Hyundai may decide to offer the ultra-luxury Equus in the U.S. if it
gets a good reaction from the not-for-sale cars it plans to display at
100 U.S. dealerships.
Although Hyundai is best known in the United States for inexpensive economy cars with long warranties, it has also won strong critical acclaim -- including a Car of the Year award -- and decent sales results with its $35,000 Genesis sedan.
But the Korean automaker doesn't want to stop there.
Hyundai has been selling an even larger and more expensive luxury sedan, the Equus, in its home market and in the Middle East for the last decade and recently gave the car a full redesign that it thinks puts it on par with the best Mercedeses and Lexuses.
The automaker hasn't committed to selling the new Equus in the U.S., but it brought the car to the New York Auto Show last month and now plans to display the car in its U.S. dealers to gauge American interest in an ultra-luxury Hyundai.
A hundred U.S. dealers are set to receive an Equus to display, but the Korean-spec automobiles would not be able to be driven or sold in this country.
The new Equus starts at the equivalent of $45,000 in Korea with a 3.8-liter V6 and $71,000 with a 4.6-liter V8. Competing full-size luxury cars do not offer V6s in the U.S. market; any U.S.-spec Equus would likely follow suit. The base prices of such cars range from $64,000 for a Lexus LS460 to nearly $90,000 for a Mercedes-Benz S550.
But although Hyundai has met its sales expectations for the Genesis -- which is priced as an "entry-luxury" sedan -- some critics suggest the automaker is risking repeating Volkswagen's failed attempt to sell a luxury car with its Phaeton sedan. But with Hyundai already successfully selling the Equus in Korea -- the Phaeton was a flop in Germany as well as in the U.S. -- it could be worth the investment to try and sell a few in the U.S. as well.
Check out today's slideshow for more photos of the ultra-luxury Hyundai.
Comments
It's more like: Hyundai POORUS. Your recent article on the down sloping sales in this country should give them idea of American interest. I have to say, too that Hyundai still kinda means K-mart to me. This new EQUUS is sort of a gold-light special with a blue-light brand.
Though I believe it's quite commendable that Hyundai has reached this level of automotive manufacturing in a relatively short period of time from the perspective of automobile history, I am not sure that the American buying public is quite ready to put them in the same category as Infinity, Lexus and BMW.
Well that's what's wrong with the American people and automotive industry. You see what that got all of us. Think about it, first Honda, then Toyota and now Hyundai. Hyundai out sold, out performed, is less in cost and have offered us American consumers the best warranty ever. Say what you want, but that a gold-light special any day. Driving good, still money in my pocket, totally excellent warranty - Don't hate - PARTICIPATE (you will be buying one soon yourself - mark my words). And to
Some dust and the car will appear just like a larger Sonata. On the other hand MB stays a legend. Now in the Middle East, the 1990 S Class are very popular.
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