Hyundai Announces New Assault On The Premium Market, Who Will Be The First Victim?

Hyundai's flagship, badged as the Equus in the Korean market, will be on display and on the roads surrounding the annual gathering of collectible classic luxury automobiles throughout the week, giving attendees a glimpse of the company's most prestigious model.

"We showed the car at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, and the response was fantastic," says John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. "Since then, we've had a fleet travelling around the country, capturing input from our dealers and consumers. Here, too, the response was extraordinarily positive, and similar to the market reaction to the award-winning Genesis, so we've decided to bring it to the U.S."

Hyundai's flagship sedan, developed under the codename "VI," launched this year in Korea. The Equus nameplate used there has adorned the company's flagship model for 10 years, where it enjoys a reputation for quality and luxury in a place where Japanese and European luxury marques such as Lexus, BMW and Mercedes are coveted.

Here in the U.S., the runaway success of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, which has garnered worldwide critical acclaim and remarkable sales success, gave Hyundai reason to consider expanding its brand further into the upper echelon of automotive luxury. But it was dealer and consumer response to a summer-long tour that saw Equus sedans visiting Hyundai showrooms across the country that solidified the decision.

DETAILS OF U.S. PLANS TO COME

Hyundai's new flagship sedan is built on Hyundai's all-new, innovative, premium rear-wheel-drive architecture, shared with the North American Car of the Year Genesis sedan and the performance-focused Genesis Coupe.

The new sedan will be sold in the U.S. beginning in late 2010. Pricing, packaging, specifications, and the final name of the car for the U.S. market will be announced closer to launch.


2009 Frankfurt Auto Show Photo Gallery
 

Joe_Limon - 8/12/2009 12:59:01 PM

+2 Boost

The first victim? hmmm, people who can't afford benzes?

Agent63 - 8/12/2009 1:41:15 PM

+3 Boost

It's not necessarily for those who can't afford a Mercedes Benz. It's for those who seek bang for buck value in cars. I truly believe the Genesis is a bargain for the comfort it offers; it is a great entry into the luxury market for Hyundai. The Equus offers full size luxury at an affordable price compared to its nearest competition. Asian cars like the GS/LS, RL, M45 will have something to think about when this car hits the showrooms. I think Hyundai has done a good job with this and it will be another big hit for the company. However I think they should still branch off into another brand to be taken seriously. Nevertheless, it's not to say the brand can't be transformed into a complete luxury brand. Takes some time and couple generations of proving themselves in this category.

Joe_Limon - 8/12/2009 2:10:52 PM

+3 Boost

People who buy Mercedes don't buy them because it's the best bang for the buck, those people buy Lexus's. And to clarify the victim, it will be the people who believe they are getting a new "S-class" for $65,000.

david999 - 8/12/2009 2:12:52 PM

+4 Boost

Hyundai is so confident of its success that they are bringing in 100 cars for all of North America.

NewBeginning - 8/13/2009 9:52:25 AM

+1 Boost

2011 Equus will be priced $39K-$59K depending on the options.

Genesis costs more than $60K in korea, but it costs $32K here...

NewBeginning - 8/13/2009 9:59:01 AM

-1 Boost

what japs do well, koreans do better.

1990300zxTT - 8/13/2009 1:29:36 PM

-1 Boost

agent 63. i think youre just a arrogant s.o.b whos posing as a modest guy. you a rich bastard that looks down on hyundai just admit it. youre a douche bag who lives in the hollywood hills looking down on all the regular people who drive hyundais and you laugh at them while smokin ur cigar illegally brought in from cuba. you have no respect for hyundai or lexus so dont bother commenting. the m45 is a superior car in its class. its syling is edgy and still up to date and the power is good enough. it will still run laps around a korean equus thats for sure. but the equus could run laps around a crappy e-class no problem and give the s class problems because the level of luxury in a s class is garbage. its like the bottom of the barrel type image. shut up boy before i take you on in the streets. come to comptom son

997TT - 8/13/2009 2:14:34 PM

+1 Boost

You don't have to be so rude. He is a nice guy. I've had the pleasure of meeting the guy in a Pacific Northwest car meet. He was the only guy who had an Audi R8, a few months after it went on sale. The young entrepremneur has a Lexus as well as a Mercedes. He is very young, very well off, and very humble. It is the internet but I am telling you him and everyone else here he is the coolest dude I have met.

