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2014 Equus Review: Are You Ready For A $70,000 Hyundai?
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1. Hyundai Introduces Its $70,000 Equus

It’s hard to believe that a company responsible for such terrible cars as the Scoupe and Excel in the late 80s is now one of Detroit's toughest competitors. Hyundai managed to massively change the perception of its brand over the last decade. Little by little, vehicles were improved, the line-up expanded, and confidence was bolstered through comprehensive warranty coverage.

After enjoying success in the subcompact, compact, mid-size, and full-size segments, Hyundai set its sights on the luxury market and introduced the Genesis sedan in 2008. That platform also spawned the Genesis Coupe, the company’s first rear-wheel drive sports car, which we spent a week in for 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track: Telematics And Infotainment.

But Hyundai didn’t want to stop there, adding the Equus to its portfolio in 2011 and giving the Genesis sedan an even more luxurious brother. Actually, that's not entirely true. The second-generation Equus surfaced first in South Korea back in '09; it didn't hit U.S. shores until two years later. Hyundai updated the Equus for its 2012 model year with an eight-speed automatic transmission and gasoline-direct injection-capable engines.

The 2014 Equus features exterior styling changes, an improved interior, and newer technology-oriented features. As soon as we saw it, we knew we wanted to jump in. After all, the idea of a luxury-oriented Hyundai seemed so foreign. Could it really contend with more expensive competition? Lucky for us, Hyundai's press car made a short stop in the Seattle area, giving us enough time for a week with the company's top-end offering.

You'll find the Equus in two trim levels: Signature and Ultimate. The Equus Signature starts with an MSRP of $61,000, while the Ultimate sells for an extra $7000. Upgrading to Ultimate, which reflects the car we're talking about today, adds a 360-degree backup camera, a 12.3-inch LCD gauge cluster, a heads-up display, power door closure, a power trunk lid, power rear-window sunshades, cooled rear seats, a rear-seat entertainment system, and haptic steering wheel controls. Priced almost three times as high as Hyundai’s more pedestrian Sonata, the Equus promises value in the luxury segment.

That word luxury conjures up certain imagery. Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW are the three brands you probably associate most closely with the concept. However, when you want a car with lavish functionality from one of those German contenders, it's easy to sail right past six-figure price tags. On the other hand, Hyundai's Equus sets its sights on Lexus' still-snazzy but not as stylish LS460, which starts north of $72,000.

Can Hyundai continue transcending its reputation as a purveyor of low-cost vehicles and storm the rarefied luxury space so brutally contested by the Germans and Japanese? Our week with the 2014 Equus should answer that question, at least from a technology enthusiast's point of view.

2. When Styling And Technology Clash

The 2014 Equus is a classy-looking sedan. It's fairly simple, but still exudes professionalism like its more entrenched competition. The luxury segment is less about stand-out aesthetics and more dependent on the subtle elegance that demonstrates maturity. You want to show that you've made it in life, while not being obnoxious. To that end, Hyundai incorporates a lot of chrome to give the Equus flash, but contrasts the highlights with black detail work. I really dig the turbine-style wheels, too. They evoke sportiness without sacrificing the car's luxury target, in my opinion. 

Blacked-out headlights make the front of the Equus more aggressive than it'd otherwise be. The car's attitude lightens up as you make your way to the back, finishing in a clean rear fascia, dual exhausts, and LED-based tail lights. The trunk lid's badge is the only Hyundai branding; the Equus has its own badge up front, on the wheels, and on the steering wheel. 

To folks who just don't know any better, the Equus can certainly pass for a Lexus...right up until it drives past and the Hyundai badge comes into view, of course.

