2012 Hyundai Equus Road Test and Review

by Lyndon Bell

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March 14, 2012

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6 min. Reading Time

Anyone paying attention to the ministrations of today’s automotive scene knows Hyundai is currently enjoying what scholars refer to as a golden period. Over the past few years, everything the company has done has worked. From its offer to buy back cars if customers lost their jobs, to its 10-year/100,000 mile warranty, Hyundai has proven it’s on the side of its customers and will stop at nothing to ensure their satisfaction.

The success of these initiatives has been accompanied by a steady broadening of the company’s product portfolio, giving Hyundai a competitive automobile in nearly every segment of the mainstream automotive marketplace. From its quirky “reverse halo car” Veloster, all the way up into the rarefied ranks of full-size luxury automobiles, the Hyundai brand has expanded to fill nearly every potential category.

Anyone whose familiarity with Hyundai ends with the company’s first North American offering, the Excel, would be absolutely stunned by the brand’s product portfolio today. And probably the most jaw-dropping product of all would be the company’s flagship large luxury sedan, Equus.

Exceptionally well executed, the Hyundai Equus is solidly in possession of that indefinable quality known as presence. The look of the car clearly states its intention. And, while many may decry the big Hyundai’s styling as derivative of various and sundry Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and BMW products, the fact is the Hyundai is nonetheless quite the desirable auto.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Competition

When asked to list the primary competitors for its luxury sedan, the list of usual suspects flows freely; Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Cadillac (the upcoming XTS), Infiniti M, Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S Class, et. al.

In all frankness, the top cars from Cadillac, Infiniti and Lexus have more to fear from the Equus than the pinnacle German cars do. However, the Hyundai might well cut into sales of the German’s mid-level models—Audi A6, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class—as it priced similarly to those cars while offering more space and content.

But when you start talking about Deutschland’s flagships, there are a number of other factors to consider. While the Equus is well equipped, there are some technological features the big Germans flaunt that didn’t make the Hyundai’s spec sheet. Night vision, self-closing doors, all-wheel drive, and 12-cylinder engines—not to mention the very cachet that goes along with owning one of the Lords of the Autobahn—won’t be found at your local Hyundai dealer.

While we’re on the subject of your local Hyundai dealer, the company has taken great care to ensure the Equus buyer (only about 2000 annually BTW) get a first-class experience in that regard. This includes at-home vehicle demos; wherein an ambassador from one of the 200 Hyundai dealerships authorized to handle Equus will bring the car to your home for the product demonstration and test drive. After the sale, valet pickup and delivery for maintenance means you’ll never have to set foot in a dealership if you choose not to do so. This level of service surpasses even Infiniti and Lexus—arguably two of the most accommodating marques extant.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Pricing and Trim Levels

Hyundai is offering Equus in two configurations; Equus Signature and Equus Ultimate.

Equus Signature’s standard offerings begin with the new-for-2012 and highly entertaining 429-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 engine. Entertainment of a more traditional variety is sourced from a 608-watt Lexicon audio system with 17 speakers.

Other amazing tech features of the Equus Signature includes electronically controlled air suspension with continuous damping control, Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with pre-collision warning, Smart Cruise Control, HID headlamps, a front and rear parking assistance system with rearview camera, premium leather seating, a Microfiber suede headliner, driver seat massage, heated and cooled front seats, a heated wood and leather steering wheel, and numerous other premium technologies and features.

Living up to its name, Equus Ultimate adds to all of the above a forward-view parking and cornering camera; a power trunk lid; cooled, reclining rear seats with powered headrests massage and leg support; a refrigerator, and a rear seat entertainment system.

Equus Signature pricing starts at $59,650, including the $900 destination charges. Equus Ultimate starts at $66,650, including the $900 destination charges.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Exterior

The overall look of the Equus, while not exactly groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, is nonetheless quite handsome. Rather than forge its own path in terms of the look of the car, Hyundai adopted styling cues from all the other large cars in the class. So while the Equus does have presence, it doesn’t really stand out.

The face of the car is punctuated by the expected for this class of car distinctive chromed grille treatment characterized primarily by blingy horizontal slats. The jeweled headlamps accentuate the grille quite nicely however. To keep clutter to a minimum, the Hyundai’s LED turn signals are mounted inside the housings of the HID headlamps.

White LED positioning lamps are employed for daytime running illumination. Completing the look of the front end is a set of lower air intakes, intimating the performance capability of the Equus.

At the rear, the confident taillight configuration, along with a robust shoulder treatment implies strength and solidity. Asymmetrical exhaust tips integrated into the lower valance; along with a set of rear LED turn signal indicators complete the treatment.

The side silhouette’s character lines accentuate the fenders and give the car the appearance of flowing along, even when it is stationary. They also make the Equus look a bit more compact than it actually is.

The satin chrome trim around the windows adds a bit of luster, without introducing a crass bling-ish-ness to the Hyundai.

