Spies Catch The First Hyundai Equus Tester In SoCal

Wow, incredible! How did you ever manage to catch such a stunning photo while manuevering your ultimate driving machine at break neck speeds of...0 MPH??!!! Awwww.

yeah.....REASON......but any way as we stick to the article this car has alot against it. it also has some tough competition out there with LEXUS, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Infiniti is pretty much not in this category because they dont make a car for this category. I think if the gensis came out on top this year I think the EQUUS is not too far behind. Now its really up to the american public do you really want to spen $75,000 on a hyundai thats the BIG question. I know people didnt spend $70-$100,000 on the VW phaeton and that was a decent car I thought. I really think hyudai should make their own luxury company and get this name away from hyundai. When people think hyundai they think cheap and affordable NOT a $75,000 car. but I think they will do well with the EQUUS but it would do even better under a luxury car name

Everyone on AutoSpies.com is SPECIAL!

001

maxima taillights, lexus LS exhaust, knock-off spirit of ecstasy emblem and $75k??? FTL!!

Why didn't the brainless wonders at Hyundai call it the LS460 instead of the VS460?

Because there is a rumor there might be a follow up special edition called the VSOP. ;)

001

Hyundai has been using that Equus wing logo for 10 years now. It is not that Hyundai is embarrassed about the Hyundai logo, it just wanted to give a special style to distinguish it as a special car. The Genesis, Amanti (Opirus), Dynasty, Borrego (Mohave), Tiburon (Tuscani), XG350 (Grandeur XG) all carry different logos in the Korean market.
It's not just Korea. Look at Japanese cars in the Japanese market. Japanese Corolla (Corolla Axio) does not carry the Toyota badge. Do you think Toyota is embarrassed about putting the Toyota badge on a Corolla that it has chosen a different badge instead?
Using a different badge does not mean it is embarrassed, nor is it to trick people. It is a way of marketing to show the car is somewhat special. Let the marketing be.

Good explanation. BMW doesn't put the roundel on RRs or Minis. Different marketing for different segments.

Was Buick too embarrassed to put the Buick badge on their Riviera? According to your philosophy, I suppose so... And Buick wasn't the only one to do it either...

Sal Collaziano
GenesisOwners.com

Toyota Corolla in Japan hasn't got a different badge. Only Crown and Mark X sedans have their own badge. Maybe one or two more but upmarket sedans not Corolla and Yaris type. Also Toyota's got many brands like Delta, Dhaitsu...etc so it's confusing sometimes. Toyota Echo/Yaris Sedan are badged as Delta Belta. Echo/Yaris Hatch is called Toyota Vitz. Same way Corolla is under Toyota badge but Corolla Station got Delta badge and it continues.

So it's clear now that U.S Specification Equus(and most probably the ones they'll be sending in Middle East) will not have any clearly visible Hyundai badges. Why not introduce a luxury brand and put genesis and Equus under it. Seems like Hyundai too is admitting a need for a new luxury brand by not putting there badges on luxury cars but not doing it.
At least here in Middle East, a luxury car with Hyundai badge is not going to get noticed, the regular Luxury buyers don't go to Hyundai but if there is a new brand maybe they'll check it out.

and the rear looks so much like LS460. From a distance at night many will confuse it for LS460.

JUGNU

"Toyota Corolla in Japan hasn't got a different badge."

REALLY?

http://vne-resource.iol.co.za/30/picdb/d/4/95320

They should team up with Byd motors (of China), they are great at copying everyone else!!

The 1st generation Equus was a nice car, I have rode in them many times when I was in S. Korea. This is years beyond that car in every way possible. The price will be a little hard to swallow for a lot of people, and a seperate brand will be needed to get it to go over.

Genesis Sedan
Equus
Genesis Coupe (Albeit they would have to pull a Nissan/Infiniti type play to make it go over) swith the Hyundai to the Tiburon nameplate for this to go over imo

I'd add the 2011 Azera they're working on and Veracruz to that to round out the lineup.

what justice does that do for you, as a person?

hahaa so i bet theres alot of s*** in mercedes and BMWs. aha

Somebody seriously needs to stop spreading the false rumors that this car will cost $75k.. It'll start at around $50k tops...

Sal Collaziano
http://www.genesisowners.com

Maybe they're trying to show Acura what kind of car the RL SHOULD have been. ;)

If it's $50k, that would make more sense.

001

I shot this picture. With all credit due, it looked great in person. Yes it is a hybrid of several different luxury cars homogenized together (but what car doesn't have design elements of others). It was very quick and quite. It thrusted off the line very quick and I was behind it in a E60 M5.

