Hyundai Equus anybody actually drive one yet?

I love this concept... And I have seen a touring demo model.

But has anybody actually driven one of these new Equus from Hyundai?

First impressions?

Handling..crisp or mushy?

Solid thunks?

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on December 17, 2010 at 2:42pm

Looks cool!!!

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Permalink Reply by Dana on December 20, 2010 at 8:12pm

I have seen this car only in pictures. The dealer still has not gotten one in to look at. But the Genesis looks so "Mercedes" like, I have to guess this will be even more so!

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Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on December 21, 2010 at 4:47pm

The Hyundai rep drove into my dealer (HUB Hyundai) in one today. They should have one on the floor in a couple of days. Donna would look great in one!

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Permalink Reply by Silva T on December 22, 2010 at 7:47am

Please get it off the floor and onto a road. Let us know how it drives.

I have a Lexus now and Hyundai is the brand that is coming on strong as a replacement for my Lexi fetish.

AND I wouldn't be lost in a sea of Lexus'sssssss'

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Permalink Reply by Bobb N on December 23, 2010 at 7:41am

My wife works for the manufacturer and we had an opportunity to take one for a drive a few months ago. In a word...awesome. The attention to detail is top notch, it looks and rides like a luxo sedan should, and the acceleration was downright startling. The company hasn't set a high sales target, but I'm guessing they will be pleasantly surprised by the number of copies leaving the dealerships. They should be arriving in the selected dealerships in the coming days.

Next up....the Veloster sport coupe. It will debut at the Detroit show next month.

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Permalink Reply by Timothy C on December 23, 2010 at 9:55am

Well...that is cool! Any indication if the production vehicle will be substantially different from your test driver?

Great to hear speed was up to par. Big concern that they bring out a look-a-like but leave it underpowered. Will you get another shot at one when it is properly "released"?

OH...Lexus or BMW like in handling?

Thunks on doors and stuff? Good?

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Permalink Reply by Bobb N on December 23, 2010 at 11:27am

Actually Timothy, this was a US production version we drove. It was at the central region HQ for the technicians to get hands on training. The front end treatment is quite different than the home market version depicted in the video you posted, and the hood ornament is flush rather than the large "flying" one found on the home market model. We didn't really give it much of a workout as we only had it for a short while to go to lunch and back. Pulling out on the highway, my wife goosed it to see what would happen and the response was immediate and, as I said before, startling. I have not driven the LS or 7-Series Bimmer, so I can't give you that comparrison. I can say that, in my opinion, it is as fine a vehicle as any of those offered by the 3 luxury brands this car targets as far as content and fit and finish. De-badged, I think one would have a difficult time guessing who the manufacturer was. They should be hitting the showrooms soon so you can treat yourself to a little test drive. In the meantime, you can see it on the Hyundai website here. http://hyundaiusa.com/vehicles/2011/equus/

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Permalink Reply by Dana on December 23, 2010 at 12:24pm

Uh.....Good news on losing that big hood ornament!

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Permalink Reply by Bobb N on December 26, 2010 at 9:55am

The big hood ornaments are common on the luxury cars in the South Korean market but lucky for us, the company listens to their American leadership team who obviously understand that this treatment is way too gaudy for this market....unless of course you're a Bentley or RR.

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Permalink Reply by TJ on December 29, 2010 at 9:08pm

Bobb - agreed on this. I think they need to just come out with a new brand name that screams quality and gets away from the stereotype Asian market.

I have a 7 Series BMW but have driven the Genesis and think its a stellar ride.

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Permalink Reply by Bobb N on December 30, 2010 at 6:31am

TJ - the company did consider setting up a separate luxury brand prior to the Genesis launch but decided against it...at least for the near term, instead, concentrating on building a solid reputation off the existing brand through quality improvement and inspired automotive design. If you are a follower of this brand, the last five years alone have been pretty remarkable. We're hoping they can lose the stereotype by continuing to get it right.