Officially Official: Hyundai Equus coming to America in 2010
by John Neff on Aug 12th 2009 at 12:00PM 
Hyundai Equus – Click above for high-res image gallery
This shouldn't be a total shock to anyone who has been paying attention to Hyundai's Korean flagship model this year. It first appeared on U.S. soil at the 2009 New York Auto Show back in April where Hyundai says the Equus received a "fantastic" response, and since then the automaker has been giving rides to dealers and select consumers in the States who were reportedly equally excited about the luxury sedan.
With that in mind, Hyundai will be making the Equus' arrival in the U.S. official this weekend at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It will go on sale in late 2010, though pricing, a complete features list and even the car's official name for the U.S. market is still unknown. We do know that the Equus is based on a version of the same rear-wheel-drive platform that underpins both the Genesis Sedan and Coupe, and there's even a long-wheelbase version in the works for the Korean market. Expect power to come from a version of the same 4.6-liter V8 offered in the Genesis Sedan, perhaps with more power to accommodate the extra weight of the larger Equus.
We've got some shotgun time scheduled with an Equus this weekend in Pebble Beach, so stay tuned for our report of the next Hyundai halo sedan to arrive in the U.S.
Gallery: 2010 Hyundai Equus
[Source: Hyundai]
PRESS RELEASE
HYUNDAI TO SELL ITS FLAGSHIP SEDAN IN U.S.
Crafted to rival Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and the world's most prestigious luxury automobiles, marking another step in Hyundai's growth as a leading brand
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., August 12, 2009 – Hyundai is shaking things up at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance by announcing its intention to launch its most premium luxury sedan in the U.S. next year.
Hyundai's flagship, badged as the Equus in the Korean market, will be on display and on the roads surrounding the annual gathering of collectible classic luxury automobiles throughout the week, giving attendees a glimpse of the company's most prestigious model.
"We showed the car at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, and the response was fantastic," says John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. "Since then, we've had a fleet travelling around the country, capturing input from our dealers and consumers. Here, too, the response was extraordinarily positive, and similar to the market reaction to the award-winning Genesis, so we've decided to bring it to the U.S."
Hyundai's flagship sedan, developed under the codename "VI," launched this year in Korea. The Equus nameplate used there has adorned the company's flagship model for 10 years, where it enjoys a reputation for quality and luxury in a place where Japanese and European luxury marques such as Lexus, BMW and Mercedes are coveted.
Here in the U.S., the runaway success of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, which has garnered worldwide critical acclaim and remarkable sales success, gave Hyundai reason to consider expanding its brand further into the upper echelon of automotive luxury. But it was dealer and consumer response to a summer-long tour that saw Equus sedans visiting Hyundai showrooms across the country that solidified the decision.
DETAILS OF U.S. PLANS TO COME
Hyundai's new flagship sedan is built on Hyundai's all-new, innovative, premium rear-wheel-drive architecture, shared with the North American Car of the Year Genesis sedan and the performance-focused Genesis Coupe.
The new sedan will be sold in the U.S. beginning in late 2010. Pricing, packaging, specifications, and the final name of the car for the U.S. market will be announced closer to launch.
ABOUT HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 780 dealerships nationwide.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
MeiSooHaityu 12:09PM (8/12/2009)
You would think Hyundai would know better. VW tried this a few years back with the Phaeton (Epic Fail).
People will not associate this car with luxury because it is a Hyundai (atleast in the U.S.) This car will not sell well here.
Reply
Andre 12:10PM (8/12/2009)
Do you know what you're talking about? The Hyundai Genesis is selling very well and it's considered a luxury car from Hyundai..
Aznauto 12:17PM (8/12/2009)
Genesis is selling great mainly cause unlike VW which has a ton of quality problems. Hyundai is great so people will be willing to put in 40k for luxury car from them.
MeiSooHaityu 12:20PM (8/12/2009)
I do know what I am talking about :)
Some fans of the brand or the Genisis may like the car and appreciate it, but if you are trying to win over BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.. owners, they are not going to leave those brands for a Hyundai.
Like I said, been tried before by VW and it didn't work. This will be history repeating itself.
Luis 12:24PM (8/12/2009)
Me is correct. No one is going to cross-shop a Hyundai with a Lexus or BMW or Mercedes. This will just make Accent buyers feel better about their purchase.
Someone may step up from something terrible, but people who have $50k to spend on a car don't want a Hyundai.
leunamme 12:27PM (8/12/2009)
I agree with you. I think it would have been nice if Hyundai started off with a new brand and built it in as luxury. But I can see how cost prohibitive that is. I wish them the best. This is a nice car. Hyundai's reputation just needs to turn around. It is happening slowly, but getting rid of an old stigma isn't ever easy.
daleam 12:54PM (8/12/2009)
"Andre - it's considered a luxury car from Hyundai."
And nobody else.
