Hyundai Equus - Too good to ignore?

Hyundai has been building dependable cars for some years now, but the company is still struggling with the general public's perception of the brand.

A few years ago, they considered launching a new luxury marque just like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan, but decided against it because of the astronomical cost of setting up an entire new dealership network and thought that perhaps in the internet age, consumers would be informed enough to be willing to buy a luxury car from a non-luxury brand.

The Genesis sedan and coupe have been making headlines and apparently they're selling well enough, because Hyundai is bringing over the Equus, which is a S-Class/LS/7 series/A8 competitor in South Korea. The name of the car in the NA market has yet to be determined.

Expected MSRP is $48k-$55k. At that price, you could get a Lexus GS(images included for comparison or a well equipped C-class.

So, is the Hyundai worthy of consideration to you?
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Putting status aside and looking at all of the amenities for the price and the Hyundai warranty, I would have to give the Equus some serious consideration.
I think of all the issues my friend has had with his Mercedes S600 and I wonder is it worth almost $100,000 more than the Equus?

 

If they offer all those amenities (massage, etc) in a reliable, V8 engined, long wheelbase sedan for under $60k it will be a game-changer. That's a good $20-30k under competitors.

People who have most to fear are Infiniti and Acura, as their buyers aren't as likely to be as brand loyal, but I'm sure the people who drive Lexus who aren't "car guys" will jump too (which is what I find the typical Lexus driver to be: someone who wants reliable luxury but doesn't care about the badge, when push comes to shove). Benz, BMW and Audi buyers are less likely converts, but given the recession, the time for Hyundai to strike with a 30% undercut is now.

 

Yeah, no not by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Were you alive in '89 when Lexus was launched? I image you would have said the same thing back then.

 

If it drives well and has all that for that price, I would have no problem buying one. I was around when Lexus started, and I remember how BMW and Mercedes did not consider them competition, and look what happened.

 

Hyundai/Kia are putting together decent cars for the price range, but their dealers are horrible with customer service. That's why I dumped my Spectra 5, the service department couldn't sort out a vibration issue..

They -really- will have to revamp their dealerships and attitudes to hit that target model.

Other than that, the car looks ok in the pictures. It's a bit short in the wheelbase for that rear seat, though.

 

I was a Mercedes salesman at the time Lexus launched. My manager told me that there was no way that people would pay that much for a
Japanese car, no matter how it was equipped! And he said that it was ridiculous to even think that they could take any of the market share
from Mercedes and BMW. Last time I saw him, he was driving an Acura RL.

 

+1 It's all cyclical. I wrote a paper on Japan/US auto tariffs and import history, and there was/is a long-standing bias against Asian manufacturers. However, obviously the Japanese have 'pwn3d' the Big Three (now of course necromanced by the grace of Obama). Christensen writes how new companies come in with value product, low price, then build market share, add product features and increase price, then a competitor comes in and takes the low end of the market from them and the cycle begins again.

And the Koreans have very quickly gone from Japan of the 1950's (cheapest, low end of market) to Japan of the late 1990s. Japan went upmarket. Eventually Korea will go upmarket too and Chinese cars will take their place, with Indian Tatas close behind.

 

I think they'll sell about as many of these as VW sold Phaetons.

 

I have owned an Azera for three years and love it. I will buy another Hyundai.

 

Epik are you a "beta tester" or work for Hyundai?

I've ridden in the Equus several times while in Korea. It reminded me of the Lexus, both pos & neg. Frankly for the price mentioned I think its a great bang for the $. If this car is a good as the Genesis then I think Hyundai will have an another winner on their hands. I think everyone here will agree that the co's trajectory has been better than most.

People like Dicenzo's boss who say "they'll never this or that" are plain stupid.

 

Phaetons are great cars. Also it was priced much higher than $55k.

 

I owned a W12 Phaeton and they were 2 close to 3 times the price of the Hyundai. I would buy the Hyundai if it drives well and has lots of horsepower.