End of the day it's not how fast you go from not to 60 it's the enjoyment a car brings and the bond you build at meets between car enthusiasts from all walks of life. This is by far the longest comment I have yet to leave on Auto Spies but I felt like I had to say all this because no one else will.

997TT - 8/13/2009 2:17:28 PM

+1 Boost

Anyways on to the Hyundai Equus. It looks good and luxurious. Nothing negative to say about it yet. It's by far the most luxurious looking car from Hyundai but lets just wait and see what happens.

Agent63 - 8/14/2009 2:44:44 AM

+1 Boost

— 1990300zxTT

It's cool you have a 300ZX but it's now 2009. While it can be a collectors item if still in original form but you've ruined it with tacky modifications you ricer. Get a new car then we'll talk, even a Hyundai is better than your 300ZX.

PerformanceGuy - 8/12/2009 1:08:32 PM

-3 Boost

I don't see there being any "victims" in the luxury market, but it could compete well against the top level Honda, Toyota, Nissan.

B7FAN - 8/13/2009 12:43:02 PM

+1 Boost

THE CAR IS HOT!!!BUT I THINK IF HYUNDAI DOESNT PUT THAT THING UNDER A LUXURY BRAND LABEL(WHICH IS WHAT AMERICANS LOOK FOR) THIS CAR WONT SELL THAT GREAT. i MEAN WE ARE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT 60 MAYBE 70 GRAND FOR A HYUNDAI. THE GENISIS SEDAN OK i THINK THE BUCK SHOULD STOP THERE BUT THE EQUUS IS IN A CLASS BIGGER THAN HYUNDAI.

Caraficionado - 8/12/2009 1:14:54 PM

-3 Boost

Lexus and Infiniti and eventually Benz and BMW

LauderdaleDriver - 8/13/2009 11:09:19 AM

-3 Boost

Agree........I would think Acura would be in particular danger, but that the Asian car makers would be having the biggest challenges.

hyundaifansdotcom - 8/12/2009 1:16:05 PM

0 Boost

Shots fired! :)

pennfootball - 8/12/2009 1:34:47 PM

-4 Boost

It is gunning towards the Lexus LS460 as the main competitor. The Germans already have their following of lemmings that will never change their mind and always think expensive = good! JaWohl!

Anyway the Equus is prettier then the LS460 and has some cool toys in it at a price that will be around 60-65k cheaper than V8 5 series and e-class money.

pennfootball - 8/13/2009 10:08:47 AM

-1 Boost

The car has more masculine design cues then the Lexus...Who buys Japanese Tv's anymore? Samsung destroyed Sony and Panasonic, Hitachi and Mitsubishi in picture quality. So never be snobbish, free your mind!

SP2Hybrid - 8/12/2009 1:36:08 PM

+1 Boost

Just when I was thinking they quit being cloners and were developing an identity of their own ...
That interior is such a Lexus/Cadillac rip-off (with Mercedes-style seat adjustment buttons). It's back to the roots, I guess.

Deutschland - 8/12/2009 1:47:03 PM

+4 Boost

I presume Hyundai will launch a premium brand, why would anybody pay 65k for a Hyundai

pennfootball - 8/13/2009 10:11:34 AM

0 Boost

They said the same thing about the Genisis and sold a bazillion of them! A lot of euro snob customers are tired of getting burned and want value...believe it or not! That's why I went from a BMW 330Ci Convertible to a Subaru WRX and got a faster cheaper better handling car with standard AWD! I don't have pretty leather seats, wood trim or a robot take the top down, but she starts every morning!

EL34 - 8/12/2009 2:18:14 PM

-11 Boost

Anyone that drives this thing is a chucklehead.

