It's clear that Hyundai is leaving no stone unturned these days in its quest to dominate the automobile market in every segment. At the New York Auto Show, the South Korean automaker introduced the North American production version of its all-new flagship model, the 2011 Equus that's already on sale in its home market.
Hyundai is pitting the Genesis sedan's big brother against rivals such as the Lexus LS 460 and Mercedes-Benz S 550, but at a much lower price as the Equus will launch in the U.S.A. this summer with a starting price in the mid $50,000 range.
"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," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.
Built on a lengthened version of the Genesis' rear-wheel-drive architecture, the Equus is 7.2 inches longer (203.1 inches vs. 195.9 inches) than its smaller brethren. In South Korea, Hyundai also offers a LWB version of the car that measures a Rolls-Royce-like 215-in. (5,460mm) in length.
It is powered by the firm's 4.6-liter Tau V8 engine that delivers an estimated 385 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque (378 horsepower and 324 lb-ft using regular fuel).
The V8, which is hooked up to a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control, launches the Equus from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than 6.4 seconds.
Other highlights include an electronically-controlled air suspension and Hyundai's Vehicle Stability Management system (VSM) that optimally manages Electronic Stability Control (ESC), the electronic parking brake, smart cruise control and the seatbelt tensioning system.
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