2014 Hyundai Equus gallops into New York with first major refresh

Hyundai isn't horsing around with the Equus, its premium luxury sedan offering, for the 2014 model year. As stated in the automaker's press release, "Equus is the number-one shopped premium luxury sedan, well ahead of Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS, and Jaguar XJ."

We're not entirely certain what "number-one shopped" means, but regardless, that's some serious company to be rubbing elbows with. Hyundai is seeking to draw even more people into its showrooms to cross-shop the Equus with those German, Japanese and British rivals by issuing the car's first major update since it was debuted at the New York Auto Show in 2009.

Not a stone was left unturned in this comprehensive refresh, with the exterior, interior, powertrain and chassis all receiving updates for the new year. Most noticeably on the outside, the 2014 Equus gets a new fascia that includes a restyled grille, along with standard LED fog lamps. Inside, the changes are more drastic and include a brand-new instrument cluster and center stack to go along with "ultra-premium genuine wood trim."

Drivers are sure to note the expanded technology inside, which includes either a 7- or 12.3-inch LCD screen in the instrument cluster and a 9.2-inch display in the center of the dash. Rear-seat passengers are treated to redesigned center console controls, plus power lumbar support and dual 9.2-inch monitors.

Hyundai claims to have improved both ride comfort and handling by rejiggering the suspension bits, and a Sport mode has been added. Nineteen-inch alloy wheels are standard. The 5.0-liter direct-injected Tau V8 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission carry over from 2012, but with 429 naturally aspirated horsepower on tap, we don't consider that a bad thing.

Courtesy of Autoblog