Kia Lotze Innovation: facelifted Optima in Korea
Click to enlarge
The facelifted Kia Optima (known as the Magentis in Europe) is now on sale in the Korean market as the Kia Lotze Innovation. Interestingly Kia has decided to offer two different stylings for the car like what Honda is doing with its Accord. One has a more mature styling (the original) while the other is sportier, but strangely Kia has decided to offer both in the same market.
The previous design is now called the Kia Lotze Advance while the new car is called the Kia Lotze Innovation. Perhaps this is because there are some who prefer the more grown-up outlook of the pre-facelift car.
Look after the jump for more details on the facelifted Lotze.
The revised bumpers have made the car 55mm longer but it is likely that the interior and luggage room remains the same because of the same structure carried over. Details about the new facelifted Kia was scarce when the export market facelift was unveiled at the New York International Auto Show this year, but now we have full details and images of the car, even though some styling bits are different.
For one, the Korean market Kia Lotze Innovation has a different grille design that has more elements of chrome in it, with thin horizontal bars as opposed to the NYIAS model’s honeycomb grille. The alloy wheels are also 5-spoke but the Korean version’s spokes have a little split in the middle. The rear brake lamp cluster is now lights up via LED.
The interior lighting is now predominantly red with a little blue here and there. The meter cluster now consists of three separate meter with its own cowling. The premium audio system partner for the car is now JBL instead of the superb Infinity system which is offered on the local Kia Optima sold here. The steering wheel now has paddle shifts.
Kia has added a new feature called the Eco Driving System, which is essentially a digital version of the little analog meter that shows your fuel consumption in BMWs. There is an eco lamp on one of the meter gauges. When you are driving economically, the system lets you know with a green light. If you are doing anything which guzzles fuel such as hard acceleration it changes to red. During normal or average fuel consumption the light turns white.
This feature is intended to train the driver to chase the green light, so that he or she will switch to a more fuel efficient driving behaviour in efforts to keep the eco lamp green as often as possible. A real life test by Kia resulted in the car achieving 13.8km per liter, or roughly 20% better than the car’s official rated fuel consumption.
The 2.0 liter model is now upgraded with Dual CVVT which pushes up power from 144 PS to 163 PS. This is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed auto. The 2.4 liter model also gets the Dual CVVT system, and now puts out 179 PS instead of the pre-facelift model’s 161 PS. The slushbox for the 2.4 has 5 cogs instead of 4.
Look below for more photos of the Kia Lotze Innovation as well as a few interesting videos including one that features a Korean lady explaining more about what’s new with the car. Too bad it’s all in Korean though.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
VIDEO: Kia Lotze Innovation Product Walkthrough
VIDEO: Kia Lotze TVC 1
VIDEO: Kia Lotze TVC 2
VIDEO: Kia Lotze TVC – “The Making of”
July 3, 2008 @ 4:36 am
looks like one solid car. honda accord lookalike
July 3, 2008 @ 7:12 am
This one is what a real facelift is. Looks like they have a new corporate identity grille. No wonder they can be the top 5 carmaker today.
July 3, 2008 @ 10:04 am
This car looks really nice… I like the ads… make you feel like owning one… and the 2nd ad is LOL
July 3, 2008 @ 10:37 am
nice car, interior look luxury, a bit of difference with 2008/09 sonata, Kah bintang should bring the new sonata in malaysia, is look great, well done KIA.
July 3, 2008 @ 10:42 am
This is what I called a major facelift. Korea cars are getting better. Both Hyundai and Kia had really done their part to provide good vehicles to the RAKYAT. P1, wake up please. I do hope the export version will not change too much in comparison with the koreans. I really like the cluster meter, keyless entry start, audio cum GPS system and their in – built SmartTag system. I wonder whether we will get this or not? It is a good competitor with the Japanese and also a good competitor with the coming Sonata Transform. Must really do comparison 1st before buying 1. I had falled in love with the Sonata Transform but now this Optima had lured my heart to her as well. haha
July 3, 2008 @ 12:17 pm
see, the koreans finally nail it!
i believe this outcome is the solid result of vast and bigger investment they made over the last decade. i read somewhere that they hired no less than 10 people from other established company (CD, Ford, Mercedes, BMW etc. etc), give them fat salaries and in return, Hyundai-Kia get these cool stuffs.
July 3, 2008 @ 12:17 pm
Kia Lolz?
Anyway, this is more mature what… More conventional…
July 3, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
Very classy…!
July 3, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
it gives the Acura/ Accord in UK model feels…….this is another good job from KIA………
July 3, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
i like the rest of the car except for the front grill and lights..infact, i prefer the previous model’s nose..however, i have yet to see the newer optimas on the road , i actually went to see the the car at its launching and thought that it was really value for money..
