Simplest reason - He just didn't want to say "We make more money if the 5.0 V8 goes away, and its all about making money. But some people like the 5.0 V8 so I'll make it sound like we have no choice and tell them we have a replacement that is just as good or better, anyway."
Hyundai will likely keep the 5.0 V8 around as long as they can, and I can't see Hyundai not having a V8 for the Equus (remember, there is a LWB/limo version of the Equus and a TTV6 isn't going to do the trick, esp. for the armored version), so that probably means a new smaller displacement FI V8 down the road or in a pinch, adding FI to the current Tau for the time being.
Mercedes recently announced that their 8 cyl and 12 cyl engines aren't going away, so can't see that being the case for BMW and Audi as well (and besides, they need those engines for their RR and Bentley marques).
So while 8 cyl, much less 12 cyl engines aren't going away, they will be getting smaller and have FI (or other aids like a battery-drive system which could add power/torque and not be such a gas hog).
I guess those who want the default top engine for the midsize segment be a NA 8 cyl might be miffed that they will have to settle for a FI 6 cyl, unless they are willing to pony up the extra $$ for the performance line which will have a FI 8 cyl.
One thing I can definitely see is the new Equus and K900 adding the 3.3TT as their new base engine - which should help increase sales (along with the addition of AWD, a better chassis and interiors) and improve fuel economy for the respective nameplates.
And for those who wanted more power and were disappointed that Hyundai didn't offer H-TRAC w/ the 5.0 in the US, the 3.3TT will in all probability get AWD as an option.
Speaking of the K900, Equus and Genesis - according to
Autodata, the 3 have a
10.4% share of the premium auto market, which I take to be the midsize and flagship luxury sedan segments.
That would mean that H/K have a larger share of the premium market than they do in the mainstream market, and that's w/ an Equus and K900 which could really use a Genesis-type upgrade (the 2G Genesis is the star).
The Genesis, which hit U.S. showrooms in April last year, played a pivotal role, selling 6,656 units in January-March, which is up a whopping 251 percent from a year earlier. That puts it at No. 3 just behind BMW’s 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E class.
http://thekoreancarblog.com/2015/04/13/hyundai-kia-usa-premium-market-share-rise-10/
And comparatively, the Genesis is even a bigger star in Canada where it is smoking CTS, A6, GS and Q70 in sales.
So all the naysayers who thought that a non-lux branded strategy wouldn't work were wrong (still think Hyundai should go the lux sub-brand route down the road).