:/

_43LE - 8/12/2009 3:45:34 PM

+8 Boost

I guess EL34 will be the first in line then.

Designer1 - 8/12/2009 3:12:01 PM

+8 Boost

Can the garbage 3 every make something as nice as this?

LuxuryFan - 8/12/2009 3:31:58 PM

+3 Boost

I doubt Hyundai's existing dealership network can successfully emulate the overall experience found among the luxury brands. I wouldn't consider this if I were looking at an LS/S/7/A8. That being said, I do see this as a strong contender to the midsize and entry level luxury segments. This would keep me from looking at, say, an Acura RL or Lincoln MKwhatever.

Joe_Limon - 8/12/2009 4:09:17 PM

+1 Boost

The other 15% know nothing about cars and mistook the H for honda ;)

answer - 8/12/2009 4:07:26 PM

+3 Boost

BMW, Lexus, and especially Mercedes have all severely watered down their brand image over the past decade. Too many models, too low points of entry for buyers, etc.

When the established luxury brands and their logos have become commonplace, there is most definately a market for people wanting that something "different".

To think otherwise is foolish.

rxh8me9000 - 8/12/2009 4:07:31 PM

+3 Boost

Im actually impressed.This thing looks good inside out. If the quality is there,why not pay $65,000? Oh because of the badge ;) A lot of you guys contradict yourselves.Why pay so much for a 135?Its the poor mans Bimmer,but it has quality. Why pay $80,000 for a GTR or $70,000 for a Toyota land cruiser. If the quality is there,no reason not to pay. Hyundai will always have a past being known as having built pos cars. Things change.Live with it.

enthusiastx11 - 8/12/2009 4:43:58 PM

-6 Boost

lexus. because their buyers are value shoppers by nature.

monkeyrun - 8/12/2009 5:03:02 PM

+3 Boost

First victim? Mercedes Benz, since Hyunadi stole their designs, now they have to make new ones.

Who benefits the most? Jaguar, because Hyundai stopped stealing from them.

JUGNU - 8/12/2009 5:18:27 PM

+3 Boost

It's looking good in black, but Hyundai should give reasons why people should pick it over proven and popular Lexus LS.

JUGNU

M53R - 8/13/2009 6:17:21 AM

+1 Boost

I think the main point they have to focus on is the price. It's cheaper than the LS by a fair amount.

g2ok - 8/12/2009 6:05:20 PM

+3 Boost

The local Hyundai dealers are advertising their cars for $6-15K with the Cars program. Seems like the dealer network is not ready to move this upscale and still seems sleazy.

It is basically a technology demonstrator stating the capabilities of the company. Somehow I don't think playing all your cards is wise. With Honda botching it's so called luxury division (Acura) there may be room for another lux-brand.

enthusiastx11 - 8/12/2009 6:06:35 PM

-4 Boost

logic dictates that the competitors closest in price will be hurt first also, mercedes buyers are the furthest thing from value shoppers. they want the latest and greatest, not copies, so they tend to be most brand loyal.

sector - 8/12/2009 10:17:39 PM

+4 Boost

"they want the latest and greatest"

Not exactly, more like a three-pointed-star badge to mask their inadequacies.

enthusiastx11 - 8/12/2009 10:47:32 PM

-2 Boost

ABS, stability control, seatbelts, airbags, dynamic cruise control, traction control, diesel engines, etc. etc. etc. oh and the car itself. the list goes on and on and on.

all invented by mercedes benz. they're pioneers of engineering and technology.

enthusiastx11 - 8/12/2009 10:49:18 PM

-3 Boost

people may buy entry level luxury cars to feel good about themselves.

but people don't buy $100k plus cars to cover inadequacies as you say. they buy such cars because they want the best--and they can afford it.

now move along...

Joe_Limon - 8/12/2009 11:50:24 PM

+3 Boost

You have to be very dense to think that Mercedes invented the car or the diesel engine. Cars were around a good hundred years before Mercedes... merc's claim to fame was they were the first mass produced car.