From afar, the Equus' exterior looks sharp. It’s when you get up close and start examining the details that workmanship falls short of the Germans. The Hyundai Multi-view Camera System's front sensor is perhaps most offensive. Audi stealthily conceals the front camera on its cars. Meanwhile, Hyundai slaps it right on the center of the grille. The camera doesn't even sit flush. It protrudes straight out. Even Nissan does a better job hiding the optics on its Versa Note, and that's a sub-$20,000 vehicle. There's absolutely no excuse for the sloppy execution of such a prominent feature. 

At least the side and rear cameras are better-concealed. There's one built into each side-view mirror, and another hidden beneath the trunk lid's chrome beauty bar.

3. Getting Acquainted With The Equus' Interior

The Equus' interior is well-executed, featuring plenty of soft materials and comfortable leather. The seats are heated and cooled for optimal comfort in any season. Hyundai takes a page from the Mercedes-Benz layout book with the placement of its seat controls. While most cars have adjustments attached to the seats themselves, the Equus joins Mercedes in placing them on each door panel, in front of the handle.

Personally, after many years of driving vehicles with seat-mounted controls, relocating them to the door is disorienting. In my mind, you reach down to tweak the seat. Surely this is just something to get used to. But controls on the seats also look neater and stay out of the away (a desirable quality from something you don't need to manipulate often). Nevertheless, Hyundai arms its Equus with a 12-way adjustable driver's seat and two memory positions.

Sitting in that captain's chair, you can set your elbow on the armrest and reach for the infotainment system's control knob. Here, Hyundai takes a page from the Germans, and we'll discuss this functionality shortly. But their placement relative to each other is awful. The armrest is too long, and getting to the knob requires bending your wrist, which isn't comfortable. Kudos to Hyundai for setting its target so high. Please work on the ergonomics, though.

The steering wheel is both leather-wrapped and wood-trimmed, with tilt and telescope adjustments. Because it's powered, the wheel's position settings are also committed to memory when you save a preset. There's even a heating element built-in to warm your hands as you start your commute on chilly winter mornings. Only the leather parts of the steering wheel heat up, and that's fine by me since I like to hold onto the nine and three o'clock positions.

Another interior detail I'd like to point out is the center stack's analog clock. It's simple, non-pretentious, and generally looks pretty good. Apparently, though, Hyundai thought that since it already integrated a clock, there wasn't any need for digital timekeeping on the infotainment display or gauge cluster. It thought wrong, though. Sure, I'm a fan of analog watches. But I'm not a fan of trying to read them while driving. There's plenty of space leftover for a digital clock to glance over at quickly. To add insult to injury, less expensive Hyundai vehicles employing similar infotainment software (but no analog clock) do give you a digital readout.

4. A Sweet Head-Up Display And Gauge Cluster

Once the driver's seat is adjusted to your liking, put a foot on the brake and hit the push-button start to light up the Equus' dashboard and gauge cluster. Stepping up to the Ultimate trim level does away with analog gauges. In their place, you find a 12.3-inch extra-wide LCD display. Of course, Hyundai isn’t the only company completely replacing yesterday's technology with a digital screen. Jaguar, Land Rover, and Cadillac all utilize LCD-based gauge clusters as well.

The panel's native resolution is 1280x480, which certainly sounds low in this business. However, as you no doubt already know, the components you find in a car often trail what we carry around in our pockets by years. Besides, from where you sit, the display doesn't look bad.

Hyundai mimics traditional analog gauges with its digital output, enhancing the functionality by including music information, navigation directions, driver assist features, vehicle settings, and standard trip counters. Accent colors on the display smartly change to let you know whether the Equus is in Sport, Normal, or Snow mode.

2014 Hyundai Equus: LCD Gauge Cluster

In practice, Hyundai's gauge cluster offers the same capabilities as Kia's analog gauges that sandwich an LCD in the Sorento and Cadenza. I find myself perplexed, then. Why bother going all-LCD if you're going to turn around and replicate the analog technology you replaced anyway? Hyundai does get credit for doing a good job; its needles move smoothly. But they're too two-dimensional. There is no depth. You can dim the LCD at night, but you'll still see the backlight, even with black content on-screen.

