As if the Genesis sedan didn't make a memorable enough impact on the luxury-car market, the Equus is sure to land in the U.S. with a bang. While Hyundai says it's still studying the case for bringing Equus here, our sources indicate it will indeed come stateside toward the end of 2011.
Until the automaker officially decides whether we're worthy of the Equus, the full-size sedan will do battle abroad with vehicles like the Lexus LS 460 and Mercedes-Benz S500 (S550 here). Power will come from a 290-hp, 3.8L V-6, 375-hp, 4.6L V-8, and, at some point, a 5.0L V-8 producing more than 400 hp. The Equus doesn't break new styling ground, but where the car excels is in feature content.
"For once, we weren't constrained by our usual design-to-cost approach to engineering and manufacturing," said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, Hyundai's vice chairman and chief technology officer of the Corporate Research and Development Division.
This newfound freedom has likely led to generous options offerings including adaptive Xenon headlights, an air suspension called Amplitude Selective Dampers by ZF-Sachs, a lane-departure-warning system, and cameras front and rear to ease parking. Can Hyundai succeed in the U.S. with the Equus where Volkswagen failed with the Phaeton? There's only one way to find out.
Bottom Line: Hyundai keeps reaching for the luxury stars
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