Hyundai Details 2011 Equus Standard Equipment

As the Hyundai Equus will be positioned to compete with luxury sedans from Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, it will be loaded to the brim with luxury features when it goes on sale in the U.S. sometime next year. (The Equus is already on sale in South Korea.)

There will be two trim levels, Equus Signature and Equus Ultimate. The former has plenty of standard equipment, while those being chauffeured will want to splurge for the Ultimate. Both models feature Hyundai’s 4.6-liter Tau V-8, a six-speed automatic transmission, electric power steering, air suspension, and 19-inch wheels.

Standard gadgets on both trims include adaptive HID headlights; parking sensors with a backup camera; keyless ignition; powered, cooled, and heated front seats; a 608-watt, 17-speaker sound system with iPod and XM satellite radio connectivity; and a navigation system with an eight-inch display.

Real birch or walnut wood trim is available inside, with leather seats, an Alcantara headliner, and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The driver’s seat packs a massaging feature, and rear passengers can enjoy the privacy of powered shades for the side windows and backlight. As for safety tech, there are nine airbags, plus a lane-departure warning system, adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and seatbelt pretensioners that cinch passengers in place during “critical driving situations.”

The Equus Ultimate adds a power trunklid and a forward-facing camera to help drivers see around tight corners. The big news is in back, however, where pampered executives can be chauffeured in the utmost of comfort. There are just two rear seats, which are heated and cooled and can recline, separated by a console with integrated refrigerator. Rear passengers can watch DVDs, control the audio system, or adjust the climate control on an eight-inch LCD screen. And the right-hand-side rear seat has “first class” options: an extendable leg rest, built-in massage feature, and a button to move the front passenger seat forward for full leg extension.

Hyundai says the entry price will be around $50K, which would undercut what the company sees as its key competitors, providing an impressive collection of standard equipment. It sounds like the ultimate low-cost livery car, and we won’t be surprised to see them lining the streets in Manhattan, idling among the Town Cars and S-classes.