Yesterday, Hyundai unveiled the 2011 Sonata Hybrid and 2011 Sonata 2.0T. Today, they brought us the 2011 Equus luxury sedan which makes us take Hyundai a little more seriously than we have before. It will compete with models such as the Lexus LS 460 and the Mercedes-Benz S550 and will go on sale with a starting price in the mid $50,000 range.
The 2011 Equus shares the same architecture as the Genesis sedan, but it’s 7.2 inches longer. It is powered by a 4.6-liter V8 engine that delivers 385 HP and 333 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control.
The exterior design is defined by a subtle horizontal radiator grille, well-proportioned headlamps, LED turn signals, bolder lower air intakes, bold taillights, strong shoulders, fully-integrated asymmetrical exhaust tips an,d rear LED turn signal indicators. In the interior, Equus adds leather upholstery, Alcantara headliner, natural wood trim, and a leather-wrapped French-stitched instrument panel.
Updated 10/20/2010: Hyundai today announced prices for the new Equus luxury sedan that will go on sale this December. The lavishly contented Equus Signature will be priced at $58,000 and the top-of-the-line Equus Ultimate at $64,500.
Press release after the jump.
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Our motto at this website is ‘no boring cars’. Whether that’s sports cars, Italian exotics, or super luxurious sedans, we love them all. For this review though, we decided to change things up a bit. We wanted to find out what you can and can’t do in a truck during a week test and, living up to our motto, we went all out and got one of the biggest heavy duty trucks on the market, the 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Mega Cab.
The Ram 2500 might not be everyone’s choice for a daily driver and to be honest, it wasn’t ours either, but we put all that aside and used this four-door, four-wheel drive turbo diesel behemoth every day of the week, during which time we never came close to the truck’s full capabilities.
Although it couldn’t fit in our garage, or in a normal parking space, we did our best. Hit the jump to see how the week went and our new review style.
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When Abarth unveiled the 695 Tributo Ferrari Edition earlier this month, it came with a price tag of 35,500 euro (that’s around $45,000 at the current rates). We thought that was a crazy price for an Abarth model, but, apparently, that’s nothing compared to what the Spaniards have to pay. Spain’s prices for the little hatchback were announced at a costly sum of €46,339, or about US$58,900 at the current exchange rates. Come on, really now!
With that money, in Spain, you can choose between a Nissan 370Z 331HP V6, a VW Scirocco R 265HP, an Alfa Romeo Brera 260HP 3.2 JTS V6, a BMW 135i Coupe 306HP, or a Subaru Impreza WRX STI 300HP! Looking at the choices in this price range, why would anyone go for the Abarth?
As a reminder, the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari is powered by a 1.4L turbocharged engine mated to a 5-speed C510 gearbox. This combination leaves the Abarth with 180hp and a top speed of 140mph. The 0-62mph sprint gets accomplished in under seven seconds. A sport button is placed in the dashboard to give the gearbox, engine control unit, and steering a racier feeling complete with more response from the car. of course, these numbers and features still don’t add up to the competition with a price tag like the one it is exhibiting.
The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG can be easily summed up in just two words. The first is massively powerful, with a 457-horsepower V8. The second word is flashy. The C63 has looks that can turn heads and a noise that can shatter windows. Welcome to one of the most insane German sedans on the road.
When you first see the C63, you want it. That massive power and those stunning looks are shocking at first, but that initial impression does wear off.
So, does the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG deserve those looks or is it another look fast and go-slow family car. There’s only one way to find out, take the car to the track.
We usually start with looks first, but in this German monster, it’s the engine that matters most. The 90-degree DOHC V8 engine displaces 6.2-liter and has an 11.3:1 compression ratio. This monster puts out 457 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 442 pound-feet of torque. Not bad for a start.
Hit the jump for the rest of the review.
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The next generation BMW 5-Series luxury sedan has just made its world debut. As expected the design of the all new 5 takes cues from both the 7-Series limousine and the 5-Series GT crossover, all coming together to give the 5-Series a a much more elegant and streamlined appearance.
BMW will power the new 5-Series with a V8 as well as an assortment of six cylinder engines burning both gasoline and diesel. The new car’s lineup will range from the fuel efficient BMW 520d making 184 HP, the 535i powered BMW TwinPower Turbo using High Precision Injection and VALVETRONIC variable valve timing that cranks out 306 HP as well as the top of the line 550i powered by a 407 HP eight cylinder engine; just to name a few.
As part of BMW’s new car lineup, every new 5-Series models will come equipped with an eight speed automatic transmission. Aside from the the German automaker’s automatic transmission optimized for efficiency, the new 5-Series will come standard with other gas saving features like EPS Electric Power Steering that takes some stress off the drive train by reducing parasitic drag and frees up a few more horsepower at the same time. One thing that is for certain is that the new 5-Series is guaranteed to impress new car shoppers.
Updated: 03/25/2010: BMW today announced US prices for the new 5-Series Sedan that will go on sale this June. Including $875 Destination & Handling, the new 535i Sedan will start at $50,475, and the V-8 powered 550i will start at $60,575. Hit the jump to get full price listings.
Updated 06/21/2010: BMW today announced prices for the new 2011 535i and 550i xDrive Sedan models. The 2011 535i xDrive is priced at $52,775 and the 550i xDrive at $62,875. These prices represent a $2300 premium over their traditional rear-wheel drive counterparts. Sales will begin in October 2010.
UPDATE 06/23/2010: If you planned to buy a BMW 5-Series, but haven’t had the chance to place an order yet, then we have some very bad news for you. BMW has announced that the luxury sedan has sold out in all markets, forcing customers to wait three to four months for deliveries.
Press release after the jump.
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