General Motors has released its commercial for Super Bowl LV. The 90-second ad stars Will Ferrell, Kenan Thompson, and Awkwafina. In it, Ferrell apparently has a big problem with Norway’s high per-capita ownership of electric vehicles and enlists the help of Thompson and Awkwafina to put the Scandinavian country in its place for being a strong EV market.
The ad also stars two of General Motors’ most high-profile EVs, the Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV. A 60-second version of the commercial will air during the first quarter of the Big Game.
It’s true that Norway has the highest per-capita ownership of electric vehicles in the world. It doesn’t have the most electric cars by a country — that would be China — but Norway is tops on the list when you account for a country’s population. Based on data from 2020, the European nation had 92.4 electric cars per 1,000 inhabitants. China, on the other hand, had 3.3 electric cars per 1,000 inhabitants while the U.S. had 5.4 electric cars per 1,000 inhabitants.
Those numbers didn’t sit too well with Will Ferrell, who is taking it upon himself to crush the Norwegian’s dominance in electric car ownership. He takes off in his Cadillac Lyriq and enlists the help of fellow comedians Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina to his cause, telling them to meet him in the Scandinavian country, though what they'd do when they got there wasn't mentioned. Unfortunately, the mission takes a dramatic turn when Ferrell somehow ends up in Sweden instead of Norway, and the duo of Thompson and Awkwafina find themselves in Finland with their GMC Hummer EV.
The commercial then ends with a “We’re Coming Norway” tag, followed by General Motors’ pledge to roll out 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. The new EVs will be spread out across its entire brand lineup that includes Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC.
General Motors has huge plans for the electric vehicle segment over the next four years. We’re already seeing some of those plans bear fruit with the Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV. GM has also invested heavily in the segment, including spending $2 billion to transition its production facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee into a dedicated EV plant and filing more than 3,000 global patents related to electrification. That includes battery technology; Ferrell made a passing mention of the automaker’s Ultium batteries in the commercial.
FAQ
Q: How Much Power Does The Nissan Maxima Have?
The Nissan Maxima is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 that delivers a total of 300 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 261 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. These numbers are pretty impressive considering the Hyundai Sonata’s 1.6-liter Turbo-Four is good for just 180 horsepower and 196 pound-feet of torque. The Honda Accord and its 1.5-liter four-banger comes a little closer with 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, but the Maxima is still much more powerful.[a]
{1{[q]What Kind of Transmission Does The Nissan Maxima Have?[/q]}1}
[a]If you’re someone who prefers the feel of a manual transmission or at least the definitive shift of a good, hearty automatic transmission, then the Maxima will surely disappoint you with its Xtronic CVT. The same story goes for the Honda Accord, which also comes standard with a CVT. The least powerful of the bunch, the Hyundai Sonata has an eight-speed automatic, so that might be your best bet if you’re not into the whole CVT revolution.
Q: What Kind of Fuel Economy Does The Nissan Maxima Get
Believe it or not, the Nissan Maxima can hit 60 mph in six seconds flat. According to [Motor Trend,-> https://www.motortrend.com/cars/nissan/maxima/2020/2020-nissan-maxima-platinum-reserve-first-test-review/] it can also run the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at 97.8 mph! In comparison, the Hyundai Sonata runs up to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and can do a quarter mile in 15.9 seconds if you’ll believe what [carindigo->https://www.carindigo.com/hyundai/sonata/0to60] is talking. According to [Car and Driver,-> https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15076902/2018-honda-accord-15t-automatic-test-review/] the Honda Accord with the 1.5-liter can run to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds and hits the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds. So, as you can see, the Maxima with is major power superiority complex is quite a bit faster than the competition. If you want a family sedan that can move, it’s not a bad choice.
Q: Is the Nissan Maxima Spacious
The Nissan Maxima might offer impressive power for its class and price point, but it also suffers from subpar fuel economy that comes in at 20 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined. It’s not horrible, of course, but the Hyundai Sonata manages 27, 36, and 31, respectively while the Accord comes in at 30, 38, and 33 combined. Needless to say, if fuel economy is a big deal to you, the Maxima probably isn’t the best car for you.
