VI image

Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker, will launch its much-anticipated luxury car codenamed VI in Feb. 2009.

Promising to provide the pinnacle of luxury and to showcase Hyundai's most advanced technologies, the VI will include among its sophisticated safety features a second-generation Vehicle Stability Management System (VSM2), a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) which employs a vision sensor to monitor traffic lane markers and a Pre-Safety Seatbelt System which on detecting an imminent front-end collision, will automatically reel-in the safety belts to maximize the safety of the occupants.

The new flagship of the Hyundai fleet will serve as a replacement for the ten-year-old Equus (badged as Centennial in export markets). Unlike the front-wheel drive Equus, VI adopts a rear-wheel drive architecture which will make it a more credible competitor against the Lexus LS460, BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class--all rwd models.

Longer, wider and taller than its predecessor, VI will measure 5,160mm in length, 1,900mm in width and 1,495mm in height. VI will come with a 3.8-liter Lambda V-6 engine while the 4.6-liter Tau V-8 will be offered as an option.

The VI arrives in Korean showrooms in Feb. 2009, while a top-of-the-range limousine edition will bow in the second half of 2009 and will feature a stretched wheelbase plus a 5.0-liter variant of the Tau V-8.

There are currently no plans to export VI to the North American or European markets.

Please see the attached photo: Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker, will launch its much-anticipated luxury car codenamed VI in Feb. 2009. The new sedan promises to provide the pinnacle of luxury and will serve as a showcase of Hyundai's most advanced technology. Shown here is a silhouette of the car. More details coming soon.

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group which was ranked as the world’s fifth-largest automaker in 2007 and includes over two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affiliates. Employing over 75,000 people worldwide, Hyundai Motor posted sales of US$74.9 billion in 2007 on a consolidated-basis and US$32.8 billion on a non-consolidated basis (using the average currency exchange of 929 won per US dollar). Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 6,000 dealerships and showrooms. Further information about Hyundai Motor Co. and its products is available at http://www.hyundai-motor.com