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Hyundai sales slump in China over North Korea, standoff with Chinese partner

BEIJING/SEOUL — Hyundai is at loggerheads with its Chinese partner over efforts to cut supplier costs, as they grapple with cutthroat competition and the impact of a standoff between Beijing and Seoul. Hyundai, along with affiliate Kia, has been caught up in a political row over a missile defense system that is being deployed in South Korea, but opposed by China, as tensions grow over North Korean missile tests and last week's test of a nuclear bomb the North claims can be mounted on a missile. Sales of Hyundai cars in China have been falling, part of a backlash against South Korean brands over the missile system that China views as a threat to its own national security. On Tuesday, South Korea asked the United States to lift a limit on the explosive payloads it can use in the missile system. This as a North Korean missile, believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile, was being tracked by intelligence services being moved on the ground toward North Korea's west coast and a possible launch site. That has come against the backdrop of ever tougher competition from local Chinese automakers. Until last year, Hyundai and Kia ranked third in China by sales. But Hyundai's sales alone have slumped 41 percent from January to July, fraying relations with local partner BAIC Motor Corp and making this the biggest crisis since Hyundai entered the Chinese market in 2002. Last month, Hyundai suspended production at its four China plants for a week after a French supplier refused to provide fuel tanks when its bills went unpaid. On Tuesday, Hyundai suspended production at one of its plants in China after a German firm went unpaid. Hyundai and BAIC — whose Beijing Hyundai joint venture is a 50:50 partnership — are divided over how to solve the issue of suppliers and tougher competition. Hyundai wants to protect its South Korean supply chain, while BAIC favors shifting to cheaper Chinese suppliers to cut costs, the people said. "BAIC wants to solve this aggressively and is ... asking Hyundai to change its sourcing strategy significantly and immediately," said the head of a Hyundai supplier based in Seoul, adding the idea was to source more locally from cheaper suppliers in China. Hyundai wants to solve this more gradually "over perhaps 5-10 years and do so in phases," the person said. BAIC declined to comment.

Behold, Kia's Space Babies Super Bowl commercial

Kia is out to answer life's big questions in its ad for the upcoming Super Bowl. Questions like: Where do babies come from? The spot follows one father as he spins a tale to shield his young son from the world of adult truths. The story starts on planet Babylandia, where infants of every species live in peaceful coexistence until they're called to Earth. When that happens, the adorable little beings suit up and take a nine-month journey through space to their new home before parachuting from the heavens. Sure beats that tired old stork yarn.
Oh, and we forgot to mention there's a 2014 Kia Sorento in the spot as well. You can check out the whole shindig below for a quick chuckle. Expect to see the spot air during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, and keep your eyes peeled for the new Forte spot. We hear tell that ad features Alyssa Campanella in a robot get up. No, we don't get it either.

Super Bowl LVII car commercial roundup: Watch them all here

Fewer automakers than usual spent money advertising during Super Bowl LVII. In total, there were only five traditional ad spots from three big OEMs. A number of car-adjacent ads aired during the Big Game, too, and we’ll bring you those ads in this roundup alongside the more obvious ones. WeÂ’ve compiled all of the automotive-related commercials for you here in this post so you donÂ’t have to go searching for them elsewhere. Read on below to see what aired as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Ram's Super Bowl spot offers a cure for 'Premature Electrification' This commercial revealed the new electric Ram Rev pickup, and itÂ’s themed like a prescription ad for an antidote to "Premature Electrification.” A concerned narrator in the Ram spot asks if you're afraid that going electric too soon will mean "you might not be able to last as long as you like," and there's a guy on a pier who's going to need some new equipment if he wants to catch fish. We're also told there are "options being designed to extend range in satisfying ways," so if this truck isn't right for you, you have choices. All the commercial's missing is a silly medical marketing name and six seconds of speed-reading gibberish about side effects like intestinal bleeding and death. Which are two more good things. Jeep 4xe Super Bowl commercial highlights modern version of 'Electric Boogie' JeepÂ’s “Electric Boogie” commercial follows the Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe in a variety of simulated off-road situations. Though fun, the soundtrack is the real star of the show. The songÂ’s original artist, Marcia Griffiths, was joined by Grammy winner Shaggy, Jamila Falak, Amber Lee, and Moyann on the track. The modernized re-recording celebrates 40 years since GriffithsÂ’ original track, and Jeep says the track is available for streaming now. Kia returns to the Super Bowl with the tale of 'Binky Dad' This year, Kia follows the adventure of "Binky Dad" in his quest to fetch his daughter's lost pacifier, which naturally takes him over just about every bit of terrain you might encounter upon leaving the civilized confines of Southern California for the not-so-civilized mountains of ... probably also California. It features the refreshed 2023 Kia Telluride, which probably doesnÂ’t need much advertising to see these days, but Kia went for it with the strong three-row SUV anyway.