Would I pay $75k for it? No, but 50k maybe. In 5 to 10 years, I think Hyundai can command $75k for a similar high end car as Lexus has been able to.

Slow progressive up stream climbing is needed without too much shock in the marketplace ala VW Phaeton. I think it's very smart marketing not to put a big Hyundai logo on this car and the Genesis i.e. again VW Phaeton.

I think the Phaeton would have done really well if it didn't have the obnoxious VW emblem on the grill.

You got it exactly right. If they start it at $55-65K now, they can climb to $75K in five or six years; especially after the car has had some time to prove itself, win its awards, blah blah blah.

$75K probably won't help this car fly off the showroom floors too quickly.

"Doesn't matter though, its clear Hyundai is embarassed to put their name on the car outside of Korea."

I don't get your point. If Hyundai is embarrassed about putting its logo on cars outside the Korean market, then why is there a Hyundai logo on the American Genesis and use the Genesis wing logo in the Korean market? Why is there a Kia logo on Amanti in the US, while there is a special logo for Amanti (Opirus) in Korea? Same cases with Tiburon (Tuscani), XG350 (Grandeur XG), Borrego (Mohave), and even the late Sonata.

KDM Genesis logo: http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/091J6jQeAGdwf/610x.jpg

KDM Amanti logo: http://leasetrade.co.kr/upload/pic/4@opirus.jpg

KDM Tiburon logo: http://www.cars-directory.net/pics/hyundai/tuscani/2003/hyundai_tuscani_a1187942412b1346031_orig.jpg

KDM XG350 logo: http://market.babomall.com/upload_car/babo_20081219183823B8E9.JPG

KDM Borrego logo: http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w298/TheCarBlogger/kia-mohave-gasoline.jpg

KDM Sonata (New EF Sonata) logo: http://file2.bobaedream.co.kr/pds/CyberCar/8/176378/img_176378_1.jpg?3556

Shouldn't they all be the opposite if you want to make this point true?

No offense, but I have seen this talk and bs before with Hyundai, don't get me wrong I have owned 2 Hyundai Tiburons and watched the aftermarket like a baby and it is nill for a factory backing, Alpine Dev. tried it, HARD tried it. So don't go spouting off about Rhys being a supplier to Hyundai when nothing is official.

And if they go to 2 brands like what has been commented on by Hyundai higher ups the Genesis Coupe doesn't fit the bill I am sorry.

And this is a bad idea the Volester concept sucks, I liked the 99-01, and 2003 Tiburons after that they went to crap in design and materials

1. I have been on more Hyundai boards that I can remember I was on them back in 97 with the 1st gen I don't need an outsiders opinion about "what they want from a Tiburon" I was there when there wasn't an aftermarket or audience for the car, and there really isn't one now to be honest. They don't have a factory based aftermarket program and I am glad that you just read over and didn't comment about HARD parts of Alpine Dev, better get on google and do the homework I suppose, I have talked to Alpine Dev years ago about the climate and the business

2. The next gen Tiburon, well like I said they better revamp it and stop copying old Toyota designs and following them down that path. (Celica) is dead same with the Tiburon

3. Comparing rwd/fwd and I would hope technology would be able to be better for the car now.

4. The interior of the 97-99 Tiburon was good, 2000 (Turbulence) was a nice step up, then the 2003 Tiburon came out it was steps above the last until about 2004/2005 Hyundai started to cut back on materials and finish I noticed that right off

5. I sort of agree, but with the talks of a Genesis Brand the Gen Coupe doesn't fit with that scheme unless they do a nissan/infiniti move with it

6. Doesn't need to look like the concept though it is horrible lol

You like getting a rise out of people, don't you?

Enjoy spending $10,000 more for your badge on the hood, Inline6.

I think that Hyundai should come up with their own designs instead of biting everyone else's.

Genesis Coupe=G37
Equus= A mixture of Lexus/Mercedes/Acura

Why would anyone want to have zero defects? They have these huge dealer networks with service departments to support. They would have little to do. Take one for the team, relax a little. Let a few defects through. The Americans are doing it...uh, were doing it.

The Equus looks like the anime representation of a luxury car from the future where they don't want to use real brand placement in the program.

They are smoking som egood stuff with their LS rip off it amazing how they stay in buisness, they stole Honda designs for yeras now they are ripping off the luxury division no matter how you put it it's still an eco car and will not sell at 75K or evn 60K for that matter I have not seen a single Genesis v8 yet so what makes them think they can sell this?