Grand Debut for new Equus

Hyundai Motor unveils new luxury sedan with exquisite design to appeal for those who seek prestige

Hyundai Motor Co. held a huge ceremony to unveil its brand new Equus luxury sedan model March 11 at the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Hyatt in downtown Seoul with over 1,000 people present led by Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, other government leaders, and business executives.
The car maker said the brand new Equus is the most luxurious car in its line up of automobiles, in fact its flagship model that will compete with top sedan models in the world such as Mercedes Benz, BMW and Toyota's Lexus.
Company officials said the Equus is very refined, with progressive design using high-tech to make the sedan model exclusive and outstanding. They said it took some 3 years to develop the model under the code name of "VI" at the cost of 500 billion won.
Chairman Chung Mong-koo in his speech at the debut ceremony, said the new Equus represents the most luxury sedan made with the top-level auto-making technologies including those for quality control accumulated by Hyundai over many years of its operation. He went on to say that the Genesis has been getting very good reactions since its Car of the Year in North America this year and Hyundai plans to market the new Equus at home, but also overseas to compete with famous brand-name cars and elevate the new sedan a notch as a global brand car in the world car market.
The new Equus will inherit the brand assets of the existing Equus model to show that it is the car model that goes well with every successful man and the company plans to further expand the reputation built by the old Equus to make the car the flagship brand of Korea in the future.
The word equus means a victorious general in Latin or a heavenly horse and in English it means Excellent Quality, Unique, Universal, Supreme automotive, the company officials said.
They said the new Equus comes with the emblem symbolizing a heavenly horse to realize such an image for the sedan model as the top most class sedan in Korea.
The Equus debuted in the ceremony showed its exterior a style that can make the public feel a progressive charisma and a comfortable interior space with top class material put together using high-tech to look luxurious.
The new Equus is a rear-wheel driven with a super-large passenger platform, a short over-hang and a long-wheel base to create an ideal interior space.
The new Equus is also equipped with 4.6 litre V8 tau(t) engine and one of the most powerful 3.8 liter, lamda engine so it can move with top speed. The new Equus installed with tau engine 4.6 liter model can generate the maximum power of 366 ps, the maximum torque of 44.8kg.m, and can run 8.8 km with a liter of gasoline.
The model with 3.8 liter lamda engine can generate 290 ps with the maximum torque of 36.5km.m and can run 9.3 km for liter of gasoline.
Both models are rear-wheel driven with six-speed transmission and doesn't need to change transmission oil because of its low viscosity and semi-permanent nature.
Among other outstanding features of the new sedan are the Pre-Safe Seat Belt, which can detect pending risky conditions and issue warnings, the Lane Departure Warning, which issues warnings that the car is in a wrong lane and the Parking Guide System.
The automaker plans to market the new Equus to well-to-do class of people who want to dominate public respect, especially, those in their 50s enjoying their high social statuses such as CEOs, business executives, self-employed persons and professionals through highly segregated marketing programs and services aimed at them.
Hyundai will provide a special service package called, "Equus Prestige Program" which includes free exchange of parts for 5 years and warranty for 120,000 km, the longest in the country, seven engine oil changes in the first five years under the Car Care Service. The package also includes free emergency care for 5 years, the Time Care service to provide maintenance service to leased cars and free invitations to various cultural and arts events for customers and free subscriptions for the Equus magazine that includes reports on luxurious lifestyle. The car maker will also provide the Equus platinum card to members with privilege for free valet parking services at top-class hotels in Korea and 10 percent discount in air fares, among other privileges. nw

The new Equus model at its March 11 debut ceremony held at Hyatt Hotel in downtown Seoul with Prime Minister Han Seung-soo among the dignitaries at the event.