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Strange, unfunny Hyundai N Performance commercials badly miss the mark

Take a minute and watch the video above. After, you might have questions. I will try to help you with these. But first, here are some questions for you: No matter whether you thought the ad was good or not, does it get you excited about the N Performance subbrand? Do you want to find out more about it? I suspect the answer is "no" for most of you reading. Unfortunately, reading what Hyundai and the ad agency said about these ads isn't going to help much. Intended to skewer traditional luxury advertising tropes, the agency says, these ads are a "tongue-(stuck firmly)-in-cheek poke at automotive and luxury brands taking themselves too seriously." R/GA is the ad agency behind these ads, and its chief creative officer, James Temple, told AdAge, "We want people to rethink their views of Hyundai as a practical, compromise choice, to a brand which shows people through the power of 'N' that they make cars that are fun to drive and which aren't like anything else out there." OK. So, poke fun at luxury and automotive advertising that takes itself too seriously. And to be fair, this sort of thing has been done before to great success and general acclaim. Remember Volkswagen's "Unpimp The Auto" campaign? It cleverly took aim at a then-trendy aspect of the tuner culture and literally crushed it with a new GTI. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The message was clear: Your over-tuned Ford Focus is both gaudy and inferior. Step up to a GTI, which by the logic of the ad, you don't need to throw tuner parts at to have fun. It built excitement for the hot hatch while earning some automotive credibility by throwing shade at MTV's over-the-top " Pimp My Ride," at that point rapidly losing its halo of tuner coolness. "Pimp My Ride" was a big, easy target to mock. And the relationship to automotive performance (or lack thereof (most were plays on the "Yo dawg I heard you like ..." theme, anyways) made the analogy work. Where the Hyundai ads step off is the target for ridicule. R/GA claims it's roasting automotive brands, and they can say that all they want — I don't see it. I see a childlike understanding of how to dismantle the tropes of a classic Calvin Klein ad — monotone, lots of black, shirtless models, personal beauty products — over which the lightest veneer of automotive reference is applied. So the perfume smells like burning tires. That's still a humorous ad about perfume.

U.S. VP Harris pledges to consult S. Korea over EV subsidy concerns

TOKYO/SEOUL — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told South Korea's prime minister on Tuesday that Washington will work to address Seoul's concerns over recently enacted electric vehicle (EV) subsidies that could disadvantage Asian automakers. The $430 billion "Inflation Reduction Act" bill enacted in August includes a host of U.S. President Joe Biden's priorities, including investments to roll back climate change and make Washington a world leader in the EV market. Among the law's provisions are requirements that EVs be assembled in North America to qualify for tax credits. The law also ends subsidies for other EV models and requires that a percentage of critical minerals used in those cars' batteries come from the United States or an American free-trade partner. Harris, visiting Japan, met with South Korea's Han Duck-soo and "underscored that she understood (Korean) concerns regarding the Act's tax incentives for electric vehicles, and they pledged to continue to consult as the law is implemented," the White House said. A senior Biden administration official said extensive conversations have already taken place within the U.S. government over how to address South Korea's concerns. "She listened very carefully and made clear our commitment to work within the U.S. government — the U.S. Trade Representative, the Treasury Department — as we look ... to help address that issue," the official said. Biden has sought to deepen business with South Korea as part of a bid to increase U.S. manufacturing jobs and build a united front against China, who he views as the country's key ideological and economic competitor. Korean officials see the new requirements as a betrayal after South Korean companies agreed to make major investments and build factories in the United States. Heavily industrialized South Korea worries the new subsidies will set back Hyundai Motor Co and its affiliate Kia Corp in the world's largest consumer market. Cars are South Korea's third-largest export. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Tokyo, and Soo-hyang Choi and Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Kim Coghill) Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Government/Legal Green Plants/Manufacturing Genesis Hyundai Kia Electric South Korea

Hyundai planning EV for US market

California's stringent automotive emissions mandates, which require that all automakers include some form of Zero-Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) in the lineup, may be forcing the hand of Hyundai, suggests The Detroit Bureau after a recent tweet from John Krafcik, HMA Chief Executive. Up until now, the Korean automaker has been attempting to meet future regulations with fuel-cell vehicles like the modified ix35/Tuscon models (the technology uses hydrogen to generate electricity), but consumers have been slow to warm to hydrogen citing an immature and undeveloped refueling infrastructure.
While battery-powered EVs are far from perfect, they appeal to consumers who have short commutes and owners who find it convenient to recharge at home. If Hyundai were to get into the EV game in short order, one solution could be the BlueOn battery car (shown above) that is sold in the automaker's domestic market. In its current state, the BlueOn offers a 16.4-kWh lithium polymer battery, which provides a range of just over 85 miles and a lethargic 0-60 time of 13.1 seconds.
To be competitive, Hyundai would have to boost performance or seek another more expensive solution. We'll have to wait for official word, or another tweet from Krafcik, to see which way the company is heading.