Andre 12:57PM (8/12/2009)
No, The Phaeton was just plain ugly design wise for it to be called a Luxury car, this car though has a good chance of succeeding because overall the design cues on the car are good minus the hood ornament lol..
Iwa 1:16PM (8/12/2009)
VW failed due to pricing of the Phaeton. $64k starting price for the V8 and $94k for the W12. Hyundai won't price the Equus anywhere near those prices.
XJ 1:31PM (8/12/2009)
I think you're missing the point. Hyundai is not trying to make this a big seller by any means. They want to establish a high quality luxury brand and this is one way to do it. The plan to create a separate brand is very much on the table, but having just the Genesis sedan and coupe is not enough. I predict Hyundai to bring out the Genesis brand in a few years with the "Sedan", "Coupe" and Equus in the lineup (among others).
Luis 1:40PM (8/12/2009)
@Andre: Anyone who thinks this bulbous thing is attractive needs their eyes checked. I'd rather have Acura styling over this Beluga day.
jsjs 3:14PM (8/12/2009)
Ughh - not this again (I just wish people would just put more some more thought into their posts as well as getting all the relevant facts).
First, the Phaeton started in the mid/high $60k range and topped at over $100k.
Second, the Equus will undercut a comparably-equipped Phaeton by over $20k and hence provide a value proposition which the Phaeton did not.
Third, the Phaeton, unlike the Equus, had a better looking stablemate, the A8, which could be had for only a few thousand more.
Fourth, Hyundai does not intend the Equus to be a big seller and instead, sees it as a halo model - paving the way for a lux brand some 8-10 years down the road.
As for the Hyundai and luxury buyers - the Genesis sedan is outselling all the mid-sized, import luxury models aside from the E Class and the 5 Series (for instance, the Genesis is outselling the Lexus GS by a 3x margin) and sorry, people who don't have $$ can't afford a $36-42k car (the majority of Genesis purchaser get the Premium or Tech packages).
jsjs 3:24PM (8/12/2009)
"Some fans of the brand or the Genisis may like the car and appreciate it, but if you are trying to win over BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.. owners, they are not going to leave those brands for a Hyundai." - mei know nothing
"Me is correct. No one is going to cross-shop a Hyundai with a Lexus or BMW or Mercedes. This will just make Accent buyers feel better about their purchase.
Someone may step up from something terrible, but people who have $50k to spend on a car don't want a Hyundai." - luis
************
Uhh, over 70% of Genesis buyers have never owned a Hyundai before, and a big chunk of trade-in vehicles have been Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, BMW vehicles as well as more mundane models such as the Avalon, Maxima, Azera, etc.
On the GenesisOwners forum, a shockingly large % of owners turned in a 5 Series for their new ride.
Here's a tip - one can stop looking foolish/stupid by getting your facts straight or at least not speaking in absolutes.
the4thheat 6:24PM (8/12/2009)
@jsjs
That's a pretty misleading way of putting it. It's managing to outsell only the GS because the GS is now old and it's sales went down from it's actual competitors having newer designs (like the new E series). The GS isn't in the same price class, and the Lexus vehicle that actually is in the same price class, the ES, outsells the Genesis 4 to 1 even though the Genesis is RWD, sportier, has V8 power available, etc. and the ES is a luxed up Camry. In fact, even the ES has a higher starting MSRP than the Genesis so it's more expensive.
Genesis sedan sales have been good, but quit trying to make it sound like it's actually assaulted the mid/high end of the luxury market when it's just not true. Purposely picking a luxury car with an old design and low sales against new competitors then randomly comparing sales with it is meaningless. The Genesis outsells the Rolls Royce Phantom too, and Phantom sales since the Genesis came out but just because these are both true doesn't mean Genesis sales have anything to do with Rolls Royce sales.
And I hope if they bring the Equus over it doesn't have the ride problems the Genesis sedan has. See this 15 page thread on the Genesis forums:
http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?s=086cf056b9f818cc49d3aa8ed1d10849&t=601
anonymous j 11:00PM (8/12/2009)
The Genesis sedan and coupe were way over hyped and overrated IMO. Competent cars they are, but far from the hype that Hyundai's marketing machine made them out to be.
Sal Collaziano 11:51PM (8/12/2009)
I haven't even started reading the rest of this discussion but I'm sure you've already been told several times that you are mistaken. The Phaeton was a LOT more expensive than the next highest priced Volkswagen vehicle - the Passat. The Equus will not be that much more expensive than the Genesis. Also, the Phaeton costed about the same as an Audi A8. Why would ANYBODY take the Volkswagen when for a very few thousand dollars, they could have an Audi which was basically the same car - only more prestigious. The whole scenario is very different than with the Hyundai Equus...
In any event, one cannot deny the potential of this vehicle. Sure, you can call it names all you want (in reference to the design) - but even the BMW 7-Series (Bangle design) had such harsh criticism - but did it fail? Of course not. Like a 7-Series, the Equus is powerful, stately with plenty of road presence, highly technological, comfortable, quiet, luxurious, high quality and full of excellent features - all for a price MUCH less than competitors AND with an amazing warranty.
