A $60,000 Hyundai?

Actually, they released a luxury sedan two years ago that most people probably don’t even realize.  The Hyundai Genesis, once named North American Car of the Year, was launched in 2009 to compete with the BMW 5-series, the Mercedes E-class, and the Lexus GS.  For 2011, they have added another luxury vehicle to compete with the BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-class, and Lexus LS models.  Instead of launching this luxury line under a different name, such as Toyota does with Lexus and Nissan does with Infiniti, they have decided to stick with the Hyundai name. Imagine Lifestyles took notice of this new luxury car and wrote to blogs about it over the past 2 years: Hyundai: Sneaky branding creaps into Luxury Car Market and Hyundai Makes Attempt at Luxury Car

The Hyundai Equus, their latest luxury sedan, is priced at $58,000 for the standard model and $64,500 for the Ultimate model.  Priced $30,000 cheaper than the S550, the Ultimate model is not that bad of a deal.  Featuring a 4.6-liter, V-8, the ultimate model has numerous add-ons and perks that even the Mercedes and BMW equivalents do not. Instead of thumbing through the owner’s manual, pull out Ipad that has the manual installed onto it for starters.  Add in a 17 speaker sound system, heated and cooled front and rear seats, a rear-seat refrigerator, and captain’s chair style seating in the back for ultimate luxury.  A center console splits the rear seats, which is perfect for chauffeuring clients to the next important business meeting. 

Hyundai does not scream luxury, which will be the companies’ biggest hurdle in selling this car here in the United States.  However, the vehicle is deserving of praise and is definitely a luxury sedan.  Although we will probably not be adding a Hyundai to our fleet of luxury and exotic rental cars anytime soon, Imagine Lifestyles will keep an eye out to see where Hyundai heads in the future with their product offerings.  The car is definitely a success, and at $60,000, you should have plenty left for gas.  Just make sure to use premium, it will give you an extra 8 horsepower as you navigate through Chicago. Will this new luxury Hyundai be popular on the streets of Chicago?  Will you see a Hyundai in a fleet of Chicago luxury car rentals?  Who knows where this brand may end up but this is a great start. 

 

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals