2011 Hyundai Equus at 2010 New York Auto Show

&&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_START&&&&& {“id”:1420668670960,”originalName”:”2015_03_04_17_01_47_568_http___blogs_cars_com__a_6a00d83451b3c669e20133ec61ec4c970b_800wi”,”name”:”MMS ID 48214 (created by CM Utility)”,”URI”:”/50/-366600557-1425510108050.”,”createDate”:”2015-03-04 05:01:48″,”metadata”:{“AUTHOR”:”automatic-content-migration”,”KEYWORDS”:””},”href”:”https://www.cstatic-images.com/stock/1170×1170/50/-366600557-1425510108050.”,”description”:”Came from http://blogs.cars.com/.a/6a00d83451b3c669e20133ec61ec4c970b-800wi”,”externalid”:”48214″,”updatedby”:”cmuadmin”,”updateddate”:1425511454888,”associations”:{}} &&&&&EMBEDDED_ELEMENT_END&&&&&

Competes with: Infiniti M, Lexus GS, maybe a used Mercedes S-Class
Looks like: Hyundai is launching a luxury brand – without launching a luxury brand
Drivetrain: 385-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 with six-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Summer 2010

As recently as last December, Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik said the brand’s forthcoming Equus flagship might bear a different name. Although Hyundai has used the term — Latin for “horses” — for a decade in Korea, on our shores it risks mispronunciation at best and association with Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play – and a certain Daniel Radcliffe performance — at worst. Well, the Equus nameplate remains, and we hope Hyundai has more than a few Gallup polls to back up the choice. The sedan will slot above the Genesis in Hyundai’s stable, and it goes on sale this summer with a starting price around $55,000.

The stateside Equus can come sans the three-dimensional hood ornament shown on Korean-spec cars. Its styling resembles a larger, bejeweled Genesis, and we can see more than a few people mistaking the two. Nineteen-inch alloy wheels are standard. Although the Equus shares its cohort’s rear-wheel-drive platform, it measures 7.2 inches longer, putting total length just 3.4 inches short of the massive Mercedes-Benz S550. By the measurements, the Equus’ cabin isn’t appreciably larger than the Genesis’ — front and rear legroom are up less than half an inch — but both cars meet the EPA’s large-car classifications, so we doubt any Equus owners will be wanting for space.

Nor should they be wanting for features. The dash comes wrapped in French-stitched leather, and it adorns more places — most notably center console surroundings and steering wheel — than in the Genesis. Both front seats employ heating and cooling, and a massaging driver’s seat is optional. The Genesis’ superb Lexicon stereo is standard in the Equus, and other technologies include adaptive headlights, a nose-mounted camera for tight parking situations and an adaptive air suspension with driver-selectable settings.

The Genesis’ smooth-revving 4.6-liter V-8 is standard. It makes 378 horsepower on regular fuel or 385 hp on premium and uses a six-speed automatic transmission. That should certainly provide ample power – Hyundai says 60 mph arrives in the low 6 seconds — but we drove a Korean-market Equus last fall, and with a few hundred pounds’ extra girth, it moves at a more leisurely gait than the V-8 Genesis. A rumored 5.0-liter V-8 is in the works, but Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson wouldn’t share any immediate plans.

Here’s the $64,000 question: Will someone pay nearly that much for a Hyundai? The automaker is betting it will get a small volume of takers, as only a select number of Hyundai dealerships will be retrofitted to sell the Equus.

2011 Hyundai Equus at 2010 New York Auto Show

Featured stories

2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Room: Is It as Good as an SUV or Minivan?

2025 Toyota GR Corolla Track Drive: I'll Have Six, Not Eight

2026 Nissan Leaf Up Close: Third Time’s Truly a Charm