AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS

On The Cover Review: 2012 Hyundai Equus

If you lament the passing of the Lincoln Town Car, a suitable replacement has come from a most unexpected place. Meet the Hyundai Equus, a big, V8, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive luxo-barge brought to you by the makers of the disposable Excel. Of course, in this case Hyundai is betting that people have completely forgotten their bargain-basement, chintzy image. Hyundai’s new flagship is meant to benchmark cars like the Lexus LS-460 and the Mercedes S-Class. The Equus comes in two flavors, the Signature for $58,000, and the Ultimate for $64,500. They are both equipped with a 385-hp, 4.6-liter V8, and no other options. This car is totally loaded-up from the get-go, no need to check anything in the order guide. The Equus is sort of a larger, fancier version of the Genesis, which was already a surprisingly fancy Hyundai in its own right. Can Hyundai overcome their reputation to be a serious Mercedes competitor with the new Equus? Well, it is a pretty nice car. But those Excels were pretty bad, too. Time will tell how the well-to-do react to this highfalutin Hyundai.