German Car Forum

Τhat's what i call aggressive advertising. In a Korean TV spot the new Hyundai Genesis crashes against a car which appears to be an Audi A8 (pre-facelift model to be more precise)!

Haha, I'd like to see this IRL! Hyundai is becoming better and more sophisticated brand IMO, but this is dumb commercial. Like this is going to make someone buy Genesis and not A8/S-Class etc.

Hmmm, neat camera angle trick! It was an offset crash and the video is shot from an angle showing the side of the Hyundai that is not crashing and the side of the Audi that is. Shoot from the other side and it could look exactly the opposite.

Haha, good reasoning. Can anyone here read Korean?? Frankly I don't see the point of this commercial because as I see it both cars got trashed just as much.

I noticed that too.

I wonder why they chose the A8 and not S class or 7 series. Maybe cause the A8 is a big sales hit in Korea.

So, what does this mean? That Hyundai makes better cars than Audi?! This commercial would be perfect if instead of using an Audi A8, they had used a Lexus LS! j/k

Hyundai is is a bit jealous of Toyota and Honda. They want to play ball with big guys too which is why they are using the A8 in the ad to raise the Genesis to a premium level, so what people don't think that it is just another Camry competitor.

Don't think it's supposed to be taken literally. It seems they want customers to recognize that Hyundai intends for the Genesis to go head to head with the big german luxury cruisers.

Hyundai Motor’s Crash Test Ad Catches Audi Off Guard

Hyundai Motor made Audi flinch by engaging the German automaker in an unwanted crash test.

The largest South Korean carmaker has been airing a TV commercial since late December that shows a slow-motion video of a head-on collision between an Audi A8 and a Genesis, Hyundai's new car. A subtitle says that the test was conducted in November at the Hyundai R& D center in Namyang, Gyeonggi Province.

Audi Korea said it is somewhat surprised to see it on TV without any prior notice from Hyundai.

``We are trying to find out what happened,'' a public relations official of Audi Korea said. ``We are considering taking (legal) action.''

Hyundai Motor only refers to the victimized car as a ``European luxury car,'' but Internet users immediately identified it as an Audi A8 by looking at its shape.

The 30-second ad shows that a Genesis and an Audi A8 run into each off center, where about half of the width of each vehicle collides. This type of test, known as frontal offset crash test in the industry, is the most frequently conducted crash test because it is believed to best represent real-world accidents.

The ad has sparked both positive and negative responses among consumers. As the video clip is shared on Internet portals, many have posted praising remarks that Hyundai Motor has produced a quality car that can match the safety level of a renowned German automobile.

On the contrary, cynics are pointing out that Hyundai cleverly staged the event by showing the collision from the intact side of the Genesis, horizontally, which means the camera only shows the undamaged half of Genesis and the damaged half of A8.

``Hyundai Motor should have made it clear that it was an offset crash test, but the ad only says it was a frontal crash test,'' one said on a Web discussion on the ad on Dcinside.com, one of the most popular Web communities.

A Hyundai Motor spokesman said that the ad was not intended to show that Genesis was stronger than A8.

``We didn't say which one ensures more safety. We intended to give the message that Hyundai Genesis is now level with European luxury cars and that it can match them face-to-face,'' the spokesman said. The company didn't disclose the quantitative data or photos of the crash test.

Others on the Internet played down the ad, saying it did not carry much significance, because the front part of modern passenger cars are usually designed to be easily crushed, in order to absorb the energy from the impact. The ``crumple zone'' design makes the engine compartment fold like an accordion, while the passenger cabin is made to remain intact to save the driver.

Audi aims to sell 5,000 cars in South Korea this year. The company sold 4,120 cars by the end of October last year.

Hyundai Motor?s Crash Test Ad Catches Audi Off Guard(The Korea Times)