Hyundai Made This Weird S-Class Rival In The Early 2000s

The subject of Doug DeMuro's latest quirks and features deep dive is the 2002 Hyundai Equus

Korean manufacturers have tried on many occasions - with varying degrees of success - to take on Germany’s finest luxury cars. These upstarts are well-known on the whole, but there is one luxury contender that might have passed you by: the first-generation Hyundai Equus.

Built as part of a joint-venture with Mitsubishi (the latter brand’s versions were the badged Proudia and Destiny), it’s a rather more humble setup underneath compared to apparent rivals from Germany: all were front-wheel drive, and most were powered by V6s.

But that’s not to say the Equus is dull - there are plenty of odd features on this UAE-registered version for quirk-hunter Doug DeMuro to sink his teeth into. We’re particularly fond of the foldable middle section of the front driver’s seat - a setup you’ll also find on the Toyota Century. It’s like a ski-flap, but for your legs, giving one of the rear seat passengers room to stretch out fully. Simple but ingenious, no?