Hyundai Equus spied in Detroit
Winding Road has new shots posted of the disguised Hyundai Equus doing the prototype steeplechase on the roads around metropolitan Detroit. To review, the Equus will be Hyundai's new flagship sedan when it debuts sometime in '07 as a 2008 model. It's expected to be offered with both V6 and V8 power, and will likely retail in the $30,000-$35,000 range. WR notes that the white car they saw testing had an upscale interior treatment that emulated the ones seen on the Japanese luxomarques, while the C-pillar incorporates a very Bimmer-like kink. The Equus will be an interesting one to watch when it ultimately arrives. If the styling's right and the pricing really is in the range we mentioned above, it won't be surprising to see people give it a try. We figure V8 power at V6 pricing should make for a nice selling point.
Time will tell, and we hope to see it revealed during the 2007 auto show season. For more spy shots, head over to Winding Road.
[Source: Winding Road)
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg "2011 Audi A8: Live from Miami")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jay 1:12PM (12/31/2006)
Hyundai's been doing some impressive stuff. Just read the C/D comparo of 6 midsize sedans, and the Kia Optima's level of fit and finish was better than the Camry and just about shamed the Aura.
However, if Hyundai wants to get serious, this flagship better be rear-drive. Available V8 power? If it's driving the fronts, then this will be just another Hyundai and the biggies (Toyota, HOnda) have nothing to worry about. Put it through the rears and make it available for the range stated above, and I'll get in line for one myself.
Reply
Jason_801 1:18PM (12/31/2006)
I think Toyota would have a lot to worry about. Do you think it's core customers are really auto enthusiasts who care about rear drive and available manual transmissions?
Reply
Michael Karesh 1:22PM (12/31/2006)
Hopefully the proportions of the Equus look better when the camo comes off.
Both C&D and MT have said very good things about the Optima lately. I wonder why it took them so long. I positively reviewed the car last May:
http://www.epinions.com/content_231006834308
Reply
Al 1:39PM (12/31/2006)
@2:
Hyundai already has a "biggie"! It's called the Azera and its FWD. This Equus will be RWD. It'll be like the Commodore in AU: RWD at an attainable price with an kick-ass engine.
Welcome to a new category of U.S. cars!
Reply
John P. 2:24PM (12/31/2006)
Equus, latin for horse, hmmm, not sure about the name, but I'm curious to see it.
Reply
MikeW 2:52PM (12/31/2006)
Hopefully 300hp from the 3.8V6 and a nice 6 speed automatic.
Reply
Jonathan Hicks 3:41PM (1/01/2007)
This will be a serious flagship for Hyundai. By the way, how do you pronounce Equus?
Reply
psipwrd 4:06PM (12/31/2006)
I like they say "V8 power". 6 cylinders are making over 300 hp these days. It'd be nice if they were comparable to a Hemi.
Reply
J Finz 4:32PM (12/31/2006)
nice, hopefully it will make a lot of TORQUE and sound right as well, a 300hp/250lb-ft v6 isn't the same as a muscular sounding 300hp/350lb-ft v8. If it has a good powerband and the right sound, i'll be very interested.
Reply
Jay 4:38PM (12/31/2006)
#5:
I know of the Azera. It replaces the XG350, a car I respect, though I've always thought of it as a mid-sizer--designed and executed to compete with the likes of the ES350 and vehicles of that ilk. With 'biggie,' I was referring to the more dominant marques. A vehicle like this could swing the perception of Hyundai from a Toyota- or Honda-wannabe into something that stood on its own.
I should qualify this by saying that Hyundai has really been turning out some impressive products, so they're moving away from being viewed as the cheaper alternative to something that stands on its own merits. However, marketing a luxo-boat V8-powered rear-driver for the same dinar as a front-driven V6 Acura or Lexus would be a major coup. This is the direction in which I hope the American car companies will move--away from cornball middling front-drivers (come on, Pontiac--you know a FWD powertrain can't handle the oomph of a small block V8--putting fatter tires on the FRONT of a Grand Prix GXP is a noble effort and at the very least interesting, but why can't you learn to recognize a dead horse when you beat one? It looks goofy, is marginally effective and is completely counter to all that good ol' V8 gearheadedness stands for.) and toward the engine-in-front-drive-wheels-in-back layout as God intended it to be. At least GM is moving in the right direction. Holden's had their act together for so long, and the majority of America is just now waking up to the wonderous things our Oz brethren get to play with. GM's just about got their head pulled out; DCX has made some great efforts like the Magnum and the Charger (stickshift, PLEASE); will Ford follow suit? I like the Interceptor, but it *is* a blatant 300 rip-off, which is a shame as Ford had some neat ideas with the Forty-Nine and the 427. (See, Ford? DCX pulled it off with the Super 8--are you kicking yourself yet?)
