HYUNDAI ANNOUNCES PRICING FOR THE ALL-NEW EQUUS

Includes Complimentary Valet Service and Maintenance for 5 Years, 60,000 Miles

Hyundai Motor America has announced pricing for the all-new Equus luxury sedan. The lavishly contented Equus Signature will be priced at $58,000 and the top-of-the-line Equus Ultimate at $64,500. Hyundai Equus brings a fresh approach to product innovation and the ownership experience in this price segment.

Every Equus comes standard with “At Your Service,” Hyundai's revolutionary approach to the luxury ownership experience that provides complimentary valet service and covers all maintenance needs for 5 years or 60,000 miles. With “At Your Service,” Hyundai Equus owners enjoy no-charge maintenance, including complimentary oil and filter changes, brake pads and rotors, wiper blades, and battery. Valet pickup and drop-off is provided for all warranty, maintenance and service repairs, and a Genesis or Equus replacement vehicle is provided while the owner’s car is at the dealership.

The Equus retail and ownership experience includes other innovative and time-saving premium services such as:

•“Your Time, Your Place,” the industry’s first at-home vehicle demonstration program
•Equus Champion (product expert) at each authorized Equus dealer
•Apple iPad with interactive owner’s manual capability
•Equus Customer Connect Center hotline (phone and e-mail) for VIP customer service

“We’re confident that smart luxury buyers will discover that Equus competes well with similar flagship products from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Lexus,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. “But the traditional luxury brands simply can’t compete with the unique retail and ownership experience we’ll be providing for the Equus owner, including “Your Time, Your Place,” the industry’s first at-home vehicle demonstration program; the “At Your Service” program, which provides complimentary valet at-home pickup and no-charge maintenance for five years or 60,000 miles; and the industry’s first iPad-based interactive owner’s manual.”
 

Equus arrives at select Hyundai dealerships in December. Hyundai expects the premium luxury market to total close to 45,000 units this year. 

 

Read More: http://www.hyundaiusa.com/about-hyundai/news/Corporate_Equus_release-20101019.aspx

 

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Hyundai steps up to luxury - Los Angeles Times

The carmaker has grabbed a bigger share of the U.S. market as its quality and reputation have improved, but the sedan's $60,000 price may steer consumers to rival models from Lexus, Mercedes and others.

 

September 12, 2010|By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times

At first glance it's hard to discern who made this new luxury car. The long sloping hood evokes a Mercedes-Benz S class. The bisected grill bears a touch of the BMW 7 series. The galloping horse hood badge hints of the "winged B" on a Bentley.

With a dark burled wood dash and steering wheel, soft leather upholstery and brushed metal accents, the spacious interior oozes opulence. The driver's seat has a built-in massage system. The back seat offers a refrigerated compartment to keep drinks cool. A powerful 4.6-liter, V-8 engine with 385 horsepower sits under the hood. No less than nine airbags keep passengers safe.

Only the "Flying H" corporate logo on the trunk lid gives any clue to the car's origin. Is America ready for a $60,000 luxury car from South Korea?

That the question would even be asked represents a remarkable turnaround for an automaker that once produced some of the worst cars sold in America. Underpowered and unreliable, the early Hyundais first introduced in the U.S. in the late-1980s were inexpensive and sold briskly until people learned just how bad the autos were. Similar dependability issues chased import brands such as Renault and Fiat from the U.S. market, but not South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co.

Tenacity combined with the introduction of new vehicle designs have spurred sales, improved reliability and sparked consumer interest. Hyundais are now thought of as well-built, utilitarian autos with a touch of stylish pizazz. This has set the stage for the launch of the Equus, a luxury car designed to compete with the likes of the top Mercedes and Lexus sedans. It goes on sale in November.

The success of Lexus, Acura and Infiniti — divisions of Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co, respectively — "shows that Americans aren't as brand loyal as traditional luxury automakers assumed," said Eric Noble, president of CarLab, an automotive product and design consulting firm in Orange.

"The reality is that the same people — namely baby boomers — who made Lexus a success are the same people who will make any competent luxury carmaker a success in the United States," Noble said.

