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Hyundai Unveils Long-Wheelbase Equus Flagship

 
8 3,978 views Sep 29, 2009
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2011 Hyundai Equus Long-Wheelbase

2011 Hyundai Equus Long-Wheelbase

2011 Hyundai Equus Long-Wheelbase

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If you were too easily offended by Hyundai--yes, Hyundai--proclaiming its Genesis sedan could duke it out with the likes of Lexus and Infiniti, boy, are you going to be irked.

Come next year, Hyundai's taking it one step further. And bigger. And richer.

The South Korean automaker has already confirmed that its 2011 Equus flagship sedan will be sold in limited numbers in North America next year--both in standard and long-wheelbase forms.

These are the first shots of the long-wheelbase model, which will go head-to-head to stretched versions of cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Lexus LS.

Like its rivals, the long-wheelbase Equus offers several upgraded features from the normal sedan version, including differentiated exterior designs and longer overall length. The vehicle’s length is longer than major competitors by as much as 12.2-inches, with backseat legroom as much as 14.8-inches longer, as well.

To further differentiate it from the standard sedan, the stretch version is equipped with an exclusive horizontal cross-bar radiator grille with an emblem in the center.

Both standard and long-wheelbase models share the same powertrain lineup: a 286-horsepower 3.8-liter Lambda V-6 and a 361-horsepower 4.6-liter Tau V-8.

Comfort features include a power-driven footrest, rear seat leg supports, a posture control recliner and a massager.

While it hashes out the details, Hyundai will show the Equus at future auto shows. When it reaches dealers at the end of summer 2010, it should feature conservative pricing, which may mean a proportional step up from the most expensive Genesis sedans, somewhere around or above $50,000. Only 100 to 200 dealers will be allowed to sell the car, and Hyundai only expects to sell 1000 to 2000 cars annually while it feels its way around the luxury end of the market.

[TheCarFanatic]


HI-RES GALLERY: 2011 Hyundai Equus Long-Wheelbase




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Comments (8)

  1. By beelzebub Posted: 9/29/2009 9:22am PDT

    They really need to invest in a luxury brand if they really wanna tackle that market. They will never compete against Lexus, Acura, BMW, Mercedes etc etc as long as the italicized "H" is on the hood. Just like the Toyota Avalon or Nissan Maxima are not really considered luxury vehicles altho they can compete w/ some of them ...
     
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  2. By  My Wheels On Walls Posted: 9/29/2009 9:51am PDT

    beelzebub- you must be an American or at least think like one?
    You only need a luxury brand to sell luxury cars in America every where else it just does not enter the fray. BMW started out making Austin 7's under liscense and after WWII they had the Isetta. Sure they had luxury niches in the early years i.e. 507, the seven series did'nt even exist till the late seventies! Mercesdes Benz is another example with the A Class (cloth seats and wind-up windows) all the way through to the S-class which does everything for you. Lexus and Acura did not even exist for more than a decade out side of the U.S. They were badged as Toyota's and Honda's in all their other markets.
    So what are our South Korean friends up to then? Most likely they are building a brand that you enter into at a very young age and then stay with your whole life!!! You have the econo car, mid-size sedan, a coupe for meeting the wife, a mini-van for the family years with the wife you met in your coupe, and finally a luxo cruiser for the golden years.
    This seems to make all the sense in the world to me. Then again I did start life out side the U.S. and am now a very proud American, but not a vein one!!!
     
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  3. By NoNameDenton Posted: 9/29/2009 3:25pm PDT

    I agree with wheels on this one, BMW was not really luxury when it started out, now look at them.
     
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  4. By Earl Posted: 9/29/2009 6:14pm PDT

    A luxury car can exist in the mind of the beholder.
    And
    The purchaser of a bargain luxury car can also have the reward of a full wallet that smiles back.
    Therefore in my humble opinion,
    I choose my car by facts, warranty, price, and not by a person's subjective opinion of what that luxury car means to them.
    The only person I wish to impress in this case would be my common sense, and appreciation of value for the money spent.
    Congratulations Hyundai, keep them honest!
     
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  5. By Vic Posted: 9/30/2009 1:56am PDT

    IMHO Hyundai is only half a step ahead of Kia in the derivative design department. Its a shame that their engineering seems to be getting better, while their designs remain cheap knock-offs.
     
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  6. By Tony Posted: 9/30/2009 3:30am PDT

    Even Audi was just another family car alternative in Europe, until the Quattro came out. Only in America is a separate brand needed. Mercedes Sprinter vans "needed" to be sold as Freightliners to spare Mercedes owners from seeing the three-pointed star that graces their luxury cars stuck to a panel van. The rest of the world including poor countries, have always known and accepted that Mercedes sells trucks, vans, and buses, and their cars are used as taxis. And while only the top-spec models are sold in America, elsewhere, Mercedes also sells four-cylinder, cloth seat, manual gearbox cars with hubcaps too, often at a price not much higher than equivalent cars of more common brands.
    Perhaps as a marketing strategy the Lexus brand (Luxury EXport to the US) was needed to differentiate them from Toyota, and to show they are capable of building cars with true luxury qualities. What would happen you reckon if Toyota decided to dump the Lexus brand and revert back to Toyota? Would the US market accept the reality that Toyota makes Lexus? After all, despite the lack of success of the Phaeton, VW is not seen as an economy car maker anymore, without changing the brand anywhere.
     
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  7. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 9/30/2009 3:39am PDT

    @Tony: The difference here is that Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and even BMW have always been viewed as mid-level full-line manufacturers in Europe. I suppose you could draw a rough analogy to where Buick sat in the GM hierarchy.
    In the States, they're only viewed as luxury makes. And VW's stunning lack of success with the Phaeton in the US indicates that there are definite barriers to upward mobility for some brands.
     
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  8. fb_100000275684479 avatar Michael Escobar Posted: 9/30/2009 9:45pm PDT

    I like it. A Maybach 62 at 1/6 the price! IMO, a luxurious car does not have to have a "luxury car" price tag--even the new Ford Taurus is fairly luxurious, with features only seen on Mercedes and BMWs 5 or 6 years ago. People forget that lexus and Acura had a rough time earning their spot among the "established" marques; it took each two decades! Remember the Integra, or the I30? It will take a while, but if Hyundai keeps improving their quality at their current rate and come up with some original design language, they will be accepted among the Japanese and German brands.
     
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