I don't frequent this site, so I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, so here goes: Can anyone here defend the fact that MB has delivered a new flagship S Class sedan that looks AMAZINGLY SIMILAR to the Hyundai Equus? Take a look at the attached photo comparisons. If I had been able to find a good photo of a non-Sports Package S550, the similarities would have been even greater. Now, it would be bad enough if these were both brand new cars that were released at the same time, but the Equus has been out SINCE 2011! MB had YEARS to make changes in their design, but they let it fly. Or, if we want to be way more speculative and sinister, one might suggest that Stuttgart COPIED the Korean car. I drive a 2013 S550 and I feel that this new S, despite how magnificent I know that it is, just doesn't have the presence that my 2013 does. When you take in that oversized grill, the absolutely horrible daytime driving lights that look like wicked eyebrows on TOP of the headlights and that cookie-cutter rear end, the car just isn't elegant, but more cartoonish. I will grant you that the new interior is magnificent, but whomever was in charge of the exterior design should be fired. The mid cycle facelift cannot wait until 2017 or 2018, they need to do it TODAY! The execs in Seoul must be jumping for joy, while I am giving serious consideration to buying my 2013 when the lease is up. Hey, MB, whatever happened to DISTINCTIVE STYLING? Whatever happened to UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE? Too many young kids in the design department these days. What an utter disappointment.

Equus has more similarity to previous S. I do not see too much similarity with the new one. Of course all cars look similar, especially if you comparing sedan to sedan.

Hyundai's entire lineup used to look dreadful prior to 2009-10 or so. I'm pretty sure they took a huge look at the big boys for styling cues so I always looked at the Equus as just a huge mash-up of Mercedes BMW and Lexus DNA mixed together so if anything, the Equus looks like a w221 and not the other way around.

Couldn't agree more. The biggest similarity is the rear quarter panel of the Equus and the previous S-class. The S-class came out in 2007, compared to Equus 2011. So overall I think you're looking for something that's not there on the new S-class. If anything Mercedes got rid of the shooting brake rear quarter panel design and just toned it down with a nice and crisp belt line.

The Equus looks like the typical Asian design job in that they are blending design elements of several, typically German cars into one. Just like the OP's already stated. The front-end is typical MB evolution in design and the rear is a mixture of the W221 and the Maybach taillight a from 10+ years ago. Btw. Not sure about the Equus, but their whole development cycle is often shorter than just MB's vehicle test cycle. As such, they can copy design elements and still be out first.

If Anything, I thought Mercedes took styling cues from the ford focus for the front end, lol... I might be reaching, but you can't deny the similarities...

Hyundai and most Asian car companies just look to the Europeans on design and copy it and make cheaper. Look inside the Eqqus and feel around... It does not feel like a $80,000 car should! It has nearly the same wood finish as a 3,C and A4... It makes the Lexus LS a much better buy.

Yes, you are reaching

It amazes me how Mercedes gets blamed for copying something when all they've done is refine their own look that Hyundai copied. This basic shape and look has been around since the W220 departed from the W140 look. A clear evolution from the W220, added wheel arches with the W221, and now the clean again W222. Mercedes didn't copy **** from Hyundai, it is Hyundai who copied Mercedes to even come up with such a car. Why is that Mercedes owners/fans/drivers (who should be smarter than this) are the only ones that can't grasp this?


M

Are you seriously comparing a piece of *** car to the new W222 ?

Hey , think you should be witing in the Hunday forum and not here..

Good luck their!

Wow, maybe the OP is new to cars.
The Equus is a copy of the W221.
The W222 is an updated W221. Mercedes is not going to completely change the looks of the W222 because someone stole threir design.

By your standards the apparently Apple's Iphone 5s looks just like the Iphone 5 knockoffs... How dare Apple copy the design of the Chinese knock-off Iphones.

love the marriage of the android apple logo on the side.

Actually I drove the hyundai, not a bad car, though almost $30k cheaper than an s, it should be slightly less expensive. obviously the warranty is better with hyundai also. now if I were to choose, sure i would take the benz, but if price was a concern, then the hyundai would be a good choice also. just because it is a hyundai, I am not going to bash it. the funny thing is some s class owners that sat in it and drove it, really liked it, especially the price.