I hope Hyundai builds this and sells it here. Not only will they move a lot of them, but finally the Big 2.5 will be all out of excuses.
Reply
Payday3 10:09PM (12/31/2006)
I drove the Azera yesterday, and with the exception of some derivative styling, I was very, very impressed. I have a 2006 300C with 6000 miles and there is a strange shimmy in the car that makes me wonder why I bought this thing. I am buying a new car and the Azera is on my short-list.
Reply
Ulmbart 11:23PM (12/31/2006)
1) I test drove the EX this Summer, sans the leather($1,500 option?), and it was nicer than my GLS V6 SOnata(04). My car is ok, but it did not handle(nor did the newer 06 Sonata I-4 I test drove)as well as the Optima.
Well, I migth wait another 2-3 years, pay this "gas hog" off* the V6 is advertised as 27 Hwy, I got that one time, all hwy, cruise, 27.9 MPG).
It has 170HP V6.... my 04, and the 07 Optima has 161 HP I-4( adn according to the tests on Edmunds, and Motorweek, this Optima gets the advertised EPA of 34MPG hwy, and is a 5 speed auto-manual, which is a nice feature).
Sorry to digrees.
yes, this is coming to the USA, and this will be called somethng else.
RWD= yes. 8 cylinder, yes. v6 , yes.
Everything is yes.
If you care to learn more, see more pix, you
go to find hyundiaexchange.com, or kiaexcahnge.com; same site...But, ya gotta sign up to read and look around the site.
Reply
Skrenos 4:20PM (1/01/2007)
It'll be called the Hyundai Centennial in the US. Powered by a Mitsubishi 8A80 4.5L V8. 280HP and 300ft/lbs of torque at 4000 rpms. It's also rated for 20mpg. And yes, RWD.
The cool thing about this engine, is that it only weighs 20lbs more than the iron blocked 6G74 (3.5L).
The previous generation Equus was transversely mounted with a V6. It had a Mitsubishi F5A51 transmission. A Front drive 5 speed automatic... with invecs2 sport mode (manual shifting). I'm sure the RWD version is going to get a 5 speed automatic at least.
Reply
yumyum76 7:11PM (1/01/2007)
Hicks. It's pronounced 'eckoose'. I think...
Reply
BreadandButter 11:39PM (1/01/2007)
#13,
It's the other way around; Mitsu is borrowing its engines from Hyundai not Hyundai putting Mitsu's in theirs.
Reply
drolds1 2:58AM (1/02/2007)
yumyum76: 'fraid not. It's pronounced ek-wus and refers to the family of horses, asses and zebras.
Reply
Brian 9:17AM (1/02/2007)
Skrenos, I don't know where you get your information, but it's wrong.
The new Dynasty (since the BH car caught by WR is the BH, not the Equus replacement) will be powered by Hyundai's new Tau family of V8 engines, not the ancient Mitsubishi carry-over. Tau comes in three displacements: 4.6-L, 5.0-L, and a supercharged 5.5-L. How do you say "hemi" in Korean? The 4.6-L puts out around 340 hp.
The transmission will probably be an Aisin-Werner supplied six-speed automatic.
Reply
Damani 8:43PM (1/02/2007)
allow me to straighten u guys out: 8A8x — For its Japan-only Proudia and Dignity models, Mitsubishi built an alloy-headed 4.5 L V8 with GDI. The range had been developed in conjunction with the Hyundai Motor Company, whose Hyundai Equus fared much better. It remains in production as the Korean company's flagship, and a facelifted version of this vehicle is proposed for export to North America in 2007.
-from answers.com
Reply
... 4:51PM (1/04/2007)
#18, it doesn't say facelifted on wiki.
Reply
blitzkrieg79 2:01PM (1/09/2007)
#16 BreadandButter, you are pretty much dead wrong, Mitsubishi designs and builds engines and a lot of components used in Hyundai vehicles, not the other way around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_engines#Eight_cylinder
Reply