Hyundai's first genuine foray into the luxury car market with the Genesis has been considerably successful, with more than 6000 units sold throughout this year. The Genesis has also been coveted with a plethora of accolades including the prestigious title as the 2009 North American Car of the Year. Testing the waters for a premium branch alike Toyota's Lexus and Nissan's Infiniti, Hyundai has already confirmed the arrival of its luxury brand in the near future. To gauge public reaction, Hyundai has announced that it will bring 100 examples of the automaker's Korean-exclusive Equus flagship sedan to America. These will not be on sale, but will be on display throughout dealerships across the country.
According to Oles Gadacz, a Seoul-based spokesman for Hyundai, the automaker believes the introduction of the Equus, "would decisively shift public opinion in our favor," even more than the Genesis sedan and its coupe counterpart. If the public is generally in favor of the Equus, it will likely be the first model in Hyundai's planned luxury brand. The Equus rivals against luxury stalwarts such as the Lexus LS460 and BMW 7-Series. Its expected price in the U.S. will, however, be considerably lower.
[Source: USA Today]