Nobody said that the car doesn't have its qualities, but it's nothing I would compare with an MB, BMW or Audi. It just can't play in the same field.
Larger companies have tried an failed. Look at the VW Phaeton; by any measure a well build car, so much that much of the manufacturing knowledge made it into the Bentley Continental, but by itself the car was DOA. The VW brand simply couldn't carry a car with such price tag. And that's a company that owns Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti, Audi and Lamborghini!

I don't see the similarities between the W222 and that hyundai.

I believe this is more of a comparison:

nobody is blaming mercedes, the OP is just pointing out the similarities. We can all agree that hyundai blatantly steals design cues from all the mainstream luxury manufacturers.

All the car makers take a design cue here or there but Hyundai makes an attempt to take the entire cake. Unfortunately for them the Hyundai name has so much stain that although it's much more respected as an automaker these days, it's still not considered a competitor to the major luxury brands. Honestly Hyundai is not even on the level of Toyota, Honda or Nissan to me.

I have driven an EQUUS. It is a very impressive vehicle. The air suspension on the EQUUS is every bit as good as my S-Class Airmatic. There are some noticeable "cheap" parts on the interior, and there is no AWD option on the EQUUS. The one I drove had the Executive rear seat package and listed for $68K, at least $50K less than a comparably equipped S-Class. Nice job Hyundai!!! Is the the S-Class a better vehicle? YES. Is is $50K better? Hmmmmm...gets foggy there.

The only thing I can give to the Equss is ride. Like a Lexus, Mercedes, BMW they all ride very good! I just cannot see paying $80,000 for a Hyundai with cheap materials inside. For that price I would just fully load up a E Class (E550) Instead. I do not buy brand new cars anyways (Usually 1 year and older) so what the price is brand new does not ever bother me.

I would not pay $80K for an EQUUS either. They only cost $68 for the fully loaded model. There were not many examples of "cheap" materials being used in the one I drove, including the leather-stitched dash and alcantara headliner and all the driving aides.

Sad to say but M-B has been copying lots of Hyundai design traits for a while. It used to be the opposite....

Though the W222 doesn't resemble the Equus much if at all. It's some of the interior bits and formations that do, however. Also, the sheetmetal curvature of M-B's new design language mimics Hyundai's heavily (and yes Hyundai was doing it before M-B, as M-B were doing hard angular cars for a little while when Hyundai developed this theme).

K-A: They all copy each other. Hyundai/KIA has some top notch German Designers now. I believe KIA has place ex-Audi designer, Peter Schrier in charge of design. I think KIA has established a unique look. I can now see any model of KIA and instantly identify it as a KIA. Some of the Hyundais still look like Fords to me. MB, BMW, Audi, et. al should be looking over their shoulders.

Like someone else said, I'd rather load up an E class than buy that thing.

Fully loaded they go up to the mid to high $70's... Add everything else(Tax, title, fees) you are pushing right near $80,000....

Cheap materials? Sure was. You just happened to list the only good parts of the car lol.

Buttons, seats, steering wheel, trim pieces, the shifter, the tachometer, plastic seat trim on the side of the seats, the seats themselves are very fake looking. The wood looked similar to the kind used in a C,3 and A4...

Dash looks good and the alcantara headliner are the only parts that do not feel and look cheap.

Again... This car is suppose to "compete" with cars that are $100k... If that is so then they miss the quality and attention to detail and only focus in on value. If you are a value shopper and do not care about anything else then Hyundai and Lexus are the cars for you.

KA take a look at the W221. It came out years before Hyundai resigned the Equus... The W222 is built on the same chassis as the W221 and shares very very few similarities except for the seat controls. Also look at how the Equus and many other Hyundai's looks very similar to a Buick, Infiniti, Lexus, Maybach, Rolls Royce, Lincoln.

Hyundai is well known for attempting to make a copy of another design or many other designs. In fact most car companies from Asia are well known for doing this.