Hyundai Equus: Korea takes the lead with luxury saloons

Mercedes-Benz S-Class type of luxury, at one-third the price? Bring it on...!

Korean car manufacturer Hyundai is pulling out all stops in waging war with premium-brand luxury cars from Europe. Its new flagship – the 2011 Equus – has been designed and built to compete with the best that the world has to offer, and that includes cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS460 and so on. The Hyundai Equus is fitted with a 4.6-litre petrol V8 (mated to a six-speed automatic transmission) that produces 385 horsepower and features high-tech bits like a lane departure warning system, electronic air suspension, smart cruise control and a Lexicon audio system.

‘The Equus takes Hyundai’s formula for intelligent luxury to a new level. We’ve applied the lessons in engineering excellence we’ve learned with Genesis to the Equus, while adding a new level of customer experience that will further differentiate our take on luxury from the traditional premium brands,’ says John Krafcik, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

Prices for the Equus, which will come with a host of safety features and entertainment/communications/navigation gizmos, will start at around $55,000 (Rs 24.75 lakh) in the US. If Hyundai can sell the Equus at this price in India, the car might actually be a big hit in this country – a lot of buyers may not be able to resist Mercedes-Benz S-Class kind of comfort and luxury, at less than a third of the price. Of course, this pricing will not happen if Hyundai imports the car as a CBU instead of making it here and chances of that happening are almost zero, so don’t expect to see the Equus at your friendly neighbourhood Hyundai dealership anytime soon…