Hyundai 2012 Equus

Hyundai 2012 Equus

Hyundai's Equus sedan is in its second year of irritating the likes of Lexus and Infiniti. A luxury sedan with all the credibility of an LS 460 or an M37, the Equus will also go toe to toe with the large luxury sedans from Germany in features and finishes--whereas undercutting them by thousands on its pricetag. The Equus could not deliver the prestige or the handling of the most effective vehicles in its class, however it is a placing discount for people who don't mind a more softly sprung luxury sedan, or a nice deal.

The Equus doesn't have the daring styling that the younger, cheaper Hyundai Sonata and Elantra share. It's more a mishmash of familiar cues, from cars just like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Lexus LS. The distinctiveness of alternative Hyundais is muted here: it's a automobile designed for different priorities, aimed additional at pleasing Korean executives in the home market than winning over new North Americans to the Hyundai fold. It's still a fine-wanting automobile, with an upswept tail and tapered facet glass, and a maturity that follows through within the cabin. Inside its vault doors, the Equus is very abundant a convincing luxury automobile, with additional Lexus and Mercedes cues interwoven with its own themes--like the winged metallic trim that surrounds the dash vents, and is echoed in the Equus' brand on its hood and on its LCD touchscreen throughout begin-up mode.

In its 1st year on sale, the U.S. Equus shared a powertrain with the smaller Genesis sedan. For 2012, the larger Hyundai V-eight is normal on all Equus sedans, whereas it's offered on simply one Genesis trim level. The five.0-liter V-eight is rated at 429 horsepower in the Equus, and with 376 pound-feet of torque as well, the Equus bests the LS 460 and the Benz S550 in output. It's teamed with a new eight-speed automatic that solely adds to the heady rush of power that shaves a tick or 2 off the Equus' mid-six-second zero-sixty mph times. The new engine conjointly sounds a touch richer, with a additional mellow and rounder exhaust note. The recent Equus never very strained to deliver power, but what luxury-automobile shopper can flip down 44 additional horsepower? Fuel economy does dip slightly with the new drivetrain to 15/23 mpg--and when it comes right down to the standard measure of ultra-luxury sedans, the Equus' controlled ride and sweet steering are well shy of the marks set by the latest BMW 7er and Benz S-Category, even the Infiniti M37, though to us, it is a toss-up as to whether or not the Equus handles better than the Lexus LS.

Inside, the Equus provides up little ground on features or room. Front passengers face a touch slathered in leather and birch or walnut trim, framing a massive LCD screen that displays audio and navigation functions; a knob-style controlled, like iDrive and COMAND, dials up different radio stations, ambient temperatures, or destinations. Back-seat drivers get the simplest treatment: there is an airline-style right passenger seat that reclines on some versions, and it comes with an extendable footrest--however the Equus doesn't quite have enough spread-out leg space to extend the footrest far enough. Our Equus is really the short-wheelbase version, and Hyundai hasn't confirmed we have a tendency to'll ever get the long-wheelbase version. The same seat will have Shiatsu-vogue massage functions additionally, therefore you may in all probability pass though the tight toe space--however the passenger on the left aspect can be out of luck, as the options are not offered on that chair.

Different luxury options on the Equus embrace customary Lexicon audio; adaptive cruise control; ventilated front seats, and leather upholstery. A lane-departure warning system may be a new possibility this year: it sounds an alert when the Equus crosses lanes for additional than a second, and tugs the seatbelt when the automotive crosses over for a lot of than 3 seconds. Different safety options like Bluetooth and a rearview camera are included at no cost.

Conjointly free is the Equus' white-glove service. Instead of visiting a dealer, homeowners will merely schedule a decide-up and loaner automotive through a mobile app. In the first year of sales, Hyundai gave out free Apple iPads to homeowners; the 2012 models get a full paper owner's manual instead. We have a tendency to'll take the lavish treatment over a free tablet over the Equus' lifetime, thanks--and we tend to'd definitely take into account a sub-$sixty,000 Equus if the Lexus LS topped our new-automobile searching list, as a result of the new big Hyundai may be a plush, credible four-door that brings ultra-luxury amenities down to the semi-well-heeled masses.

 Hyundai 2012 Equus

  Hyundai 2012 Equus

  Hyundai 2012 Equus

  Hyundai 2012 Equus

  Hyundai 2012 Equus

  Hyundai 2012 Equus

 Hyundai 2012 Equus