When the 2011 Hyundai Equus luxury car was launched it gained high praise from all quarters for offering huge levels of equipment at a price to shame the established luxury marques. It shamed them for innovation too, with the traditional paper owner's manual ditched in favour of an Apple iPad loaded with an electronic owner's manual.
Far from being a gimmick the manual allowed you to schedule service visits, make dinner reservations and even buy concert tickets.
We were disappointed to discover then that the 2012 Hyundai Equus had taken a step backwards by scrapping the app and giving owners a conventional paper manual.
In the grand scheme of things it's not worth cancelling your order over, and if you wish you're free to purchase your own iPad and download the manual yourself. The Equus is still a fantastic car for the money, but in an age of progress and quirky innovations, it's a shame to see such a great idea dropped in favour of returning to the status quo.
At this rate, we expect the 2013 Hyundai Equus to trade integrated navigation for a large A-Z atlas, and the engine will require starting by cranking a handle.
[USA Today via The Car Connection]