BobW - 8/13/2009 8:19:35 AM

+3 Boost

Joe,
Karl Benz holds the first patent for an automobile given in 1886. Can you name a couple cars in the 100 years prior to that--especially one from 1786?
Henry Ford is credited with making the first mass produced cars 22 years later in 1908 and it was many years after that that M-B became a mass producer.

Joe_Limon - 8/13/2009 8:58:11 AM

-2 Boost

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas-Joseph_Cugnot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Isaac_de_Rivaz

BobW - 8/20/2009 3:58:28 PM

+1 Boost

Touche'. However with regards to the Cugnot steam car, "After running a small number of trials variously described as being between Paris and Vincennes and at Meudon, the project was abandoned and the French Army's experiment with mechanical vehicles came to an end"
And for Rivaz, "Although the engine (internal combustion gas) was first built by Isaac de Rivaz, it was never commercially successful."
Of course there were some vehicles built and even ran before Karl Benz produced his patent wagon, but none were viable and built for consumption. Shortly after Benz recieved his patent both and he and Gottlieb Daimler began production of automobiles for consumers and continue to this day to manufacture cars.

eddiedko - 8/12/2009 6:18:25 PM

-1 Boost

Maybe it's just me but Lexus doesn't have the name.
LS vs Equus? i will take the equus since it's cheaper but as good

XYZZ - 8/14/2009 7:35:48 AM

+3 Boost

lexus doesn't have the name?

you've obviously NOT SEEN marketing studies. lexus has leapfrogged cadillac and lincoln in prestige as a luxury brand. in some areas, mb and bmw too; altho in other areas the reverse applies.

then there is the factor of "brand dilution." until the new HS250h, there were NO FOUR CYLINDER lexuses offered in the u.s. all the german brands have scads of 4 bangers in europe, and will have even more as they push B and A segment cars.

sector - 8/12/2009 10:19:36 PM

+1 Boost

Around 100 dealers in the country already has them on display, the feedback is positive all the way.

MSP6 - 8/13/2009 9:16:55 AM

-1 Boost

Who is visiting Hyndais showrooms other than people interested in Hyundai ? Showroom feedback means nothing, wait for the autoshows feedback instead

EL34 - 8/13/2009 12:24:41 AM

-3 Boost

This car is a generic POS.

I see Buick Enclave lines as well as Mercedes S-Klasse lines.

And that's why it looks like a chucklehead car.

AutoKnowledgeBank - 8/13/2009 1:56:37 AM

+3 Boost

You guys are all opinionated idiots!

EL34 - 8/13/2009 11:02:03 AM

0 Boost

Who cares about this bloated piece of garbage?

PerformanceGuy - 8/13/2009 1:14:00 PM

+3 Boost

The only people who will pay that much for the Hyundai are those who are shopping for a Hyundai. This highly doubt theis car will be cross shopped with BMW, Infiniti, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.

XYZZ - 8/14/2009 7:46:06 AM

+1 Boost

it will likely get as many CONQUEST sales as the vw Phailedton did! lol!

but IF and when Hyundai comes up with a new luxury nameplate, it may catch on.

1990300zxTT - 8/13/2009 1:37:30 PM

+2 Boost

infiniti is the next big thing in asia and mercedes benz will die off slowly. the lexus will slow down. only infiniti cars based on the gtr will run laps around every sedan and coupe just watch. nissan will own asia.

the gtr will crush all hyper cars in the world. bugatti veyron watch out! top speed isn't hard to reach!. with a few tweaks the gtr can reach 60mph in less than 3 as well and it'll still cost under 80k. screw porsche's they are economy cars that the gt-r will eat for breakfast. ferraris will go out of business. lamborghinis will not be raging any more. zondas will die along with mercedes cause of the motor supplying. gtr is king. believe that. my 300zx can do 60mph in less than 4 seconds as it is with supercharger and the twinturbos boosting. i challenge any one with a lame excuse to be called a super car to take me on. i will rush any super car low and high end. put money where your mouth is.