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Hyundai’s biggest model sold in North America is the Azera. However, in its home market of South Korea, Hyundai makes an even larger luxury car known as the Equus. In fact, not only does Hyundai make the Equus in a sedan version (with three different engine choices), they also make a stretched-wheelbase limousine version as well, complete with a rear center console for pampered backseat passengers.
Over the past couple of years, various spy shots have emerged of the Equus being tested (with camouflaged body panels) at Hyundai’s California City proving grounds, in the Mojave Desert. Most recently, the car was spotted (again, disguised) motoring around Detroit, lending speculation that the car will indeed be coming to North America, perhaps this fall as a 2008 model. This morning, one of our staff spotted a cream-colored Equus, sans any disguised body cladding, entering the 405 Freeway in Irvine, headed north. At first glance, our staffer—not identifying it immediately as a Hyundai—thought, “Hmm, that’s an interesting luxury-sized vehicle; looks sort of like a Rolls Royce from the back.” Upon closer inspection, the Equus badging became visible, and our staffer knew it was Hyundai’s home-market luxobarge. Visually, it looks like they’ve not changed anything from the Korean market’s Equus, as a quick look at the Korean site revealed. In fact, this may simply be a Korean-market Equus brought over for the bigwigs at the U.S. offices of Hyundai to drive; the car exited at Euclid Ave. in Fountain Valley, right where Hyundai’s offices are visible from the freeway. Our take? The fact that they’re letting undisguised versions of the Equus on the road could portend North American sales next year (though one wonders if a name change might be advisable, since some people who are not Latin students may not be familiar with the name, or else may associate it with the controversial play of the same name). But if this does show up at an auto show this year, don’t be too surprised.
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