You are right though. VW screwed up with the Phaeton and Hyundai should learn from their mistake. VW should NEVER had put their badge on the Phaeton. Instead they should have started a whole new brand built under the VW name. Hyundai should do the same.

 

I think the Phaeton's biggest problem was that even internally at Audi/VW it was too close to the A8 in price and looks. Even Clarkson said it was a fantastic car, I think the only luxury sedan to make his Top 25. Hyundai doesn't have a luxury brand to complete with itself.

 

didnt the Phaeton share >50% of its parts w/ the Bentley?

 

The chassis did become the underpinnings of the CGT and Flying Spur AFAIK.

 

Yes both the Phaeton and the Bentley flying Spur are built side by side in the same factory. The Phaeton shares little with Audi or VW. The phaeton is a world class car and IMO is better than the Bentley.

I got mine loaded up with all options and painted Helichrome Appassionato Blue. The car was beautiful and solid, quiet as a bank vault inside. A perfect car to be driven in.


The Factory.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/03q3/vw_s_transparent_factory-feature
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

No, I just found these images at about.com. I think Hyundai gave one of their journalists an early look. Yeah, it looks like another decent car but brand perception is everything these days. Perhaps with the new emblem they'll sell ok.

 

I think that they are worth a look, I was never impressed with the BMW 7 series for the money and I have never cared for Mercedes. Currently my wife has a Lexus and it is a very nice car. But the new Hyundai/Kia cars are much improved and drive nice. They are miles ahead of that nasty Kia Amanti "luxury car" that looked like a Mercedes crashed into a Jag. But I do have to agree that the customer service is a nightmare, I worked for a large dealer group, that had Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and then added a Kia store across the street. Their reps we all rejects from real automakers, and really did nothing to address any issues with their cars, it was like they expected the dealer to just eat a transmission repair that should have been covered, and let me tell you there is zero money in owning a Kia store without the service department and used cars.

 

And that is the real issue. My MIL bought a XG350 and took it in for service. Hyundai scratched the car. dented the door sill pulling the seat out then put the steering wheel back on tilted 45% and THEN blamed the original problem on my MIL saying there was a little toy ball inside the seat. The car had less than 5k miles on it and no children had been in the car. Ridiculous! That is the same part of car ownership which VW missed. People who buy cars in this price range expect better service. If Hyundai doesn't drop the ball, pun intended, they will do well with this car. I think the premium brands like Mercedes and BMW figure in the price of the vehicle white glove service.

 

Indeed -- my statement had nothing to do with the quality of either car -- just a matter of brand-conscious Americans not being willing to fork over $50k for a Hyundai that doesnt make the Joneses jealous.

 

Ah, I see. Well I have never really cared about brands I prefer quality. It the Hyundai is a quality product, I'll drive it. Most good quality products in this country get bought out after a few years then they are flogged for several more years until they are done.

 

I don't know that's what everyone said when Japan created Lexus, Acura, and Infinity for the US market. I live in a pretty affluent area of the inland empire (yes we do have them), and I have seen neighbors that own Ferrari’s, Lambo’s, Rolls Royce’s, etc.. buy the new Hyundai Genesis for their daily drivers. I was talking to one of my neighbors that always had Jaguar Sedans, and he even has a vintage Jaguar V12 coupe. But he was going to go out and buy the new XF even though he really wanted and XK, but he needed 4 doors for clients and family. So he found a low mileage 2007 Jaguar XK coupe for around $35K and purchased a full loaded Genesis for around $37K. So for around the same amount of money he would have spent on a loaded XF he got his Sports car and a family/business sedan with all the options he wanted.

 

Absolutely correct. I recall reading an article where the leaders of the major Japanese auto manufacturers had the same response when asked "which company do you fear the most?" - they all said "Hyundai"...cheaper labor with equal quality...

All of my friends have said they would buy a Genesis. In fact, we were all talking about how nice they were. I've sat in one and my initial impression of the quality is on par with my Lexus GS400. I remember the early days of Acura, then Lexus and Infiniti...many thought they were a joke. My how times have changed. I believe 10 years from now, Hyundai will no longer be the same "joke"...