South Koreans do high-end right with Equus
Flagship sedan stacks up well against high-end competition
My immediate need was simple: On the coldest day in nine years — a frigid -26 C when I first stepped outside — I wanted the Equus to start. Nothing more, nothing less. Without that V-8 turning over, every other aspect of Hyundai’s flagship sedan’s considerable attraction would be rendered moot.
Holding my breath, I poked the push-button start. With a mere hint of protest, the engine fired up. Muttering a silent prayer of thanks, I turned my attention to the next priority — thawing out.
Fortunately, warmth quickly flooded the upgraded cabin while I cranked the heated seat to thermonuclear and gripped the heated steering wheel. As feeling began to return to my extremities, I pondered this thought: Of the myriad features of this full-sized luxury sedan — or any luxury car, for that matter — it’s still the fundamentals that matter most.
And let me be perfectly clear: the Equus not only has the fundamentals covered, but just about all of the fripperies as well, at least the ones crammed into most bigbuck cars these days.
To the snobs out there who think the South Koreans can’t or shouldn’t build a luxury product: get over it. The Equus won’t be embarrassed by the Japanese competition — or the Europeans, either, although it is more traditional than the sportier German makes.
Still, it seems Hyundai is treating this whole luxury thing as an experiment, not a commitment. The choice of engines and drivetrains is limited. There’s only one engine offered, a silky-smooth 429-horsepower 5.0-litre V-8, mated to an equally smooth eight-speed automatic. More importantly, at least for Canada, the Equus is rear-wheel drive in a segment that is increasingly moving to all-wheel drive.
That’s not to say the car can’t handle itself when the roads get slick. The Equus has all of the usual safety backups, plus Hyundai has revised the driving dynamics for 2014, with the addition of a Snow function to the drive-mode system that dials back throttle response to improve traction in slippery conditions.
When the roads are dry, it’s entertaining to switch between the revised Normal and Sport modes as there is a distinct difference between the two, with the Sport mode giving the big sedan extra snap under acceleration.
There’s a difference to the ride as well. With new front suspension bushings and a recalibrated air suspension, Sport mode comes with stiffer damping and improved body-motion control. Normal mode is more relaxed, without being overly floaty.
There are a number of other subtle improvements to the Equus for 2014, including such exterior revisions as a new front fascia and grille, new side mirrors and tail lights and LED fog lights.
The car is conservatively elegant in its styling and stands apart from the sharp designs of every other Hyundai product. Indeed, it has a certain high-end generic quality to it, with styling cues that appear derived from any number of other luxury makes.
As for active safety technologies, the Equus covers your butt six ways from Sunday, starting with the new standard blind-spot detection system, which has vehicle alerts appearing in each side mirror.
It’s the Equus’s cabin that defines the car, and cements my belief that Hyundai is on the right track to woo the well heeled, starting with the use of rich-looking materials to go with the redesigned dash layout. It’s a supremely comfortable environment and user-friendly as well, thanks to new icons on the buttons and controls that make identification easier.
I doubt the addition of a large luxury car that is loaded to the rafters with all manner of modern conveniences, luxury touches and safety items is going to sway those already driving Bimmers, Mercedes and the like — no matter how reasonably priced the Equus is in comparison. Those driving Hyundais and Kias, however, might look to the Equus as an aspirational purchase once they hit it big. When Hyundai underpins this car with an all-wheel drivetrain, it’s going to send a much larger shock wave through the establishment.