The cluster's display is fairly responsive, though it isn't quite the same as analog needles. Step on the gas, and the responding exhaust note just doesn't seem to sync up with the tachometer. A mere satisfactory list of features doesn't make the case for an LCD-based panel any stronger. This $70,000 flagship can do a lot of the same things as Kia's Cadenza, except that car's hybrid cluster is nicer to look at.

I'll spell out my expectations here, for every car manufacturer to see. When a company goes all-LCD, I expect different themes and layouts for changing driving preferences. Don't use digital technology to replicate analog gauges. If that's your plan, stick with the old school cluster and throw an LCD display in between. In the end, Hyundai's implementation looks like a check-list feature to make the Equus comparable to Mercedes' S-class. It's just executed poorly, leaving you with a mediocre interface.

The LCD gauge cluster's saving grace is a fantastic head-up display, which conveys speed, provides navigation directions, flashes blind spot notifications, lane departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control feedback. Unlike the HUDs available in some GM vehicles, you don't get any music information or a tachometer reading. However, at some point, we have to appreciate a projection that reflects the necessities. The way the Equus is configured, it successfully limits the amount of time you'll spend glancing down at the dash and infotainment screen.

5. Standard Equipment: A Load Of Driver Aids

Hyundai equips its Equus with a number of standard driver assistance features, including a blind spot monitor, a lane departure warning system, and adaptive cruise control.

The company's blind spot detection (BSD) capability relies on ultrasonic sensors to detect cars hidden from view. When you drive past another vehicle, a BSD indicator in the side mirror lights up once. The same notification shows up in the heads-up display, too. Otherwise, BSD works just as we've described it many times before, and the additional notification in the HUD ensures that you won't inadvertently miss an update. 

Hyundai tasks the sensors used for BSD with its rear cross-traffic alert system, too. Imagine backing out of a parking space in a busy lot with a big SUV on either side of you. The only way to get out is start inching back slowly, hoping whoever might be coming is paying attention. This feature helps by giving you a heads-up if another car (or pedestrian) is approaching, typically before you'd be able to see it from the front seat. Because the Equus already has a 360-degree camera, its cross-traffic alert capability isn't as useful as it might be on a less technologically advanced vehicle. But every little bit of safety-enhancing functionality helps, so we're not going to knock it.

A lane departure warning system (LDWS) comes standard on the Equus as well. It relies on a camera mounted above the rear-view mirror to determine when you're drifting out of your lane. The system is only active at speeds above 43 MPH, and I like that it's not too sensitive. When it does goes off, the feature isn't overly annoying. You get a flashing notification in the gauge cluster, another indicator on the HUD, a chime, and haptic feedback through the seat belt to capture your attention in case you're dozing off. During our week with the Equus, we only managed to intentionally trigger the LDWS once. It's not something that should come in useful often. But we've driven drowsy enough times to know that it can save lives.

A sensor in the lower grille drives the adaptive cruise control (ACC) with stop-and-go functionality. Hyundai calls this Smart Cruise Control. I cannot emphasize enough how much I love adaptive systems able to completely stop the car for you. They make gridlock so much more tolerable. You do have to hit resume if the car stops for more than a couple of seconds, but that's still better than trying to modulate acceleration and braking yourself.

I did notice an issue with Hyundai's adaptive cruise, which also manifests itself on Kias as well. The system locks onto the car in front of you, adjusting speed accordingly. If that car changes lanes, adaptive cruise takes a few seconds to realize it. When you're stuck in traffic anyway, that's not really a big deal. But if the car in front of you slows way down to turn, say, the system will nearly stop the car. I noticed the effect most on a 45 MPH highway in the city with suicide lanes. It's a great way to get yourself honked at. 

