  Although
Equus is the largest and most luxurious sedan offered by Hyundai, its
presence
is bounded in home market. Therefore competitiveness is really in
doubt.
The chassis is actually shared with Mitsubishi’s Proudia and Dignity as
the two firms co-developed it. The standard Equus has a wheelbase of
2830
mm, not much longer than the export XG, but a long wheelbase version
with
3080 mm is offered for those tycoons ask for limousine level of
comfort.
The limousine also possess a total length exceeding 5.3 meters, that’s
longer than the new Cadillac Deville and just shorter than Lincoln Town
Car. Like those American dinosaurs, the Hyundai is conservatively
styled
and trimmed to please its target buyers - successful businessmen
approaching
their 60s.
Power trains also
link closely
with Mitsubishi. Entry-level 3-litre V6 is from Mitsubishi Diamante and
has been using in Hyundai XG. Next up is Mitsubishi’s 3.5-litre V6,
good
for 220 hp and 231 lbft. Top of the range is also from Mitsubishi -
4.5-litre
GDI V8 capable of pumping out 260 hp and a lot of torque. All drive
through
5-speed semi-automatic (Mitsubishi’s Invecs-II). |
| The above report was last updated on 25 Feb 2000. All Rights Reserved. |