The 2014 Hyundai Equus is not off to an auspicious launch. The first lot of 61 units is currently adrift somewhere in the western Pacific Ocean aboard a freighter that lost engine power last week. It's unclear what, if any, effect the shipping kerfuffle will have on the car's release date, expected sometime later this year.
The Korean freighter Morning Spruce was found to be traveling the North Pacific on Monday at a speed of zero knots and was spotted in the Okhotsk Sea four days prior sailing at the same velocity, according to marinetraffic.com.
The Equus is Hyundai's most high-end sedan, competing against the likes of the BMW 7-series, Mercedes-Benz S-class and Lexus LS. While official pricing for the 2014 Equus hasn't been announced yet, it's expected to cost around the same as the current model, which carries a $60,170 entry MSRP. The higher-end Ultimate model currently starts at $67,170.
The carmaker confirmed the problem to USA Today and John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America said that problems like this "sometimes happen." Hyundai will now be forced to rearrange some of its planned marketing for the car's domestic rollout.
The 2014 Hyundai Equus boasts a fairly impressive specs sheet. It's powered by a 429-horsepower 5-liter V8 engine and delivers 376 lb-ft of torque. It has an eight-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode and a rated fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 23 mpg on the highway.
Hyundai has given the 2014 Equus a modest and tasteful redesign. New LED fog lights have been added and the car now sports 19-inch aluminum rims in place of the chrome ones on the current model. The interior also received a mild touchup, with a 9.2-inch display in the center console of the Signature model, and a huge 12.3-inch TFT digital gauge readout on the Ultimate. The Ultimate model also has dual 9.2-inch screens on the rear of both headrests.
It's unclear when the stranded sedans will make their way to shore and Hyundai has not announced an official release date yet. Hopefully, the shipping dilemma unfolding in the Pacific will not have an impact.
