equus Archives | AutoDepot

First Drive: 2014 Hyundai Equus

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, First Drives, Luxury

A Lesson In How To Out-Lexus The LS

2014 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

I think that the new BMW 4 Series is an attractive coupe. The design is a little bit on the wrong side of “fussy” I’ll grant you, and I don’t particularly care for the look of the scalloped, black-bordered vents on the fender sides – functional though they may be. But for the most part, I find the coupe to be pretty pleasing to look at.

You all, by and large, do not care for the 4 Series. (For the sake of constructing my intellectual argument, I’m going to make the ridiculous statistical assumption that the 140 or so comments on our 4 Series First Drive provide a representative opinion of our readership as a whole.) In the first 24 hours after we published our review of the car, you felt moved to comment that it was “ugly,” “REALLY ugly” and “a disappointment” among other, less reprintable statements of ardor.

So clearly we see things a little differently in terms of styling, but what does any of this have to do with the 2014 Hyundai Equus?

Continue reading 2014 Hyundai Equus

2014 Hyundai Equus originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Jul 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “First Drive: 2014 Hyundai Equus”

Long Term: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, May 2011 [w/video]

Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Hyundai, Luxury, Long-Term Garage

2011 Hyundai Equus

Long-Term 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate – Click above for high-res image gallery

The long-term 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate made its way into my driveway a few weeks ago, and since being handed the keys, I’ve added 1,900 miles to the odometer, putting our total distance traveled at just over 5,400 miles since the car’s March arrival at Autoblog Towers.

Like us on Facebook to see all of our long-term vehicle updates

Like both editor-in-chief John Neff and editor/test fleet manager Steven J. Ewing, I’ve been bombarded with compliments and curious questions about the Equus – and that’s before I tell them that they’re looking at a $65,000 Hyundai. It helps that the Equus looks like almost nothing else on the road, with its alien grille, massive proportions and over-the-top headlamps.

So far, I’m really enjoying my time with the Equus, and I’ll have a full rundown of specific pros and cons next month. Over the course of my 1,900-mile stint, I’ve averaged 20 miles per gallon flat – besting the 19.1 mpg that Ewing and Neff saw last month. But while the month of May has been mostly all stars, there was one service hiccup that reared its ugly head…

Continue reading 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, May 2011 [w/video]

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, May 2011 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Long Term: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, May 2011 [w/video]”

Long-Term Logbook: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, April 2011

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, Long-Term Garage

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate – Click above for high-res image gallery

Between myself and Editor-in-Chief John Neff, Autoblog has racked up 3,500 miles on our long-term 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate since its arrival in March. Now that the initial honeymoon phase is over, we’re getting a very good feel for how the Big Korean handles day-to-day tasks.

Like us on Facebook to see all of our long-term vehicle updates

First and foremost, I continue to be impressed with the sheer number of compliments the Equus receives, most of which are from women. This car really turns heads, possibly due to the fact they’re scarce on the road – I have yet to see another one in metro Detroit. I wasn’t too keen on the Hyundai’s design when it first arrived, but am now finding the Equus to be a very regal beast, especially in white. Even the guys at my local car wash, who don’t usually say much about the test cars I bring through, could not hold back their positive praise. Neff even took the Equus on a high-end house hunting trip and found its presence was enough to convince real estate agents he could afford the top-dollar listings.

I’ve had the chance to take the Equus on a couple of longer road trips, and while it’s comfortable and quiet for the most part, these long-distance drives also brought out some complaints with our long-term tester.

Continue reading Long-Term Logbook: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, April 2011…

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate: Long-Term

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

Continue reading Long-Term Logbook: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, April 2011

Long-Term Logbook: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, April 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Long-Term Logbook: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate, April 2011”

2011 Hyundai Equus named IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Hyundai, Luxury

hyundai equus top safety pick

2011 Hyundai Equus IIHS Top Safety Pick – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our long-term Hyundai Equus has already impressed our staff with its copious level of luxury refinement and general largess. Now Hyundai can put another notch in the belt of its luxury sedan after being designated an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick.

The Equus won the award by scoring a “Good” in front, side, rollover and rear crash protection. The Equus also manged to surpass the stringent IIHS requirement for roof strength, as the big sedan was found to have a roof that can support a force equal to 4.87 times its weight. To receive a “Good” score, a roof must be able to support at least four times its weight. The Equus also features electronic stability control; another must-have to receive a Top Safety Pick designation.

Click on the gallery below to see high-resolution pics of a $60,000 luxury sedan getting destroyed in the name of science and safety.