Despite its improved image, Hyundai still faces hurdles moving into the refined luxury market.

Read More: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/12/business/la-fi-autos-hyundai-20100912

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2011 Hyundai Equus - First Drive Review

When Hyundai announced the Genesis luxury sedan in 2008, some were skeptical. A $40,000 Hyundai? But the Genesis has been a hit with buyers, outselling the Audi A6 and Lexus GS combined. After two years on the market, sales of the Genesis are still increasing. Hyundai says this is a sign that American consumers are seeing the brand differently and are ready for Hyundai to head even farther upmarket. And so, with the 2011 Equus, the company has its sights set on the top of the luxury heap: cars like the Lexus LS and Mercedes-Benz S-class.

That bold goal comes with a proviso, however. The Equus was designed primarily with its home South Korean market in mind. Shoppers there are fervently loyal to domestic manufacturers—with Hyundai being the largest—and since this Equus went on sale there over a year ago, it has been successful at luring government officials and hot-shot businessmen out of the black Mercedes S-classes that are de rigueur for elites worldwide. So although it would be unfair to call the U.S. an afterthought, Hyundai knows the Equus doesn’t have wide-reaching American appeal, and it has set the sales targets at a realistically modest 2000 to 3000 cars per year.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q3/2011_hyundai_equus-first_drive_review

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Hyundai Equus, Genesis, and Genesis Coupe to Receive All-Wheel Drive

While in California this week taking our first turn behind the wheel of the new Equus luxury sedan, we got confirmation from Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik that the big barge will be getting all-wheel drive in the near future, as will its platform-mate, the Genesis, and the Genesis’s nameplate-mate, the Genesis coupe.

Hyundai currently offers all-wheel drive only on its SUVs and crossovers; the migration of the technology to car platforms likely is a move intended to bump the brand’s perceived status. The Equus aims for flagships from the world’s established luxury brands—most of whom offer all-wheel drive on not only their range toppers, but other models throughout their lineups. The availability of AWD on Hyundai cars means that the Equus gives up less to the BMW 7-series and Mercedes S550, both of which offer four driven wheels. Similarly, Hyundai can now claim the Genesis as a model-for-model competitor for the 5-series and E-class. That, and people in the Snowbelt like the reassurance of all-wheel drive.

While nobody even at Hyundai would claim the Genesis coupe as a competitor to the 3-series and Infiniti G coupes—which offer AWD—available all-wheel drive gives the car a leg up on other affordable sporty coupes like the Nissan 370Z, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Camaro.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/hyundai-equus-genesis-and-genesis-coupe-to-receive-all-wheel-drive/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+caranddriver%2Fblog+%28Car+and+Driver+Blog%29&utm_content=Bloglines

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Hyundai Details 2011 Equus Standard Equipment

As the Hyundai Equus will be positioned to compete with luxury sedans from Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, it will be loaded to the brim with luxury features when it goes on sale in the U.S. sometime next year. (The Equus is already on sale in South Korea.)

There will be two trim levels, Equus Signature and Equus Ultimate. The former has plenty of standard equipment, while those being chauffeured will want to splurge for the Ultimate. Both models feature Hyundai’s 4.6-liter Tau V-8, a six-speed automatic transmission, electric power steering, air suspension, and 19-inch wheels.

Standard gadgets on both trims include adaptive HID headlights; parking sensors with a backup camera; keyless ignition; powered, cooled, and heated front seats; a 608-watt, 17-speaker sound system with iPod and XM satellite radio connectivity; and a navigation system with an eight-inch display.

Real birch or walnut wood trim is available inside, with leather seats, an Alcantara headliner, and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The driver’s seat packs a massaging feature, and rear passengers can enjoy the privacy of powered shades for the side windows and backlight. As for safety tech, there are nine airbags, plus a lane-departure warning system, adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and seatbelt pretensioners that cinch passengers in place during “critical driving situations.”

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/hyundai-details-2011-equus-standard-equipment/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+caranddriver%2Fblog+%28Car+and+Driver+Blog%29&utm_content=Bloglines

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