In order for the inexpensive Equus car to gain popularity, the manufacturer took care of maximum comfort. At first glance, the company's tactics are quite winning. In the North and East, the car is known as the Hyundai Centennial. From Latin it is translated as “horse”. In the lineup of Hyundai Equus sedans - the most dimensional and expensive car.
An interesting fact is that after the release of this car, a limousine was created on its basis. External and functional data have some differences: for example, a 5-liter engine, a bar and massage devices in chairs.
First generation
Equus was introduced in 1999. At that time, Hyundai and Mitsubishi collaborated, so they were developing the car together. It was announced that the main competitors of the new “miracle” of the South Korean manufacturer will be the Mercedes and BMW models. In fact, it turned out that the rivalry occurred with SsangYong.
At first, the sedan was sold only in the domestic market, without going to the world level. After the appearance of the limousine, the companies ceased to get along, and the car received two names - Mitsubishi Dignity and Hyundai Equus. These vehicles were introduced in the Japanese and Korean markets, respectively. The unit price was 92 million won.
In 2003, the Hyundai Motor Company updated the model, and Mitsubishi completely stopped its release.
Second generation
The second generation was the updated Equus car. The wheelbase has an elongated shape, the engines are made of different materials, the drive is rear. However, the Korean company did not begin to change its working name, as the population already associated Equus with a high-quality and inexpensive model.
In 2009, the car goes on sale in the People's Republic of China, and a year later this car appears at the international auto show in America. 2013 can be characterized by the beginning of the official assembly in Kaliningrad.
Specifications
Equus - a car whose price is about 3 million rubles, is equipped with an engine of 370 horsepower, is characterized by good handling even on slippery roads and, of course, has amazing technical data. There is a transmission in automatic mode. When creating a car, the emphasis was more on passenger comfort. Driving a car is a pleasure, and this is proved by the reviews of the owners. People often focus on the fact that the trunk is gigantic (this is, rather, a plus), it opens both outside and inside.
The manufacturer took care of the introduction of air suspension. It will help to slightly raise Equus and overcome hard-to-reach spots. The sports mode is very convenient, this can also be understood based on most reviews. A mass of 2 tons allows the car to be very stable. Although it costs 3 million Russian rubles, its price justifies itself. Orientation of the Korean masterpiece is made both on the passenger (unofficially), and on the road itself.
Salon
This is not to say that the Equus car is highly developed in terms of design. It may seem as if the manufacturers did not care much about this and combined the elements of their models that had already been released.
The interior of the car is not bad, but it seems that such a performance has already been encountered several years ago. That is, the trim includes cheap plastic, inexpensive leather and wood, which does not differ in beauty. But all the shortcomings easily overlap handling and convenience of the car.
Equipment
The engine is represented by the V-8 model, its volume is slightly more than 4 liters. In order for the driver to spend less fuel, but gain more and more speed, the manufacturer took care to equip the Equus with a completely aluminum structure. Every 100 km the car consumes 11 liters. The transmission has 6 steps. A few years ago, such an engine became the best among all the others. The suspension is also aluminum, so the handling of the machine is top notch.
Security
The Koreans made one of the safest Hyundai Equus cars . To make the driver less distracted from the road, special mirrors were chosen to warn of the so-called blind spot. The program, which is installed in the car itself, transmits information to the windshield in order to maximize the distance with another road participant.
Nine airbags, head restraints, viewing the distance to road markings, stability control - all this is included in the Equus model. The penultimate nuance allows the driver to control the location of the car so that it does not go to another line of traffic or does not go to the side of the road. Bumpers and an emergency braking program will also help passengers stay safe even if their belts are not fastened.
During the warranty period (it lasts 5 years), you can get maintenance for free. During the first 3 years, the owner of Equus receives a special remote sensor that can track the location of the car (if it was stolen), as well as view the rear mirror through a specific program on the smartphone.
Car Equus VS 380
The body has a classic shape. The car itself is a representative type. Appearance - solid, graceful and stylish. Two years ago, the car gave in to restyling, which subsequently came out to the public with a redesigned bumper and grille, as well as with a different shape of headlights.
The salon is as comfortable as possible, convenient, has an impressive appearance. Some hull panels are made of aluminum and wood. In Russia, the car Equus VS 380 (the price in the country reaches 2-3 million rubles) is sold in two versions. They differ in appearance and engine power. Both work on a system that increases speed and at the same time reduces the amount of fuel consumed.
As for safety, the car has 9 airbags. Shock absorbers are also not cheap: they facilitate entry into a turn, allow you to ride with confidence with confidence on steep roads and low-quality roads.
Car Equus VS 460
This machine is designed for the driver and other passengers. Most of all, the car “pays attention” to the person who sits behind him on the right. This place is intended for the guard. It is interesting that the car does not react in any way in this chair even to an unfastened belt.
The model is flawless in appearance. Glasses are darkened. Equus profile resembles a sports car, while the back and front of the car looks very solid. At first glance it’s quite difficult to understand what brand this machine is and whose production. This explains the classic appearance: the forms are strict, there are no superfluous details. The number of colors is not happy - the car is presented in white and black. People who write reviews about Equus often call this model a “tuxedo”.
One significant drawback of the South Korean sedan, according to buyers, was that the mirrors are made in a very strange way. The driver constantly has to look around - whether he is driving along the necessary line and not cutting someone. The left mirror shows an enlarged image - you can see the bumper of the SUV and the wagon, as if they were driving right up to the side, although, in fact, they are quite far away. The right mirror is ordinary, as in all other cars.
Competitors
One of the main competitors was the Mersedes-Benz Class S model. The Germans were able to present the first sedan of the line in the 1950s. The series also includes convertibles and coupes. At the moment, the 6th generation of the flagship line of the S class, which was released in 2013, is already presented to the world. In just a year, the company achieved hundreds of thousands of sales and deliveries to official branches. The volume of production over the past 40 years is estimated in millions of units. At the moment, this figure reaches 3 million. Cars are being assembled in France, Germany, Russia and Mexico. The company, or rather the Mercedes-Benz line, has received more than 9 different awards throughout its existence. Among them are such honorary ones as “Novelty of the Year”, “Best Limousine”, “The Safest Car” and others.
Another direct competitor is the BMW 7 Series. The line was introduced back in 1977. It took the company more than 5 years to produce a novelty in the automotive market. I did not have to think about the design for a long time, it was borrowed from the E24 sports coupe. The sedan turned out to be very intelligent, solid and attractive. Roomy trunk, thanks to him the back seems huge. The car has large dimensions: 486 x 180 x 143 cm. Its weight is 2050 kg. Although for such dimensions, engine power is too small. When updating the car, an injection system was added, but the maximum speed and acceleration did not change.