Rare in Canada, sedan is high-tech yet elegant
New instrument panel, centre stack and revised wheel among enhancements
One of the interesting aspects of testing different cars and having them in my parking space is the reaction I get from those who see the vehicles come and go.
After returning home in a 2014 Hyundai Equus, an older gentleman rushed across the lot towards me (he was surprisingly quick) and fired off this question: “Hey, is that a Honda?” I paused, briefly, to consider how Hyundai executives might react to someone mistaking their flagship luxury sedan for an Accord before telling him that it was in fact a Hyundai, not a Honda.
To be fair to my bystander, the fullsize Equus is a pretty rare bird on Canadian roads. Hyundai moves only about120 of these rear-wheel drive units annually here, and the sedan is sold at just 27 dealerships nationwide, most of which are clustered in and around Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
Still, the man was incredulous — especially when I told him how much an Equus sells for. His guess ($40,000) was barely half the sticker my optioned-out tester comes with: $72,299 (base price, $64,799). The irony of his reaction is that the price of admission is actually quite reasonable, considering the intended competition (Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Acura RLX) and the amount of advanced technology the Equus carries.
Imported to Canada since 2010, the current generation debuted in Hyundai’s home market in South Korea as a 2009 model, where it is also sold in limousine format. For the Canadian market, the Equus is available in two well-stocked trims, Signature and Ultimate, both of which are powered by Hyundai’s 5.0 litre Tau V8 engine and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Power output is rated at an impressive 429 horsepower and 376 lb.-ft. of torque.
Although it remains wrapped in relatively conservative styling, the 2014 Equus features numerous changes inside and out. Among the exterior changes are new 19-inch wheels, front bumper fascia and grille, side mirrors and tail lamps.
On the inside, the Equus receives a new centre stack and instrument panel, a revised steering wheel with vehicle setting controls, a bigger 7inch thin-film transistor (TFT) cluster display (Signature model) and a massive 9.2-inch infotainment LCD screen in the centre stack, among other enhancements.
Under the skin, the Equus remains mostly unchanged, save for some tweaks to its air suspension. The damping in Sport mode has been stiffened, the front bushings have been revised and a Snow setting has been added to the list of driving modes.
As mentioned, I sampled the topend Ultimate model, which is loaded with just about every conceivable bell and whistle, including Blind Spot Detection (BSD), a Lane Departure Warning (LDWS) and head-up display (HUD) among a slew of features.
Despite being filled to the brim with technology, gadgetry doesn’t overwhelm the Equus cabin. It’s nicely finished, in an elegant and straightforward manner. Navigation, stereo and climate controls were quite easy to use with little of fuss.
Elsewhere, the leather-trimmed seats feel rich and are quite supportive. Hard plastics have been kept to a minimum and the brushed metal and piano black trim pieces give the impression of quality. On the road, the Equus is much like other full-size luxury sedans: quiet, with a smooth ride and giant gobs of power at the beck and call of the driver’s right foot. In Normal driving mode, throttle response is adequate, but the car really perks up when the selector is toggled to Sport. While by no means does the Equus become a twitchy, precise-handling sports sedan, the revised throttle mapping that Sport mode provides makes the car noticeably quicker off the line and also during passing manoeuvres. Overall, the Equus delivers an impressive combination of technology, refinement and performance for the price. While others in the segment have more impressive pedigrees with greater name recognition, they cost thousands (and even tens of thousands) more. As good as those other cars are, they can’t match the value proposition the Equus represents.
Any cause for concern? Aside from raising its profile more generally, Hyundai might want to carve out a more independent identity for the Equus compared to its (much) less-expensive Genesis sedan. Hard to do, I know, given how closely related they are. But surely something could be done to at least make them look less like the clones they appear to be now. With a Genesis redesign rumoured to be in the works, Hyundai may already be far down the road toward doing that very thing.