By Mark Elias
Monday, Feb 20th, 2012 @ 11:45 am

We last visited Hyundai’s Equus flagship about a year ago, but here we are again sampling something that’s once again “new and improved.”

Frankly, we thought the last go-around was pretty darn good, but the folks in Seoul are hell-bent on frequent upgrades, which explains why there’s a bigger engine underhood. That’s something that we don’t normally see in the premium segment, but then again Hyundai has found considerable success paving its own path.

Hop in as Leftlane goes to VivaLasVegas and doubles down with Hyundai’s new Equus Ultimate.

That’s a Hyundai?
The 2012 Equus is a four or five passenger luxury sedan that has, over the last year, caused more than a few passersby to ask the question, “That’s a Hyundai?” Borrowing more than a few cues from many of its contemporaries, it offers a satisfying array of creature comforts and some items that you might not expect, including available rear executive seating with massage functions and leg rest, a forward facing camera for cornering and ground level views from the grille, as well as a cooling box to keep drinks chilled while cruising through the desert outside of Las Vegas.

The Equus lineup consists of two well-equipped models. The Equus Signature features all the accoutrements that you would expect from a flagship model, including the 5.0-liter engine, a driver’s seat massage function, heated and cooled front seats, a 608 watt Lexicon audio system with 17 speakers and a full leather interior with wood trim pieces throughout the cabin.

The Equus Ultimate adds to that package with 50/50 rear seating with center console and reclining functions for four-passenger seating. The right rear seat also includes a first class-style seat with leg rests and massage, a rear-console refrigerator, forward view camera and rear seat illuminated vanity mirrors. Further customer coddling efforts designed to lure the well-heeled masses away from luxury nameplates include a planned expansion of specially-tailored showrooms and an available “Your Time, Your Place” in-home vehicle demonstration program and valet service appointments.

Something underhood
The real attraction to this biggest Hyundai is the upgrading of the powertrain. Gone is the 4.6-liter direct injection V8 with six-speed automatic transmission. In its place is the new, larger 5.0-liter Tau V8 direct-injection engine with an equally new eight-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic that helps boost efficiency an additional 6 percent for the 302 cubic inch engine Hyundai estimates 15/23 mpg, or 18 mpg combined). Last seen in the Genesis 5.0 R-Spec sedan, it is a powerful unit that is up to the task of propelling this 4,449 lbs. big bruiser to speed, as we saw during a quick pass through the Valley of Fire state park about 50 miles outside of the city. Going from a cylinder bore of 92 mm on the 4.6-liter to 96 mm on the new mill, its compression ratio increases as well, from 10.4 to 11.5:1. When all is said and done, it ends up producing 429 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 376 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm using premium fuel. It can also use regular with a minor power deficit that few will notice.

The standard air suspension with continuous damping control offered the expectedly coddling ride quality that at times verged on a soft, floaty feeling exacerbated by 40 mph crosswind conditions we encountered on our test drive. Geared mostly to the desires of the home market, it is typical of the segment, as most buyers aren’t looking for the firmness that a European luxury/sport sedan would offer. The same goes for the electro-hydraulic power steering that was a bit soft overall. A Sport button helped to firm the ride up quite a bit, and if this were our permanent vehicle, that is the setting we would maintain. Position of the Sport button is not optimal though, as we didn’t realize it was there until we noticed it during a driver change along our route. It should be located closer to the driver in a place of prominence like the spot that the rear window shade control occupies.

Continuous Damping Control is responsible for the front and rear multi-link suspension’s operation, offering an infinitely adjustable ride via continually monitoring the road and driving dynamics the Equus encounters. A vault-like sense of quiet envelops the Equus. It isolated most external road and wind noise with the exception of isolated wind noise around the A-pillar while encountering stiff crosswinds. On a couple of occasions, crosswinds caused the nose of the Equus to veer over the center line, which caused the lane departure warning to engage. In the process, a chime and beep, accompanied by a cinching of the safety belt alerted us that we stepped over the line.

It’s easy to step over the line in Sin City, but Hyundai seems to be treading delicately with its efforts to move upmarket.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Hyundai continues to offer an alternative to luxury vehicles costing tens of thousands more. Continued improvements should lure customers who dismissed the first year’s offering of the Equus model.

We don’t anticipate ever seeing this ultimate Hyundai on the streets daily, but as the brand settles into having an entry in the high-end luxury segment, we are certain that Equus sightings will continue to increase in frequency.

2013 Hyundai Equus base price, $58,750.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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