Gallery: Hyundai Equus IIHS Top Safety Pick

Hyundai Equus IIHS Top Safety Pick

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

2011 Hyundai Equus named IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Hyundai Equus named IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’”

Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing

Filed under: Podcasts, Hybrid, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Electric

Autoblog podcast logo

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Here’s Autoblog Podcast #223. The crew this week is Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert and Dan Roth. Topics covered are Ford’s commitment to the 2012 Focus by giving early cars a 30-mile shakedown drives, Japan’s amazing ability to repair roads in days, the Autoblog long-term Hyundai Equus and the sad passing of David E. Davis, Jr. Your feedback in our Q&A module winds it up, and we’ve embedded that in the post below, as well. Thanks for listening, we’ll see you next week!

Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing

Japanese road crew repairs quaked damaged road in six days
Ford giving 2012 Focus 30-mile quality exam prior to sale
Hyundai Equus Ultimate joins the long-term Autoblog Garage
Auto journalism pioneer David E. Davis, Jr., dead at 80

In the Autoblog Garage:

2011 Chevrolet Volt
2011 Kia Sportage
2012 Ford Focus Titanium

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman Chris Paukert

Runtime: 01:17:50

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Autoblog Podcast #223: Ford Focus quality, Japan’s quick road fix, long-term Hyundai Equus, David E. Davis, Jr. passing”

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate joins Autoblog’s Long-Term Garage

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, Luxury, Long-Term Garage

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate long-term

Long-Term 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Equus proves that Hyundai has the Lexus LS 460 in its sights by offering the best value proposition in the luxury flagship segment. We’re eager to see how Hyundai’s new range-topping model stands up to the day-to-day rigors of American life, and so we’ve just added one to the Autoblog Long-Term Garage.

Our Equus is the fully loaded Ultimate model in White Satin Pearl, and though it’s packed with premium equipment, the as-tested price is only $65,400. The Ultimate trim level adds the four-passenger seating configuration, and no other option packages are available.

Things are pretty luxurious for rear seat passengers, as features like power recline and massage functions have been added, as well as a rear entertainment system, refrigerator, power headrests and illuminated vanity mirrors. And yes, our car does have the reclining right rear passenger seat. Check out our car’s full list of equipment on its Monroney.

Before we go on, we must confess that we haven’t been as regular as we had planned with updates on our other two long-term cars – the Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT and Volkswagen Jetta TDI Street Cup. You’ll be hearing about the fate of both in the very near future, and to fix this issue with irregularity, we’re going to do our long-term updates a bit differently with the Equus.

We’ll be publishing the majority of our on-the-go Equus coverage on Autoblog’s official Facebook page. Be sure to Like the page so you can join the conversation. We’ll also be posting instant impressions to our Twitter account, @therealautoblog, so be sure to follow us and look for any tweets with the #ablongterm tag. Finally, we’ll publish a monthly update right here on the site that includes data like fuel economy and maintenance costs.

We’re ready to add thousands of miles to the Equus’ odometer, so let us know what questions you’d like answered in the comments below and see our car from every angle in the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate: Long-Term

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate joins Autoblog’s Long-Term Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate joins Autoblog’s Long-Term Garage”

Video: Hyundai shows off super slick Equus owners manual app for iPad

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Videos, Hyundai, Luxury

2011 Hyundai Equus Apple iPad owners manual

Hyundai Equus and its iPad owner’s manual – Click above to watch video after the jump

We know that the all-new Hyundai Equus features an Apple iPad in place of a traditional owner’s manual but now we’re getting our first opportunity to see it in action. In a new ad that will certainly appeal to tech-savvy luxury car buyers, Hyundai shows off the iPad app that provides any information that an Equus owner might need to know about his or her car.

Rather than just providing written information, Hyundai has taken advantage of the iPad’s capabilties to deliver an app that shows you what it’s talking about, be it the Equus’ available right-rear jet-style reclining seat or its adaptive headlights. Better yet, the app is free to download on iTunes regardless of whether an Equus is sitting in your driveway (so you can see what you’re missing). Hop the jump to check out an ad featuring the iPad owner’s manual in action. Top tip, Fred!

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Equus

[Source: YouTube via Unncessary Umlaut]

Continue reading Video: Hyundai shows off super slick Equus owners manual app for iPad

Video: Hyundai shows off super slick Equus owners manual app for iPad originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Hyundai shows off super slick Equus owners manual app for iPad”

2011 Hyundai Equus starts at $58,000

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Hyundai, Luxury

2011 Hyundai Equus

2011 Hyundai Equus – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai has released pricing information for the all-new 2011 Equus, and the full-size luxury sedan we drove earlier this year, will start at $58,000 in Signature form. Option up for the top-tier Equus Ultimate and the sticker swells to $64,500. So what does the extra $6,500 nets you?

