Hyundai Releases Info on Flagship Equus Sedan

Hyundai on Monday released details of its coming Equus flagship sedan, including that the premium model will, like the Ford Flex, have a rear-seat refrigerator.

While the beefy 385-horsepower V-8 is standard in both trim levels, along with a 6-speed ZF automatic transmission (not an 8-speed, as was rumored), Hyundai will offer two flavors of Equus, the Signature and the Ultimate. The difference is a half-dozen features you may or may not find necessary, including that fridge, cooled rear seats, cameras on the front corners and an eight-inch LCD screen and entertainment system in the back.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty to occupy your attention in the base model, including a leather interior, a heated wood-trimmed steering wheel, cooled front seats with a massaging driver’s seat, Smart Cruise Control, a 17-speaker, 608-watt Lexicon stereo and 19-inch chrome alloy wheels.

The flagship Equus, which will start in the mid-$50,000 range, will bump up against many upscale, more expensive competitors, including the BMW 7 series, Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But Hyundai’s more-bang-for-the-buck strategy, now ascending to the luxury sector, is to build in a bounty of extras and position the Equus as a “value” proposition. That’s not a unique strategy for Hyundai.

Expect to see the car in the fall.