Although it comes equipped with the basic hardware, Hyundai doesn't equip the Equus with a forward collision warning system. That technology typically leverages the lane departure warning system's camera. However, it requires additional processing to monitor for impending impacts. Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi offer this functionality on most of their models, and if Hyundai wants to throw down with the big boys, it should have the technology as well.

On the bright side, Hyundai's driver assistance features come standard on the Equus. They're not option packages you pay more for. Conversely, Lexus and the German trio will happily add them onto your tab.

360-Degree Backup Camera

As we've mentioned, Hyundai employs a 360-degree backup camera that stitches together a top-down view of the car using four cameras placed around the Equus. We had our first experience with a 360-degree view in 2013 Infiniti JX35: Getting Us One Step Closer To A Driverless Car, and we loved it. The Equus' system employs decent-quality sensors, so the output is fairly high-quality. Hyundai shows the front or rear view by default, and lets you select the display you want beside it. The options are: front, left-rear quarter, right-rear quarter, and, our favorite, a top view of the car.

2014 Hyundai Equus: Backup Camera

This is a feature that every luxury vehicle should include. Fortunately for Hyundai, the Lexus LS460 only comes with a backup camera as standard equipment. Kudos to Hyundai for taking a big step beyond its primary competition.

6. The Infotainment System

The Equus is armed with an infotainment system that forgoes touchscreen input, instead employing a control knob mounted in the center console. A 9.2-inch LCD screen displays a tweaked version of Hyundai’s infotainment software, which is Windows CE-based. The interface looks familiar (it resembles the version we saw in the 2013 Santa Fe Sport), but Hyundai clearly added a few tweaks to better-address its target market.

That big 9.2-inch screens sports a resolution of 800x480, which we'd consider pretty much standard for 16:9 aspect ratios in the automotive world. Unfortunately, while our smartphones and tablets feature FHD and QHD panels, infotainment systems seems stuck in the early 2000s. Even still, Hyundai gives us nothing to complain about; pixel density and graphics quality are both ample from the driver's seat. Glare was never an issue during our week driving around in the Equus, either.

To be honest, I was initially excited about the infotainment system's control knob. I prefer physical input over touchscreens, after all. But as I mentioned on the third page, the knob isn't placed well. It was too far back on the center console, forcing me to bend my wrist rather than turning the knob in a more relaxed position.  

However, my biggest issue with the Equus' infotainment system is its text input function. Audi, BMW, and Mercedes all facilitate text input by mapping the alphabet in a circular fashion, corresponding to the knob. Hyundai sticks with a QWERTY layout though, which is incidentally how we can tell that the system was designed primarily with touchscreen input in mind. QWERTY is great for tapping letters when you're using the interface like a keyboard. But the same cannot be said for navigating with a control knob. It's not a pleasant experience.

Hyundai wouldn't tell us what hardware platform it's using to drive the infotainment system, but the controls are responsive. We didn't perceive any lag or stuttering during our time with the Equus. Its system does have a 64 GB SSD installed, though. Hyundai reserves half of the capacity for map and system data, but gives you access to the remaining space for music storage.

2014 Hyundai Equus: Music Features

Don't expect many bells or whistles when it comes to musical extras. The Equus supports AM/FM HD Radio, SiriusXM, USB flash drives, auxiliary input, and old fashioned optical discs. What you see on-screen reminds us Hyundai's Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport, except for the radio component. Exclusive to the Equus is a more classic-looking skin that resembles an old radio. It even has the red needle overlaying the tuning frequencies. We've never seen this in a Hyundai, but it is a pretty blatant rip-off of Mercedes-Benz. Not that we blame the company; the system is more intuitive and easier to use. 

Getting your own songs to play back is as simple as browsing individual tracks or music folders, and if you have corresponding album art, that's displayed whenever a song is on. We didn't run into any compatible trouble with our Patriot Autobahn 16 GB flash drive. Of course, there's always that SSD too, right? You can copy up to 30 GB of content to the drive through USB.

