Hyundai has crashed two new Sonatas head-on on a stage to prove that the cars it builds for Korean buyers are every bit as good as the cars it builds for international markets.

SINCE THE RELEASE of the new Sonata earlier this year, Korean buyers have been complaining that the cars they’re buying in the home market are inferior to the vehicles being sold internationally. Particularly where quality of construction, reliability and safety are concerned.

So, in an attempt to allay fears of double standards, Hyundai Korea organised an event in which it took a Sonata made in the US and the equivalent vehicle from Korea and crashed them together – the US built car is the one on the left of the screen (the red one). Head on.

The crash was filmed and broadcast to an audience watching on at an outdoor cinema. And, if you can speak Korean then you’ll get a lot more out of the video. Actually, if you can speak Korean, let us know what’s being talked about by leaving a comment below.

Locally, the Hyundai Sonata realised a five-star ANCAP safety rating with a score of 33.84 out of a possible 37. And you can read our first drive review of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata here.