Overall, the lines of the Equus are an interesting expression of Hyundai’s current fluidic sculpture styling philosophy. However, unlike the other new Hyundai models employing the look, on the Equus, it just looks like transplanted cues from other luxury cars.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Interior

By far though, the nicest aspect of the Equus is its interior. The passenger compartment absolutely reeks of quality, as many of the best ideas of its competitive set have been incorporated. Genuine wood and lightly processed leather are the primary players. The Hyundai’s switchgear is nicely sized, well labeled and logically positioned. After only a few minutes behind the wheel, you’ll know exactly where everything is and what it does.

A large video monitor dominates the center stack, and, as is de rigeur in a modern luxury car, secondary functions are accessed and executed via a rotary controller just aft of the shift lever. Easy to navigate, the system quickly becomes second nature. Seat functions are manipulated via buttons on the door, arranged, not coincidentally, in the shape of a seat.

Nicely configured for chauffeur operation, the rear compartment offers the option of a set of heated and cooled bucket seats, as well as control over the entertainment and climate control functions (take our advice, go for it them, they are so choice!). The right rear seat is lifted directly from an intercontinental airliner’s business class—with full reclining functions and a footrest. Beautifully executed cabinetry separates the two rear seats. A refrigerator is also offered as an option.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Powertrain and Fuel Economy

For 2012, the Hyundai Equus got an engine transplant.

Henceforth (until they change it again at least) Equus motive force is supplied via a 429-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine, capable of generating 376 ft.-lbs. of torque. The engine is smooth, emits a mellifluous aural signature and accelerates the car sharply from rest while offering lots of headroom at speed for overtaking. Its fuel economy is quoted at 16 miles per gallon in the city, 24 on the highway and 18 overall.

The also-new-to-the-Equus-for-2012 eight-speed automatic transmission routes power to the rear wheels, shifts crisply, and offers a manual mode—enabling the driver to take complete control of its operation if so desired.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Driving Impressions

Given the Hyundai’s penchant for attacking corners, that manual transmission control capability isn’t as superfluous as you might be led believe by the nature of the Hyundai’s large-ish appearance. Boasting a fast-responding electronically controlled air suspension system with continuous damping control, height adjustability, and a driver selectable sport mode, the suspension system of the Equus delivers outstanding stability at high speeds, almost no body roll when negotiating curves, and still presents the suppleness of ride expected from a car in this category when it is operated under normal circumstances.

The engine is both powerful and responsive.

The brakes are resolute in their ability to scrub off speed and respond readily to modulation—ensuring smooth stops with no untoward jerking of passengers.

Similarly, the Hyundai Equus interior is a highly comfortable place from which to watch the world go by. Ergonomically, the passenger compartment is thoughtfully laid out and the materials employed admirably reflect the category the Equus is designed to function within. Further, all the seats are remarkably comfortable and would very easily sustain their occupants over a full day of long distance travel.

Frankly though, as a luxury car, the Hyundai isn’t quite as quiet or smooth as its primary competition from Lexus, though the Equus does engage the driver a bit more than the LS does. Dynamically, in terms of sheer over the road feel and ability, the Hyundai is bested by all of the Germans as well. However, before all of this leads you to believe the Equus is a noisy, ill-driving car, keep in mind the competitive set we’re discussing here is the ne plus ultra of automobiledom.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Safety

Hyundai’s product planners have equipped Equus with a strong suite of active and passive safety features. Electronic stability control (ESC), nine airbags, electronic active front head restraints, a lane departure warning system, and smart cruise control lead the list of safety kit. Equus is also fitted with a vehicle stability management system, which leverages ESC, the electronic parking brake, smart cruise control, and the seatbelt tensioning system to optimize the safety of the occupants of the Hyundai.

Equus’ total of nine airbags include advanced dual front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact airbags, roof-mounted side curtain airbags for both front and rear outboard seat occupants, and a driver’s knee airbag.

The optional camera located on the front grille and the standard camera on the rear decklid help detect how close objects are to the Equus when parking, both preventing accidents and minor ding-related repair costs. Brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution support the Hyundai’s four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes.

2012 Hyundai Equus: Summary

All in all, the Hyundai Equus is a marvelous car, representing an excellent opportunity for its maker to have the name Hyundai credibly considered among the elite of automotive nameplates. Equus is good looking, comfortable, more than adequately powered, and amazingly well-priced for what it is.

For the money Hyundai’s asking for the Equus, it’s very difficult to find a car of its size and equipment, with road manners to match. The 2012 Hyundai Equus, quite simply stated, is a very pleasant car to drive. For the vast majority of people shopping for a large luxury car, the Hyundai will do absolutely nothing to dissuade them for taking one home for a long and significant relationship.

In a nutshell, if you’re shopping in this category, the Equus definitely deserves a shot.