2014 Hyundai Equus: Navigation

The Equus' navigation software looks like what we've seen in other Hyundai and Kia cars. Maps look alright, though they're flat compared to the 3D maps with elevation data available elsewhere. Nevertheless, you get a ton of destination search options, along with integrated traffic data. Fancy this platform is not, and it doesn't stand up to more refined solutions like Audi's MMI. But you'll find it easy to use and free of glaring faults.

Phone connectivity is fairly standard. I hooked in with our reference Samsung Galaxy Nexus running Cyanogenmod 10 and my personal HTC One running Cyanogenmod 11. Functionality includes hands-free calling, phonebook transfers, and a record of call history. There weren't any call quality issues to speak of from either test phone, either.

Not surprisingly, the Equus supports Hyundai Blue Link telematics functionality, which facilitates access to the Equus though an integrated 3G cellular modem. We covered Hyundai Blue Link extensively in 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track: Telematics And Infotainment; the features remain the same.

Overall, I find the Equus' infotainment system easy to use. There are some shortcomings compared to other luxury-oriented vehicles. For instance, a lack of support for Internet radio apps like Pandora is disappointing. Incidentally, Lexus' LS460, which Hyundai is targeting, does give you Pandora, along with other apps. But the Equus' features work well enough for a satisfactory experience.

7. Rear-Seat Comfort

Slide into the Equus' rear seats and you'll find what appears to be a standard three-person bench. Even though it's a luxury vehicle, this flagship will sit three back seat passengers comfortably. The two outboard positions are adjustable, and recline, so that you can kick back in comfort.

Additionally, the rear passenger-side seat has access to a Relax mode that pushes the front chair forward for maximum legroom. To make sitting back there sweeter, the rear seats are heated, ventilated, and armed with lumbar adjustments. Heck, the Equus' rear seats have more available adjustments than the driver's chair in a lot of inexpensive compact cars.

The car we drove around came with a rear entertainment system made evident by two 9.2-inch LCD displays and a matching set of controls hidden in a fold-down rear armrest. Unlike Audi's A8L, which features a second dedicated control unit for use independent of the front seats, passengers in the Equus must tap into the same system as the driver. Navigation, music, and some climate controls are all accessible. Rear passengers can also set a navigation destination, though the driver is able to lock them out just as easily. 

Unfortunately, there aren't any USB charging ports in the back. Hyundai does provide two 12 V cigarette lighter outlets in the center console. But a pair of high-amperage USB connectors would have been far more ideal.

The actual entertainment component of Hyundai's so-called rear entertainment system is actually pretty weak. You only get a DVD player as the primary source. That's not even the disappointing part, though. More unfortunate is the lack of separate playback sources for front and rear passengers. If the folks in the backseat want to watch a DVD, the driver can choose to listen along or shut down the system completely. And there is no support for wireless or wired headphones. Rather, sound is piped in through the Equus' cabin speakers. Without question, this collection of technology lacks the polish we'd expect from a luxury car.

It's hard to avoid, though. The rear entertainment system comes standard on the Equus Ultimate. And despite its lackluster implementation, you'll still pay about $3000 less for this ride as-configured than Lexus' base LS460. Just keep in mind that Hyundai retains is value message, even in the face of strong competition.

Powered side and rear sunshades round out the backseat's spin on comfort. The door-mounted shades are controlled by a switch next to the window control, putting everything in arm's reach. A button on the back of the center console takes the rear sunshade up or down, and there's another switch up front giving the driver similar control. Putting the Equus into reverse automatically retracts the sunshade, too.

The Equus' back seat is, overall, a comfortable place to be. It’s not going to blow your mind with lavish extras like a German luxury car, but keep price in perspective; Hyundai still delivers a high-end experience.

