The Genesis G90 Is the New Hyundai Equus

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by George Kennedy  

                               

                                        

In 2008 Hyundai put the luxury car market on notice when it debuted the Genesis sedan, and then upped the ante with the second generation of the car, as well as a second luxury saloon, the Equus. Last month, Hyundai announced that Genesis would be spun off to its own brand, and we now have a look at the newest addition to the spinoff.

 

The G90 is now the newest vehicle in the Hyundai standalone lineup. It replaces the Equus and is dubbed the EQ900 in Korea. The G90 rides on a stretched Genesis sedan platform, and the Genesis itself will be renamed to G80 for the 2016 model year.

As you can see from the images, the G90 ditches the Equus front clip and takes on the look of the Genesis. Under that hood is a new 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, which makes 365 horsepower and 376 pound feet of torque, sent through an 8-speed automatic transmission. 0-62 mph (100 kmh) can be done in a claimed 6.2 seconds.

 

The base G90 will come with a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 (currently found in the base Genesis), which puts out 307 hp and 292 lb-ft. Also, like the current Genesis, the range-topping G90 will feature a 5.0-liter V8 making 420 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, and will get from 0-62 mph in just 5.7 seconds. Rear-wheel drive is the standard offering on all of the Genesis variants, while H-TRAC all-wheel drive is available on various models, as is Genesis Adaptive Control Suspension.

Like the current Equus and Genesis, expect the G90 to be available with all manner of upscale features, such as high-tech infotainment system, as well as the “Highway Driving Assistance” feature, which combines forward collision avoidance with lane departure avoidance systems to create a car that Hyundai says is “nearly autonomous” in certain driving scenarios.

 Unfortunately that system is only available on the Korean model for now. There are also the full complement of optional safety tech like autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, surround view monitor and others.

No word on pricing yet, but with the standard Genesis costing between $38,000 and $55,000 and the Equus fetching $61,000 to $70,000, so expect the G90 to run in the $60K range. The EQ900 will be available in the Korean market in early-to-mid 2016, while the U.S.-spec model will arrive later next year as a potential 2017 model.