Is There Room for Equus in Hyundai's North American Lineup?
Hyundai is going up-market in a big way, and for the most part consumers are embracing the move. It's not like Mercedes-Benz and BMW
owners are trading in their GLs and X5s for the Korean brand's new Veracruz, or even that Lexus and Infiniti customers are hankering for a new Genesis (well at least not yet), but Hyundai is nevertheless catching its own upwardly mobile customers before they leave the nest for a premium brand, while luring away those from domestic premium brands and interesting others that usually buy higher end entry-level badges. And its new lineup of cars and crossovers deserve respect. But can Hyundai grow its North American offerings larger?
If Hyundai wants this issue dead and buried, it certainly can't blame online bloggers for keeping the Equus flame alive. After all, the Korean brand brought its Equus HCD-7 Concept to the New York International Auto Show in 2002, showing that it was at least putting feelers out to see if North American consumers would take a luxury offering wearing a stylized H seriously. No doubt the feedback was positive, which is why we have the Genesis and Veracruz today, not to mention extremely luxurious versions of the Sonata and Santa Fe,
but is there room for an even larger luxury car from Hyundai, namely the next-generation Equus.
The Equus primarily lives to serve Korean domestic market executives and dignitaries, but articles like this one have kept hopes alive that it might some day be sold in North America as a competitor to large luxury cars from Lincoln to Mercedes-Benz. Why would we want it? Just like Hyundai's other entries, high quality and strong value for money make its vehicles desirable, especially in a market that sees expendable income decreasing and consumers still wanting to live large the way they always have.
Fuel prices are high, for sure, which might work against a large V8-powered luxury car becoming
successful, but a lot of gasoline can be bought over the years for the money saved at the time of purchase. Take Hyundai's new Genesis, for instance. At $37,995 it undercuts similarly sized rear-drive luxury sedans from premium brands by tens of thousands, allowing a lot of gas money for those who still want the benefits of a large car but are feeling pinched by tighter budgets. Then again, the Genesis is following a similar market path as Chrysler's languid 300, and while other factors come into play, such as an ageing design and a less efficient 3.5-liter V6 engine, sales are slow right now. No doubt, with sales of all large vehicles down, the timing of the Hyundai's entry could have been better.
Any chance of the next-generation Equus (internally codenamed VI) coming to North America rests on the success of the Genesis V8 model, as the Equus would only be offered with a V8 in our market. Reports of a 5.0-liter V8 producing somewhere between 400- and 420-horsepower are circulating the internet
now, particularly on Hyundai-Blog, with cylinder deactivation and a possible supercharged version displacing 5.5 liters being available as an option.
Hyundai-Blog also states that the new Equus will grow in size, beyond the limits of the current car that measures 203.1 inches long, 74.8 inches wide and spanning a wheelbase of 119.9 inches.
Along with taking up more Korean real estate, the Equus replacement will offer the best Hyundai has to give, with technologies such as their second-generation Vehicle Stability Management System (VSM2), a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), which reportedly employs a vision sensor for monitoring traffic lane markers, plus a Pre-Safety Seatbelt System that will automatically cinch up the shoulder belts prior to an imminent accident, similarly to how Mercedes-Benz' Pre-Safe system works.
With North America joining the rest of the Western world in becoming more fuel efficiency minded, the Equus would build an even stronger case for itself if Hyundai chose to offer it with an alternative powertrain, whether that be hybrid, diesel, a combination of both or something altogether different.
Until the car gets introduced early next year, your curiosity will have to be satisfied with the teaser image Hyundai supplied shown on this page. More photos will be forthcoming at its launch, expected in February '09.