50/50 split rear seats (four-passenger seating) with reclining function
First-Class passenger-side rear seat with leg support and a massage system
Cooled rear seats, a rear-seat entertainment system with an eight-inch monitor
Thermoelectric rear center console refrigerator
Rear-seat power up/down head rests
Rear-seat illuminated vanity mirrors
Forward-view cornering camera
Power trunk lid

All 2011 Hyundai Equus’ features Hyundai’s new “At Your Service” ownership experience, which includes a plethora of service options ranging from valet pick up and drop off to the use of a Hyundai Genesis while the Equus is in for service, not to mention no-cost maintenance for five years or 60,000 miles. Every authorized Hyundai dealership will play host to an Equus Champion; a product expert who is available to answer any questions about the car. New Equus owners also get to enjoy an Apple iPad in place of the traditional owner’s manual.

The 2011 Hyundai Equus will begin arriving at select dealerships this December and you can get all the details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Equus: First Drive

Continue reading 2011 Hyundai Equus starts at $58,000

2011 Hyundai Equus starts at $58,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Hyundai Equus starts at $58,000”

Hyundai teases Rhys Millen Racing’s Equus for SEMA

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Sedan, Performance, Hyundai, Design/Style, Luxury

Rhys Millen Racing Signature Edition Hyundai Equus

Rhys Millen Racing Signature Edition Hyundai Equus – Click above to enlarge

At first blush (and second blush, and third…), it doesn’t quite seem fitting that Hyundai would choose to bling out its range-topping Equus sedan for the rapidly approaching SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Still, here we are with a Rhys Millen Racing Signature Edition Hyundai Equus… for better or for worse. For those keeping track, this is the third consecutive year that the Korean automaker will be featuring a Millen-fettled machine in Vegas.

Says Millen, “The intelligent luxury platform of the new rear-wheel drive Equus is a perfect vehicle for tuners who have graduated from other segments and want to work with the best the automotive industry has to offer.” And who are we to disagree with Rhys? We certainly can’t argue with 415 horsepower – a useful 30-horse improvement over Hyundai’s stock 4.6-liter D-CVVT “Tau” V8, courtesy of a RMR bolt-on cold air intake and stainless exhaust systems.

Naturally, the interior and exterior of the RMR Equus will see plenty of eye-catching updates, not the least of which will be the two-tone carbon fiber and Red Bull Racing blue satin clear paint by BASF set off by HRE 21-inch P40 wheels. Inside, the whole lot of it will be swathed in (what else?) ostrich leather and suede.

Feel free to read through the press release after the break, and be sure to check out the high-res teaser rendering by clicking on the image above.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai teases Rhys Millen Racing’s Equus for SEMA

Hyundai teases Rhys Millen Racing’s Equus for SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Hyundai teases Rhys Millen Racing’s Equus for SEMA”

Video: MT compares the Bentley Mulsanne to… the Hyundai Equus?!

Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Bentley, Hyundai, Luxury

Motor Trend compares the Bentley Mulsanne to the Hyundai Equus

Bentley Mulsane versus… Hyundai Equus? – Click above to watch video after the jump

With the launch of the all-new Equus, Hyundai has taken another step towards the deep end of the luxury car segment. However, Bentley has a touch more experience in this arena and its new Mulsanne is decadence on wheels. The two companies sit on opposite ends of the automotive spectrum, but Motor Trend seems to think they warrant a comparison. We suspect Bentley will not be pleased…

Two of MT’s scribes hop into the back of both the Equus and the Mulsanne for a chat about the two luxury sedans, and one of them is none other than Autoblog alum Jonny Lieberman, decked out in his fancy new buff-book duds (the other is MT stalwart Ed Loh). Both vehicles pack a fair amount of amenities, but the difference between $70,000 and $330,000 (with $42k in options) is patently obvious. Just check out the cupholders. So, grab some pâté and a jar of Grey Poupon and check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Equus: First Drive

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Bentley Mulsanne

Gallery photos by Damon Lavrinc and Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Video: MT compares the Bentley Mulsanne to… the Hyundai Equus?!

Video: MT compares the Bentley Mulsanne to… the Hyundai Equus?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: MT compares the Bentley Mulsanne to… the Hyundai Equus?!”