8. A Smooth V8 And Eight-Speed Transmission

Driving the Equus' rear wheels is Hyundai’s own 5.0 L Tau V8 engine, featuring dual continuously variable valve timing (D-CVVT) and gasoline direct injection (GDI). The motor makes a respectable 429 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. Compared to Lexus' LS460, which we know Hyundai is gunning for, the Equus' Tau offers 43 more horsepower.

A lot of manufacturers are using the fantastic ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic transmission. But Hyundai mates its V8 engine to an in-house-developed eight-speed transmission, which we first encountered on the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, tested last year. Back then, we found it to be clumsy as it hunted for gears. But I was happy to see those issues rectified in Hyundai's 2014 Equus. Shifts are much smoother, yielding a more refined experience.

The powertrain combination yields an EPA-estimated 15 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway, which is actually pretty low considering what some of Hyundai's competitors achieve in the luxury sedan space. My lead-footed driving yielded fuel economy in the mid-teens, unsurprisingly.

Hyundai employs an air suspension system with active damping to keep the Equus’ 4616 pounds planted. It constantly monitors vehicle behavior and adjusts the damping forces accordingly. The car has a Sport mode that firms up the suspension for supposedly-better handling, but the Equus isn’t exactly a sporty land barge to begin with. More important is that the air suspension keeps Hyundai's flagship at the same ride height and pitch, no matter how bad the road conditions get.

Between the heavy chassis, big engine, and comfortable suspension, driving around in the Equus is smooth. Step on the gas and Hyundai's V8 demonstrates its torque, but in luxury car fashion. That is to say, there is no neck-snapping acceleration. You are propelled forward with authority, though. And you have to be careful because that's how you get yourself into trouble on the highway. The car feels like it's doing 60, while you're really at 85 or 90.

Pressing the drive mode button puts the Equus in Sport mode, firming up its suspension and changing the LCD gauge cluster lighting accepts from blue to red. Just don't expect a dramatic change in behavior. The Equus doesn't inspire the same level of confidence as Audi's A8L. It is more on par with the LS460, I'd say. In fact, it's more exciting to drive than the Lexus, which works out well for this car's target demographic.

9. 2014 Hyundai Equus Benchmark Results

So much of what we do at Tom's Hardware centers on benchmark results. As such, we've developed a test suite that covers some of the tasks and processes that are important to a driver using his car's technology package. The tasks we measure include: boot-up time, time to connect to a paired phone, the time it takes to start music playback after booting the infotainment system, and lastly, how long it takes to actually add a phone to the system. We chose these measurements because they affect everyday use.

We perform the tests by recording video of each action and reviewing the footage in an editor to establish the exact point the system was turned on, and when the tasks are completed. The result is accurate; these aren't stop watch-timed tests. Our results from previous car reviews are included as well. With the Audi A8L, we manually restarted the system using the key combination to force a cold boot, ensuring it wasn't fast-booting as we approach the car.

The Equus' navigation system is a little slower than the system in Hyundai's 2013 Genesis Coupe, landing the big car toward the bottom of our chart. Why the five-second difference? No doubt it has to do with the Genesis Coupe leveraging a QNX-based system, while the Equus employs Windows CE.

With that said, Hyundai's flagship is still slower than Audi's MMI touch platform and Infiniti's HDD Navigation system. But there's more to this story than the benchmark indicates.

Hyundai prioritizes music playback on start-up, taking second place out of the vehicles we’ve reviewed so far. It’s even a little bit faster than the 2013 Genesis Coupe and more than five times faster than the MMI touch system. 

It takes about 25 seconds to pair a phone when the Equus starts up. That's not the fastest time we've recorded, but Hyundai's platform does land in the top five, demolishing Audi MMI touch (albeit from a cold boot). If you want to make a call as soon as you get in the car, the Equus should have you chatting away without much wait.

The Equus' navigation software is on par with the 2013 Genesis Coupe's, which is to say it's fast. Scoring the top two positions, Hyundai clearly does an excellent job in this discipline.

