Hyundai Equus: A Few Rungs Up the Social Ladder

By LAWRENCE ULRICH
Introduced on Wednesday, March 27, 2013: 2014 Hyundai Equus
2013 New York Auto Show

What is it? A refreshed version of perhaps the biggest social climber in luxury cars, Hyundai’s roughly $60,000, full-size sedan.

Is it real? Dismissed by some critics as a poseur, the Equus has established a modest toehold in a class dominated by far pricier models from Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Audi.

What they said: John Krafcik, chief executive of Hyundai Motor America, said the Equus led every car in the industry – luxury or mainstream — in J.D. Power’s most recent customer satisfaction survey. Customer service has been an Equus hallmark, including free iPads and owner perks; dealers pick up cars from owners’ homes and return them following service visits.

What they didn’t say: How quickly Hyundai can advance the Equus from its generic large-car styling to something resembling its well-received HCD-14 Genesis concept car.

What makes it tick? The formidable 5-liter, direct-injection V-8 with 429 horsepower and 8-speed automatic transmission carry-over from last year’s model. The air suspension is retuned, hopefully lending the Equus the sophisticated dynamics it currently lacks. But the Equus is noticeably gussied-up inside, with more convincing wood, aluminum, leather, display screens and features.

How much? How soon? The reworked Equus goes on sale in May, for roughly $57,000 to start.

How’s it look? No threat to design leaders like the Audi A8 or Jaguar XJ. But the Equus is more convincingly deluxe, especially inside, where it looks more Lexus, less Buick.

Dealership News!

Check us out on Facebook and YouTube. Our Holyoke dealership currently has 1,294 friends and our Enfield dealership has 552 friends. Join us and out and find out if our friends are also your friends.

Our Facebook pages are a place where we get to communicate with our
customers. We get to show what we are doing in our dealerships in real time. It gives
customers the opportunity to also communicate with us and share things that
they might have not otherwise share. With our Facebook pages, we are always
giving away prizes. It’s fun and helps us as a company to be with the Social Media movement.

Our Enfield store is starting a YouTube channel. We will be adding a new video every week, so don’t miss out.

Click on the links below and begin connecting with us now!
www.facebook.com/garyromehyundai
www.facebook.com/garyromekia
www.youtube.com/garyromekia

Future Cars: Hyundai's All-New 2014 Genesis Sedan Comes into Focus

Now, when someone asks what type of car you drive, and you answer with 'Genesis', more often than not, you'll receive a puzzling blank stare. However, one need not to be offended; Hyundai's entrant into the luxury car segment is still a relatively new player.

Revealed at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, it was Hyundai's interpretation of a luxury sedan to compete with the Euros. While sales of the first generation haven't exactly taken the world by storm, those enthusiastic boffins from South Korea are not waving the white flag just yet.

In fact, they're so intent on making inroads on the luxury sedan market that they're having a second attempt, with the reveal expected either later this year or early 2014. While the current Genesis Sedan has a reasonable amount of kit for the dollar, it struggles to exude a visual statement compared to its direct competitors.

Hyundai's next installment hope's to change that; so based on actual spy-shots depicting the real thing, we at Carscoops are providing an illustrated glimpse of how things have improved.

The Peter Schreyer-led team has translated a fair chunk of aesthetic punch from the HCD-14 Concept car that debuted at this year's Detroit motor show, and infused it into the bodywork of the next Genesis.

 

Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture design language is complemented with smooth surfacing and shorter overhangs; while the long powerful hood and imposing 'Bentley-like' grill conceal what is expected to be either a 3.8L V6 or a 5.0L V8. Mated to an eight speed transmission (with a 10-speed unit to be introduced later on), the Genesis is also expected to offer both rear wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations for those who live amongst the more slippery geography.

Detailed visual highlights start with the LED head and taillights; tackling Audi where so much design emphasis has been placed in the recent past, and strategic placing of chrome-work.

 

Even the shut-lines have been carefully thought out with fluidic intersecting joins at the base of the windscreen and rear bumper. Whilst the greenhouse could have been transferred from the latest Toyota Avalon or Chevrolet Impala, a prominent shoulder crease runs the length of the car linking head and taillights together in a broad sweep.

Compared with the likes of Jaguar XF, Mercedes E-Class, and BMW 5-Series, the next Genesis appears to be a strong contender. However, does it go far enough? One cannot help wonder if staying closer to the HCD-14 Concept in design would have yielded a greater statement. Tell us what you think in the comments below.

 By Josh Byrnes