Hyundai's Super Bowl ads highlight speed

Having been batted about regarding their fuel-economy claims, Hyundai has decided to use their Super Bowl ad dollars to highlight the raw power of the Sonata Turbo and the Genesis R-Spec sedan.

We find the above Sonata ad a whimsical piffle, featuring a couple utilizing their family sedan's turbocharged 2.0L four to handily pass obnoxious/dangerous motorists. We're partial to the whipping, slimy ropes of dog drool.

The Genesis ad, on the other hand, strikes us as a bit obnoxious. On-track footage of the luxe-saloon is intercut with stats touting the Hyundai's superior performance compared to V8-powered four-doors from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche, all accompanied by various whoops, yelps, yawps and exclamations from a football announcer. The result is grating and, well, lame.

But yo, Hyundai, if your intent was make the Genesis R-Spec the official luxury machine of the dough-headed bro-ham contingent, you've certainly established a beachhead. Congratulations.

By Davey G. Johnson