Q: How Much Cargo Room Does The Nissan Maxima Have?
The Nissan Maxima does exert a certain scent of spaciousness, but the truth is that it is inferior t both the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord, with the exception of one place – front leg room, where it still falls short of the Sonata but beats out the Accord by a few inches. Otherwise, the Sonata and Accord offer more space in every category, check out the table below to see the full breakdown:
Q: Nissan Maxima Infotainment System
The Nissan Maxima offers 14.3 cubic-feet of cargo room, which is – in general – enough for most people who are interested in driving a sedan. In comparison, though, you’ll find you have a little more space for carrying goodies in the Sonata at 16.3 cubic-feet or the Accord, which has 16.7 cubic-feet.
Q: How Big Is the Nissan Maxima
The Nissan Maxima’s infotainment system is, if nothing else, adequate for what most people need. Main features include two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Outside of this, the system is rather dated, even when compared to cheaper sedans in this segment. Audio quality is decent, especially in terms of bass, while the stereo and touchscreen is tolerable. You can control most features of the system via voice control, however, that system is also dated and can be picky about word choice and phrasing. Ultimately, it’s best to avoid it unless you really want to train yourself to use its specific commands.
Q: How Much Does The Nissan Maxima Weigh?
The Nissan Maxima has been classified as a large or full-size vehicle since the third generation was introduced in 1989, however, it’s commonly referred to in the industry as a midsized car because it kind of sits right on the line. It also sits above both the Sentra and Altima, making it the largest and most expensive non-electric car in Nissan’s lineup outside of the 370Z and GT-R. It measures 192.8 inches long, 73.2 inches wide, and 56.5 inches tall. All these figures come so close to those of the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord that the difference between them all is negligible at best. In terms of garaging, you’ll need a decent 1.5-car garage to park comfortably, but if you have a deep enough one-car garage, you can probably make it work as long as you don’t want to have space for anything else.
Q: What Tires Do I Need for the Nissan Maxima
The Nissan Maxima tips the scales at 3,612 pounds, making it nearly 300 pounds heavier than the Hyundai Sonata, and more than 400 pounds heavier than the Honda Accord. Part of this weight difference comes courtesy of the larger and naturally aspirated V-6 engine, but even with a more modern turbocharged inline-four, the Maxima would still be the heaviest of the bunch.
Q: Is the Nissan Maxima Better Than The [Hyundai Sonata->art185285]?
The Nissan Maxima Platinum comes standard with P245/45R 18-inch tires. The Hyundai Sonata also comes with 18-inch wheels and tires, while the Honda Accord can be had with 19-inch wheels and tires in certain trims.
Q: Is the Nissan Maxima Better than the [Honda Accord->art176858]?
From the get-go, you’ll find that the Hyundai Sonata is an interesting vehicle. It doesn’t have the super-sleek headlights like the Maxima, but it does feature a muscular and sporty front end. The latest iteration of Hyundai’s grille, however, is oddly reminiscent of Audi’s current design, but we’ll let the Korean brand slide on this one as the design is still somewhat unique and it really fits the Sonata Well. The Sonata does, however, have more of a four-door coupe appearance and the body lines almost make it look like it has a light upward ark. The Sonata’s interior is fairly nice, but unless you spring for the range-topping trim line, you’ll find that the materials aren’t quite as good as you’ll get in the Maxima – and understandable scenario given the two different price points. Hyundai’s technology is a little more advanced at this stage as the Sonata is quite a bit newer, but unless you’re huge into technology and want the latest in infotainment goodness, it won’t make much of a difference to you.
Under the hood, the Sonata boasts a 1.6-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that’s good for just 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. That comes at a deficit of 120 ponies and 66 pound-feet of torque compared to the Maxima. Naturally, it’ll take you about 2 seconds longer to get to 60 mph in the Sonata, but the big benefit here is the fuel savings that come along with that turbo-four. Where the Maxima delivers 20 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined, the Sonata kicks its ass with 27, 36, and 31, respectively. The Sonata is also cheaper, starting at just $23,600 and maxing out at $33,500 before options, taxes, and delivery fess.