Hyundai Offering Big Incentives On Genesis And Equus Sedans – But Only To Livery Car Operators

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

If you want a $3,500 discount off of a Hyundai Genesis, or $4,500 off a Hyundai Equus, you can get one – but only if you operate a livery car service. Hyundai is putting a lot of cash on the hood for their two luxury sedans, as they hope to capture some market share left by the cancellation of the Lincoln Town Car, America’s favorite “black car”.

Hyundai has been promoting the Genesis (base MSRP, $35,075) and the Equus ($59,690) at trade shows and in trade publications. While no body-on-frame sedan such as the Town Car is offered any longer, the Genesis and Equus have rear-drive layouts and can be ordered with V8 engines. Their domestic competitors, the Lincoln MKT crossover and Cadillac XTS, are based on front-drive platforms and come only with V6 engines. The Equus Ultimate that was reviewed by TTAC would make a great limousine, mostly because it’s much better to be driven in an Equus rather than actually drive it. Hyundai offers a factory stretched Equus in South Korea (above) as well as an armored version.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Jeff Waingrow Jeff Waingrow on Feb 25, 2012

    Other than sterling reliability, it strikes me that the Town Car has virtually every lousy quality that TTAC readers loathe in various other cars: floaty ride, seats with no support, insipid interior, somewhat difficult ingress and egress, dated looks, etc. These cars are truly the Barcaloungers (sp?) of cars. What, pray tell then, is the allure? Is this simply a nostalgia trip for current or former livery drivers, cops and cabbies?

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    • Pete Zaitcev Pete Zaitcev on Feb 25, 2012

      @Jack Baruth Excuse me, Jack, but what would that prove about Panter? You probably can beat him in a jeep. I had a simple, everyman's opportunity to see what difference a driver makes just recently. In December I transferred to a new department, head of which campaigns a BMW in some kind of club series, SCCA or NASA, I don't recall. So, after one meeting, another manager took us to a cart track for a social function (kylemore-karting.com). I do not remember exact times, but, rougly, I lapped 53 seconds, the guy lapped 46. I thought I applied everything I learned from Ross Bentley's book, but it was just hopeless.

  • Jeff Waingrow Jeff Waingrow on Feb 25, 2012

    Sounds good, Jack. Maybe you could start an on and off ramp Town Car school for neophyte racers. Sure you all wouldn't be sliding around a bit on the sofa, though?

  • Msquare Msquare on Feb 25, 2012

    Room and ride quality? Why doesn't Citroen come back and grab a slice of this? I have to go on other people's accounts for this, but supposedly nothing rides like a hydropneumatic-suspension Citroen and the DS/CX/XM/C6 big boys are plenty roomy. What do you think, folks?

  • Racer-esq. Racer-esq. on Feb 26, 2012

    The factory stretch Equus is the kind of thing that Hyundai would have to bring here to give the car a niche. Otherwise there is nothing that special about these cars, and they are not priced low enough to compete on price alone. These cars are going to have a hard time competing against the Cadillac XTS, which was designed, at least as I see it, specifically for the livery market. The V8s are not an advantage with current gas prices, and RWD with an independent rear suspension is not going to offer the same kind of durability advantages as the Town Car's live rear axle.

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