VIN code: KMHGK41EBAU018950
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borrowed name : Equus
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year: 2010 model year
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Year and month of first registration: 2010-02
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fuel used: gasoline
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gear type: automatic
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Displacement: 3,778cc
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distance driven: 250,000 km
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Current type of vehicle ownership: individual
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storage area: Buk-gu, Daegu
Pros
- Generous list of standard features
- expansive rear legroom
- comfortable seats
- extremely quiet cabin.
Cons
- Suspension tuning lacks sophistication
- disappointing stopping distances
- no option for all-wheel drive or additional engine choices.
What’s new
- The 2016 Hyundai Equus Ultimate gets a hands-free trunk that can be opened by standing next to the trunk. Otherwise, the Equus is unchanged.
Vehicle overview
- When Hyundai first announced it would bring its Equus luxury sedan to the United States, many wondered if an automaker long associated with economical sedans and sport-utility vehicles could build a car worthy of being uttered in the same breath as titans such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series. When it came stateside, the answer was a resounding yes. At the time, we wrote: “The Equus is solidly engineered, remarkably quiet and indulgently comfortable, and that’s on top of its exceptional feature content and relatively affordable price.”
- The story is much the same five years later. The sheet metal is dignified and unpretentious. Creamy leather, wood trim and soft-touch plastics blanket the cabin, while the headliner and body pillars are trimmed in quality synthetic suede. There are standard features galore, of course, including a great-sounding 17-speaker Lexicon sound system, a navigation system, heated and ventilated front seats and a power rear shade. Go for the Ultimate trim level and Hyundai adds some nice bonus features like surround-view parking cameras and a rear-seat entertainment system.
- With just a cursory inspection, the Equus does seem to hit the right notes. In reality, though, Hyundai’s halo car stumbles a bit in execution. Although they look and feel nice, the Equus’ cabin materials are simply outmatched against the exquisite quilted leathers and woods with natural finish that are available on Europe’s flagship sedans. Braking, steering and handling are not up to those benchmark standards. And unlike those competitors, the Equus cannot be ordered with an all-wheel-drive powertrain, a different engine other than its 5.0-liter V8 or some of the latest cutting-edge technology offerings.
