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.