This car is not going to fail...
Sal Collaziano
http://www.genesisowners.com
Quantumphysics 11:59PM (8/12/2009)
tell me the back of this piece of sht doesn't say "460" on it.
Someone please tell me that this piece of sht hasn't been placed in front of an S550.
Someone please tell me that this piece of sht hasn't been placed in front of an LS460
lovesomegreatcars 12:50AM (8/13/2009)
DO NOT COMPARE WHAT HYUNDAI (with the GENESIS, EQUUS) IS DOING WITH VW's PHAETON!
Volkswagen (known for fun/well built compact cars) already had an established luxury division with Audi. So for instance, it was like if Toyota decided to make $60-$75K luxury sedans under the Toyota brand when they already had the premium Lexus brand in this segment. This is what VW did. Hyundai does not have a premium/prestige brand and they are creating a market for these new premium cars by establishing a following before the GENESIS brand launch (I've read near 2015). This is similar to Toyota launching their Lexus division in 1989. In Hyundai's case, they are establishing buyers before separate dealers are launched, which sounds like a smart plan. Just because they are sold in Hyundai dealers does not mean you should confuse these models with regular Hyundais. These vehicles (Genesis, Equus) are designed and engineered for a completely different segment and clientele (and they are very luxurious and extremely well built) and I think most people are aware that a separate Genesis brand is coming. However, regarding the Toyota/Lexus comparison, I think Hyundai, with the Genesis and Equus, has much better premium/luxury products compared to todays competition than Lexus did compared to its competitors in the early 90's.
I recently sat in an Equus that was on display at my local Hyundai dealer and I was blown away at how luxurious and well built it is - It looks so much better in person!
You would be surprised how many current luxury car brand buyers are interested in the Genesis sedan and upcoming Equus and I have read that Hyundai's own feedback from Genesis customers confirms this. And you just know the new 5.0-liter V8 with over 420hp will eventually be available in the Genesis sedan too. That would mean 0-60 near 5 seconds.
While I was at the local dealer checking out the Equus (my first time at a Hyundai dealer) I asked the sales person how the Genesis sedan was selling and he said they sell every one of them as soon as they arrive.
The Equus is intended to compete against the Lexus LS, Audi A8 and Mercedes S-Class. Buyers outside of the USA will be paying more for the Equus where these models are already established. I have read that the U.S. Genesis and upcoming Equus are priced very aggressively because Hyundai wants to attract and establish buyers in the U.S. market. So you will be getting alot of car for your money. Why buy an Audi A6 when you could have an A8 for the same money (you get what I mean).
Oh, and by the way, I’m 34 and I am one of those luxury brand buyers I was referring to that are very interested in the Equus, and it is kind of exciting to be part of something all new.
And who knows, as soon as the Equus makes its U.S. debut Hyundai might decide to offer some very special services for Genesis and Equus buyers until they launch the separate brand/dealer network.
My opinion regarding the Equus. Get rid of the chrome wheels. Hopefully the air-suspension, 5.0-liter V8 will be standard. The hood ornament should be optional with a flat Equus badge in its place.
I am anxious to read Autoblog’s review of the Equus from the Pebble Beach Concours.
I will obviously be waiting for the U.S. model to arrive in dealers and test and compare it to the competition before I purchase. I hope the Equus is as good on road as its intended competitors.
lovesomegreatcars 1:00AM (8/13/2009)
Sorry I should have said "Why buy a - V8 - powered Audi A6 when you could have an A8 for the same money".
jsjs 3:16AM (8/14/2009)
"That's a pretty misleading way of putting it. It's managing to outsell only the GS because the GS is now old and it's sales went down from it's actual competitors having newer designs (like the new E series). The GS isn't in the same price class, and the Lexus vehicle that actually is in the same price class, the ES, outsells the Genesis 4 to 1 even though the Genesis is RWD, sportier, has V8 power available, etc. and the ES is a luxed up Camry. In fact, even the ES has a higher starting MSRP than the Genesis so it's more expensive."
@the4thheat
Not misleading at all.
The Genesis and GS, being RWD sedans w/ more of a sport-orientation, appeal to the same type of driver/purchaser as opposed to the driver/purchaser of the ES.
It's the reason why all the auto publications have brought up the GS and not the ES when making a comparison w/ the Genesis (and why the Genesis is compared to the 5 Series instead of the much smaller 3 Series which is similar in price).
As for the GS being an "old" model, sales of the GS have tanked only recently (otoh, sales of the "old" BMW 5 Series are still going on relatively strong).
But fine, let's compare sales of the Genesis w/ a mid-level model that just underwent a "refresh", the Infiniti M35/45. The Genesis sedan is outselling the M at more than a 2:1 ratio.
And yeah, some owners have been experiencing issues w/ the suspension, but the same issue has also appeared on the BMW 135i and Acura TSX (to name a few).