Although it has four inputs to stitch together, the Equus' backup camera demonstrates almost no delay. By the time you start the car and put it into reverse, the camera is available.

10. A Solid Value For A Simple Luxury Sedan

Hyundai puts together a compelling luxury offering for a specific audience with lots of money to spend, yet able to look past brand image. I'll be the first to admit that this isn't easy. It'd be hard to spend nearly $70,000 and not be a little judgmental of nice cars in the same price range. Perhaps the best thing that Hyundai did, though, was cramming features that other companies charge for into two trim levels. An S-class starts in the $90,000 range. A 7-series starts around $74,000. The A8 starts just over $75,000. But it's super easy to push all of those well over $100,000. But the Equus can be had with adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, a 360-degree view camera, navigation, a V8 engine, and more for under $70,000. That makes it one of the best values you'll find in this space, simply comparing cost to the features you get.

The bundled driver aids are smartly integrated and come in quite handy. I really dig heads-up displays, and the Equus' yields lots of useful information, minimizing the amount of time I spent looking down at the gauge cluster. It's nice to have a tachometer in the HUD, but this isn't a performance-oriented car, so we'll defer to the benefit of minimalism. By only including the information you need, it becomes easier to use the HUD. Blind spot and lane departure notifications definitely qualify as important, so we're glad they're part of the projected display, too.

Hyundai's adaptive cruise control is a standard feature on both Equus trims, and once you get used to having it, you won't want to go back. Lexus and the Germans continue nickel-and-diming their customers by selling this as a separate option, typically in very pricy packages with other driver aids that come standard on the Equus.

I'm still not fond of LCD-based clusters. Simply replacing analog gauges with digital representations seems so counterproductive. Either design gauges that are even more readable, or stick to the responsive needles apparently so difficult to mimic well. There’s a lot that can be done with an LCD gauge cluster in terms of visual customization. But Hyundai uses the screen as a static display, which strikes me as uninspired. 

On the other hand, the Equus' infotainment system is nice and quick. It could definitely use Web connectivity though, and app support for Internet radio would be nice as well. Compared to the Japanese and German competition, Hyundai still comes up short in the feature department. A QWERTY keyboard layout and control knob don't go well together at all. The analog radio skin is a little cheesy as well. But I was most annoyed by the lack of a digital clock anywhere in the infotainment display or gauge cluster. The analog timepiece is classy, sure. It just seems ludicrous to pull the digital readout altogether, particularly when Hyundai's less expensive cars have this feature. At least make it an option in the infotainment system's settings.

As a passenger in the Equus, you feel like you're on a comfy sofa, which naturally isn't bad in the luxury segment. The inclusion of a Sport mode feels more like a friendly gesture than a meaningful feature able to make the car more fun to drive. With that said, though, Hyundai's 5.0-L V8 and in-house eight-speed automatic transmission work together to deliver plenty of power, smoothly. 

Ultimately, the Equus tackles a market more worried about prestige than value, making it tough to get emotionally involved with. This isn't helped by a handful of glaring style, interface, and finishing faux pas that we can't imagine the Germans making. But this car company, known best for its affordable mid-sized and compact cars, has changed our minds once before. It's not a stretch to imagine refinements further enhancing the Equus' position relative to heavier hitters in the ~$70,000 space.

That price tag is what's sure to give high-end buyers a moment of pause. You really do get a lot of vehicle for less than seventy large. Hyundai backs this beast with a five-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and ten-year, 100,000 powertrain guarantee to sweeten the deal. Knowing how much it costs to service a fancy tech-laden automobile, we appreciate the peace of mind. If you're able to get past the Hyundai badge as you write a sizable check, the Equus is a hidden gem in the luxury market. It doesn't come with any groundbreaking technology for enthusiasts to lust over. Rather, it's a fairly simple (by today’s standards) throwback to the early days of Lexus, when the LS400 was considered great bang for your buck versus the Germans.