2011 Hyundai Equus Review

[ahmed_7erzon]

The Hyundai Equus’s styling may not be directly attempting to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, though the droves of people who stop curiously to check it out may suggest otherwise.

Hyundai doesn’t put their stylized “H” badge anywhere on the Equus, inside or out, other than the trunk lid. Even the rims and steering wheel wear the Equus’s flying ‘bird’ badge instead—which is repeated on the front of the hood.


It’s a badge unfamiliar to virtually everyone who sees it—and if made to guess, most folks wonder if the Equus is a Maybach, Bentley or other similarly unattainable luxo-cruiser.

Maybach? Bentley?

“Look what we can do”
Yep. Of course—it’s a Hyundai, and one executed as little more than a rolling statement designed to challenge far pricier luxury brands. With flagship models from Germany and Japan in its sights, Equus promises world-class levels of comfort, space and engineering at a bargain price. The Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7-Series are all competitors.

Well, sort of.

Sure—nobody shopping out a 750i is likely to stop off at their local Hyundai dealership, but lately, the Korean brand is on a bit of a rampage. As such, the Equus isn’t intended to be a chart-topper or even particularly popular: it’s simply a 4,400 lb. display of ‘look what we can do’.

Korean Bling
If there’s such thing as a Korean Mafia, the Equus would be their car of choice. In black, of course. Acres of chrome bling, requisite 20-inch wheels and glittered, LED-accented headlights draw stares in, while the puzzling rarity keeps the attention of most nearby. The Equus isn’t perhaps instantly striking in terms of overall detail, but an inspection of its lines and shapes is rewarding.

It’s the opposite for the cabin-- which imparts a high-end feel from first glance. There’s wood and stitched leather everywhere, excellent build quality, very comfortable seating, and even a massage function for the driver’s perch. Everything readily touchable is buttery soft, and it even smells expensive.

Slick electronics
The centre console houses a very easy-to-use central command system, controls for the vehicle’s air-adjustable suspension, climate controlled seats and a multifunction display screen. Like iDrive (a la BMW), it displays various vehicle settings, navigation information, climate controls and outputs for the audio system. Unlike iDrive, it’s simple and intuitive to use from first click.


Oh, and incidentally, said audio system is a 17-speaker, 608-watt setup by Lexicon. The only other carmaker to use a Lexicon system is Bentley, and it sounds magnificent. Heck, this stereo doesn’t even get offended if you toss in a little, say, Alexisonfire or Rise Against.

Other high-end features include push-button start, laser-guided cruise control, a lane departure warning system and adaptive headlights.

Room galore, and comfort-a-plenty
Equus offers plenty of storage space, heaps and mounds of room for four adults, and a massive gap between the front and rear seats. You can even have your Equus with rear-seat Ottomans. Those sitting in back can also recline, control the stereo system, and activate a set of blinds over the back window if they want to have a little snooze.

That’s easy to do in the Equus, as it’s very comfortable and quiet. Perhaps not as much as a high-end German land yacht, but, it’s got that ‘riding on a cloud’ feel nailed down. Drivers can even adjust the vehicle’s ride height and suspension firmness to suit their current mood.

Tau power
Whether that mood includes liquid smooth cruising or rip-snorting acceleration, Hyundai’s 4.6 litre TAU V8 engine delivers. Mostly, the award-winning engine makes barely a peep and is very refined. One passenger even jokingly asked if it was electric.

Hammer down, and 385 free-revving horsepower rocket the Equus along in a smirk-eliciting hurry. All models drive the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic and will vaporize the rear tires if drivers get on the gas aggressively. End of the day, the engine and gearbox feel just as smooth, refined and responsive as any comparable German or Japanese hardware.

Note that snow tires should be considered mandatory for winter driving.

One big gripe
Cars in this price range typically offer up few things to complain about, but your writer did find the tester’s steering poorly matched to its suspension system. Unlike the locked-down feel presented by similar German models, Equus’s steering feels too light and overassisted for its super-soft suspension.


At speed, it can feel nervous and twitchy rather than stable and heavy—even like driving an inflatable Bouncy-Castle in some situations. I also wished for a headlight washer system and a more premium feel and look to a few of the cabin controls.

First class on a budget
Want one? Only a few Canadian dealerships sell Hyundai’s flagship. Special staff take the vehicle to shoppers for test drives, and swap service loaners with owners when repairs or maintenance are required. This concierge-based service further replicates the ownership experience of a six-digit posh-rocket—minus the six digit pricing.

And keeping pricing and context in mind, it doesn’t feel much like a great big Korean knock off. I’ll go out on a limb here—but call the Equus about 85 percent as good as an established flagship running one-hundred-plus.

Those aspiring to own a relatively affordable world-class luxury cruiser can check one out from $63,000.