Pssst: Wanna know how to get a $100,000 executive sedan for 40 percent off? Buy a Hyundai. More specifically, buy a Hyundai Equus.

Go on. Take a second to recompose yourself.

If you have even a passing interest in cars, you probably already know that the Korean automaker has been on a roll for a few years now, making cars that provide great value, good fuel economy and pretty looks.

Heck, in 2009 Hyundai even won the automotive equivalent of an Oscar when its Genesis sedan nabbed the North American Car of the Year award.

But $60,000 for a Hyundai? Really?

Yes. And let me tell you, it’s the real deal.

It’s (unfortunately) called the Equus, a name that at best is confusing and at worst might lead you to think it’s a horse.

Try to look past that. Besides, it’s really not that hard to say: "Eck-was."

Now that we’ve moved beyond designations, let’s get down to what this car ultimately is. This is Hyundai’s first U.S. entry into the true luxury landscape. The Equus is meant to take on cars such as the Mercedes-Benz S Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8. You know, cars that rich people drive.

No doubt you’ll still need to bring home more bacon than your proletariat neighbors, but less of the proverbial pig than, say, the trust-fund crowd.

The Equus comes in two versions, the base "Signature" edition like the one I drove over a week, or an even more option-laden one called, appropriately enough, "Ultimate."

Both are rear-wheel-drive and feature the same engine, a 5.0-liter V-8 that makes a stout 429 horsepower. (I tested a 2011 model, which had a 4.6-liter V-8 that made 385 ponies. Even that amount of push was more than enough for this car, but I’m glad Hyundai has installed the bigger powerplant for the 2012 model year.)

The car also now features an eight-speed automatic transmission, vs. the six-speed one on the 2011 car.

But it’s inside where the big Equus truly shines. Think leather, wood and technology. And lots of it. The owner’s manual, it must be noted, comes loaded on an iPad.

Yes, it even sounds weird as I write this, but this is a Hyundai that drips with luxury. Had I not already experienced more than a brush of this in the Genesis, I wouldn’t believe it myself.

But there I was, sitting in an incredibly plush seat that, in addition to featuring 12 directions for the perfect fit and heating and cooling to keep my butt at a comfortable temperature, offers a massaging function.

Yes, friends: If you see a driver in one of these next to you on the freeway with a big, mischievous grin as he’s doing 80, it’s probably because his back is getting the type of treatment usually reserved for those chairs at Brookstone.

Other aspects of the front reminded me of the Genesis, a superb car in its own right, yet here taken to the next level. A big navigation screen and a quasi-complicated rotary dial that acts as your master control are standard, of course. Heated steering wheel? Check. Classy, center-mounted analog clock? It’s there. And let’s not forget the Lexicon sound system. My model "only" had seven speakers and a subwoofer; if you find yourself still in want, you can spring for a system with a whopping 17 speakers. Mercy.

One of my few quibbles with the Genesis — its suspension on some roads — is silenced here. In the Equus, it’s smooth, if not sporting, sailing all the way.

And the Equus is big and roomy. At more than 203 inches long, it will not be confused with the Accent subcompact. Yet for its girth, the Equus is surprisingly easy to maneuver.

As a driver, I appreciated the Equus. But part of me was hard pressed to find that thing about it that would make it really worth $20,000-plus over the Genesis.

Then I sat in the back seat. It was actually in the back that I realized the Equus for what it is, and where it really differentiates itself from the Genesis: This is a car that makes for a superb chauffeur’s vehicle.

If you are an executive or diplomat who is often driven around yet still happens to be pinching pennies, look no further than the Equus. The back of the car, which can be outfitted with three or two seats, is as cavernous and well-appointed as a private jet. Forget legroom; you could practically stretch out and sleep back here.

Mention the Equus among car enthusiasts and it usually isn’t long before comparisons are made to Volkswagen’s ill-fated U.S. version of the Phaeton, which arrived in late 2003 with a price tag of more than $64,000 but was pulled from the American market just a few years later. People just weren’t buying it.

Hyundai management is aware of this, and from the start have said they do not exactly expect Equus models to sell like pancakes. But what Hyundai does have going for it is another automotive precedent, a successful one from its own stable: the Genesis.

Like that car, with the Equus Hyundai has proven that it can not only be a player in a whole new league, but a true competitor.

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HYUNDAI EQUUS SIGNATURE:

—Type: Four- or five-passenger, rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

—Engine (2012 specs): 5.0-liter V-8

—Total power: 429 horsepower, 376 lb.-ft torque

—Fuel economy rating: 15 mpg city/23 highway

—Base price, with destination: $59,650

—Price as equipped, estimated: $59,650

—The good: Superb fit and finish, plush accommodations, roomy, fuel economy

—The bad: Are you willing to spend $60,000 on a Hyundai?