Equus, Hyundai’s premier luxury sedan, made a surprise appearance at the New York Auto Show this April to an enthusiastic response.  The sedan inspired praise and speculation over Hyundai’s “modern, in-touch, technologically savvy” image.  The luxury sedan, currently sold in Korea is set to make its US debut this September.  The Equus has already garnered plenty of media attention from its high-performance and affordability, but a great deal of the buzz concerning Hyundai’s latest luxury sedan stems from their innovative marketing strategy.

Hyundai announced at the New York show that they will be replacing print editions of the owner’s manual with an electronic iPad edition in tandem with the US launch of the Equus sedan.  According to John Krafcik, Chief Executive of Hyundai North America, the iPad will feature a virtual manual as well as photographs of Hyundai’s entire lineup and additional applications.  Buyers who purchase a new Equus, available at your local Kansas City new car dealership in September, will receive a free iPad in lieu of the traditionally printed owner’s manual.

The inclusion of a cutting edge multimedia tablet with the purchase of a vehicle is a first for the industry and has added an air of exclusivity to Hyundai’s flagship luxury sedan.  In addition to storing run of the mill owner’s manual information, Hyundai’s iPad manual will facilitate the maintenance of your new car.  Equus owners will be able to schedule online service appointments and arrange for Hyundai dealers to pickup the car, drop off a loaner and return the vehicle after service.

Current Kansas City Hyundai Elantra and Accent dealers have great expectations for Hyundai’s foray into the luxury sedan market.  Hyundai is known for their economically priced cars, such as the Accent and Elantra, which run for about $9,970 and $14,145 respectively and they are revamping their designs and image to fit in with the luxury sedan market.

Hyundai expects the Equus to compete with the Lexus LS460 and Mercedes-Benz S550 sedans.  The sedan is extremely well priced for its class and boasts a starting price of $50,000- $60,000, thousands of dollars less than the $65,380 Lexus and $91,600 Mercedes sticker prices.  The Equus runs on a comparable 4.6-liter V-8 engine and delivers 385 horsepower, which surpasses the Mercedes S-Class and the Lexus LS.  Although the lighter Equus features slightly less torque than its competition, Kansas City new car dealers are expecting buyers to overlook that in favor of its more economic cost.

Kansas City Hyundai Elantra and Accent owners will have to wait with bated breath to see whether Hyundai decides to include electronic manuals in new models on their other lines to keep up their tech-savvy image or if the iPad will be exclusive to the Equus and future luxury sedans.