai says will probably be a dealer option. Then, all bets are off.
Our car had the same 4.6-liter V-8 and six-speed automatic from Hyundai's Genesis sedan, a drivetrain we’re told will be standard when the Equus hits the market. It’s a refined drivetrain with smooth-revving power that reminds us of the LS’ 4.6-liter, but it’s clear from the get-go that the Equus has a few hundred more pounds around its waistline than the 2-ton Genesis. Acceleration isn’t as immediate right off the line, though once you get out on the open road, the Equus pulls ahead like any proper luxury car should. Ride quality in our tester was good, too, and the cabin remained whisper-silent the whole time.
The Equus is about 7 inches longer than the Genesis; most of the extra room goes to the voluminous backseat, but there’s Genesis-like roominess to stretch out up front. Our car had no shortage of backseat amenities — from illuminated vanity mirrors to power rear seats. Hyundai says the U.S. model probably won’t get all of the features from the Korean-market version, however, U.S. drivers should get plenty of premium features. Some of the controls in the Equus looked out of place for a car that could cost upward of $50,000: The temperature dials look plucked out of one of Hyundai’s hoi-polloi models, and the finishes on a number of other controls feel midlevel. Much of this could be ironed out by the time the car hits U.S. showrooms, and certain areas — the suede headliner, side-window sunshades, and a lane departure warning system — promise entirely new levels of luxury for Hyundai.
The Genesis sedan is a promising car. Can the Equus make the case for spending another $10,000 or so beyond a well-equipped version of its prodigious sibling? We'll find out soon enough.
2011 Hyundai Equus VideoMore Photos
Previous
Subscribe to our feed
Email us your tips!
Hi Ian,
Great photos!
What camera/lens are you using?
Did you use a filter too?
In addition, how much Post Processing went into these photos?
Sorry for so many questions, but the photos you take are fantastic!
Thanks.
With the Equus name, shouldn't the hood ornament and steering wheel logo be some kind of horse? Hyundai should put in a bigger engine and fancy up the details if they want to move into this market.
The hood ornament looks like a tacky add-on.
Hood ornament won't survive transition to US market - too big a risk of injuring a pedestrian. it would be lawsuit city.
I think this is a great first attempt into the luxury market. Hyundai seems to do a decent amount of homework before introducing vehicles. Many companies takes years and many model changes before perfecting their ware. Hyundai's first run models are probably 3/4 of the way to a perfect model right out of the gate! This is quite an accomplishment.
Hyundai should really think about using that (eagle?) logo if they're gonna develop a luxury brand.
Looks very nice, but besides the extra length, I truly wonder whether there's going to be enough standard and optional luxury features to justify buying an Equus over a Genesis.
There had better be a checkbox for the 5.0 V8 & 8 speed automatic.
The grill and the hood ornament look horrendous and weird. Hyundai needs a designer foremost. it should realize that imitating the looks of its competitors does not work. In fact it will be a put off.
Wow the photos are fantastic.. So clear and detailed. And the car looks really fabulous. It's worth taking the pictures. Enjoy the ride!
M3,
The ornament is supposed to be a horse, a winged one.
Looks impressive but I have a hard time believing potential purchasers of this car will want to hang out with accent and elantra buyers. Hyundai should go the route of other Asian car companies and start their own luxury brand. Their dealerships are ok but people at this price range expect more.
the koreans usually run a model in their home market for a couple of years before bringing it to the u.s. i've spent 7 years off and on in korea during the past decade and witnessed this practice time and again. they work the bugs out there, allowing for a more polished vehicle to be introduced here.
(Equus) Looks too ornate ...I really do think Hyundai will hit a homerun with the new 2011 Sonata though. I've seen the pics and it looks fantastic.
Hey K,
I know this is a month late, sorry about the slow response! Thanks so much for the kind words. To answer your questions, I use a Canon 5D with a 24-70mmL f2.8 Canon lens. I do not use a filter when I shoot and I do minimal post processing of the photos in Photoshop; exposure, color correction, etc.
Shiny cars in the sun are tough to get right but I've been doing it for long enough that I can find the right shots and hopefully, get some quality pictures out of it.
Thanks for checking in.
-Ian