The Auto Writer

Hyundai Equus

Hyundai has proven to skeptical western automotive critics that the Korean car company can build a world class luxury car. Selected as the 2009 North American Car of the Year, the Hyundai Genesis is an excellent example of a large sedan that blends luxury, design, quality and value.

In Korea, the Genesis isn’t the largest car built by Hyundai, or at least it wasn’t until production of the limo like Equus was stopped in November 2008. That model was introduced in 1999 and served the Korean market for a decade before being discontinued in favor of the Genesis.

Now, Hyundai says that a new ultra-size sedan will be returning and has released a sketch of a car dubbed Project VI. Whether the new model keeps the Equus name or not, it will feature the Tau 4.6L DOHC V-8, a gasoline engine recently recognized by Ward’s AutoWorld as one of the ten best engines in the world. That engine can now be found in the Genesis and looks to be the sole motor for Hyundai’s largest model.

According to Hyundai, the new model features a “pre-safe” seatbelt system designed to reduce the risk of injury by tightening the seatbelt and starting safe-net actions when the car is about to hit another one. It will also feature “integrated chassis control,” which combines information and entertainment functions as well as a built-in alarm when the car veers from its lane.

The price tag for the Equus will be approximately $96,000 which is more than twice the amount of a fully optioned Genesis. I’m not sure if that price is for the limo version (the previous model was available as either a sedan or stretch limousine), but it is well within the range of BMW’s 7-Series.

Word has it that the Equus will be a Korean only product, but given that its predecessor was sold in the Middle East as the Centennial, chances are that Hyundai will eventually export its top of the line model, perhaps even to the good ‘ole USA.

Source: Hyundai Motors