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Hyundai Suicide ‘Advert’ causes a rumpus

It’s not easy advertising your wares and finding the right balance between mainstream and innovative to capture attention, as Hyundai has found out to their cost with an ‘advert’ for the hydrogen powered ix35 FCEV which, rather distastefully, depicts a man trying to commit suicide by running a hose from the tailpipe to the cabin before realising he can’t achieve his aim as the FCEV’s only emissions are water. It’s a proper cock-up from Hyundai – usually so sure-footed with their PR – but, despite Hyundai US putting the blame at the door of Hyundai UK, there’s more to this suicide ‘advert’ than meets the eye. It seems the suicide video was put together by Innocean – a European Ad Agency owned by Hyundai’s Chairman Chung Mong-koo and his daughter, and responsible for much of Hyundai’s marketing output – and was a clumsy attempt to gauge reaction to the somewhat macabre take on the benefits of an FCEV.

More executive upheaval as GM changes CFO

Chris Liddell, the onetime executive hotshot hired from Microsoft and rumored to be a candidate for CEO, is leaving General Motors on April 1. The 52-year-old will be replaced by Dan Ammann, 38, who is GM’s treasurer. Liddell oversaw GM’s historic return to the stock market last year after its 2009 bankruptcy.

Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) does 313mpg

Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficiency Vehicle The Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) is being rolled out at the Qatar Motor Show. It’s a two-seater diesel-electric hybrid and the latest in a series of concepts dating back to 2002. But it won’t be in a showroom near you anytime soon.