25 W ednesday , Septem ber 8, 2010 O A KVILLE BEA V ER w w w .o akvillebeaver .co m Hyundai moves up to the luxury segment with the 2011 Equus Story and photos by Jim Robinson Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine Hyundai has literally stepped up to the big time with the 2011 Equus luxury sedan. At 5.1 metres long, the Equus was designed and built to take on Audi A8, Lexus LS 460 and Mercedes-Benz S550. Boasting available rear seats with massage function and a centre console that features a beverage cooler, the Equus also comes with just about every driver aid and creature com- fort feature you can name. More importantly, it marks a big step up into unchartered territory for the Korean carmaker. While Hyundai sells oodles of small and mid-size trucks and cars, their bigger offer- ings have faced challenges. The full-size Sedona minivan never sold well and the seven-seat Veracruz CUV is a rare sight on Canadian roads. So what Hyundai is going to do different- ly this time around is make it personal. Not only will they send specialist salespeo- ple to the homes or offices of potential buy- ers but they will also drop off a car so a cus- tomer can take it for a spin on his/her own. Only 27 dealers across the country in Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto (and the surrounding area), Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver will be getting the car. The Equus will be sold in Canada in two distinct trim models differing primarily in the back seat with the five-passenger Equus Signature being the base model and the four-passenger Equus Ultimate being a grade up. The Equus Signature comes extremely well equipped with features such as 19-inch chrome alloy wheels, air suspension system, lane departure warning system, adaptive cruise control, real wood interior, premium leather seating, Alcantara suede headliner and a Lexicon 7.1 discrete surround sound audio system. The Equus Ultimate adds a front wide- view camera, power trunk lid, ventilated rear seats, rear seat vanity mirrors, eight-inch rear monitor, power rear headrests, cooled storage box and a VIP rear seat with power lumbar, leg support and shiatsu massage function. I was able to get my hands on a Korean- spec version of the car two weeks before its public unveiling. Price was still being negoti- ated when I drove it but I was told it would start at around $70,000. If this is the case; it is at least a third less than the cost of its main competitors. But is the world ready for a Hyundai pre- mium luxury car? Ten years ago, Hyundai faced what I called the difference between perception and reali- ty. With the Sonata and Elantra sedans and Santa Fe/Tucson CUVs just starting to make their presence felt, I remember Hyundai president Steve Kelleher saying, if I can get them in the seat, I can sell them the car, such was his belief that quality was as good or better than the competition and less expensive. Well, get them in the seats he did to the point where Hyundai is now as respected as Honda, Toyota and Mazda in their respective segments. Now Hyundai faces an even bigger per- spective/reality hill to climb in the luxury segment. Equus, along with the Genesis Sedan and Coupe, is the third Hyundai with rear-wheel- drive. It is longer than Genesis (5,158 mm vs. 4,975 mm) most of that being in the back seat area. The chassis has 52/48 front-to-rear weight distribution with liberal use of high- tensile steel in critical areas for the kind of stiffness a big car like this needs. Power is provided by Hyundais Tau 4.6- litre DOHC V8 engine that can run on premi- um or regular fuel. On recommended premi- um it produces 385 hp and 333 lb/ft of torque. On regular there is 378 hp and 324 lb/ft of torque. The engine is coupled to a ZF six-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic manual control with a 0-100 km/h accelera- tion time of 6.4 seconds. On premium fuel, Hyundai claims its V8 produces more horsepower than the power- plants found in the Lexus LS460, Mercedes- Benz S550 and Audi A8. At over 2,000 kg, the Equus has a lot of weight to push around and does so surpris- ingly well. And heres where the perception/reality thing comes in. Continued on page 27 Hyundai Equus 2011 At A Glance:BODY STYLE:Full-size luxury sedan.DRIVE METHOD:front-engine, rear- wheel-drive.ENGINE:4.6-litre DOHC, Continuously Variable Valve Timing V8. Premium fuel (385 hp and 333 lb/ft); Regular (378 hp and 324 lb/ft).FUEL ECONOMY:PRICE: Est. $70- 72,000.WEBSITE:www.hyundaicanada.com Hyundais new flagship model, the 2011 Equus, sees the Korean automaker entering the full-size lux- ury sedan segment for the first time. 345 Speers Rd. (at Dorval), Oakville 905-842-9299 Valid at all GTA locations. Expiry: September 30, 2010 Code: 5669 / Cineplex Entertainment LP or used under license. with oil change FREE CINEPLEX MOVIE TICKET