July 3, 2008 @ 4:48 pm
Another cut n paste from Kia..Front grill n headlights looks like All New City..
July 3, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
The koreans are really improving on their designs.
July 3, 2008 @ 6:35 pm
Korean car getting better……..at least from outside…….P1…….wat r u doing……?!
July 3, 2008 @ 6:40 pm
Which is the other KIA version intended for the same market? Anyone has a link for that. There is only one version here.
July 3, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
now Korean cars start to understand what people wants by providing much more nicer outside and inside look. proton also use to start understand what people need as well.. but in much more slower la.. at least they try to improve too…
July 3, 2008 @ 7:21 pm
it seems that we only had the optima recently.
now there’s a facelift in korea.
i used to complain that korean interiors are bad although the engine is somewhat comparable to the japs…….now the interior can match with the japs easily…..
only downside i guess….would be the 4 speeder on the 2.0, should have been a 5 speeder at least….since its one of the most powerful 2.0’s around…..it even beats the accord.
July 3, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
WOW, THIS IS GOOD, NAZA, WHY CAN’T WE HAVE THIS KIA INSTEAD
July 3, 2008 @ 9:29 pm
This looks not half bad.
And those rear lights are really pack with LED’s
July 3, 2008 @ 10:36 pm
What type of layout does Kia Lotze uses? FF or FR?
July 3, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
okay, previously i heard lots of news about how bad the kia cars would be. Now see, totally a different style and looks. Ya, this one has front look like Honda and the back look just like the Europe cars…
good one!~
July 3, 2008 @ 11:56 pm
Fake!like Honda Accord
July 4, 2008 @ 12:42 am
damn….the koreans have outdone themselves again.
maybe the next few years for Korea’s car industry might change our view that they make shitty cars.
i am pretty interested in it. nice equipment specs with looks. what’s left is price.
but serious consideration has to be given to the pricing and brand power, as of right now…not many people would pay more than 100k for a korean car.
Ps. love the new grill design. more mature.
July 4, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
the front really is an accord euro or the singapore version…
July 4, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
ever since the merger between KIA and Hyundai, their products are only getting better…KIA models in M’sia with Hyundai engines and mechanicals are actually quite good with CVVT Beta II and theta engines..some might argue in regards to quality compared to jap cars which i kinda agree but not far behind, but i find these Korean cars are actually better than some european brands in terms of reliability especially electrics..
July 4, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
KIA, PLEASE CHANGE THAT STTERING WHEEL THOUGH…
July 5, 2008 @ 2:50 am
Can any one tell me what song is it ? very match with the theme. tx
March 27, 2009 @ 4:12 am
I have the 2009 kia optima sx and love it! I went to the dealership and they just got it in. The sales guy said id be the first one in sothern cali region to own it and I havnt seen 1! Much better in gas than my sorento I traded in
April 10, 2009 @ 6:23 pm
nice rear lights…
May 29, 2009 @ 10:54 pm
Hi can i know whether Kia Magentis (SPORT VERSION) will be launched in SINGAPORE? Currently only the original version is launch in Singapore. As said in this website, KIA will be introducing both version into the market. So can i know when will the SPORT version of magentis be launched in Singapore. Please reply me asap. Thanks.
June 25, 2009 @ 4:29 am
. Complaint
To the attention of KIA International CEO, I am writing to you today to inform you of the misfortune event that happened to me today June 20, 2009. At 0945 hrs I was travelling with my family for my long waited for vacation to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Suddenly the back left side tyer and the metal bar wich connects the tyer to the brakes of my Cerato car disengaged from its place and flew in the air. This caused my car to turn several turns which injured my four years old daughter. I was driving on 70 km/hr and I was just coming out of a U turn. I can not describe the panic and fright that my family faced. My child is crying continuosly and does not want to get into any car out of fear. We are now in the street and I called Kia help desk in sharm el sheikh and in Cairo more than ten times with no response. I seeked the help of two mechanics who informed me that this is a manufacturing error in the car and I will be seeking an Engineering firm to check the car and prepare a report proving that this is a manufacturing e! rror. Finally a representative called Ashraf answered and kept denying that this could have happened and is claiming that I must have had an accident. I have photos of the car and I am now reporting the whole issue to the Egyptian police authorities and will bring a full report of the situation. Also, I will bring a medical report with my daughter’s injury. I was in the process of buying the new Cerato 2009 however after this situation, ruining my vacation, my family’s fright, my daughter’s injury and the cherry on top of the cake was the speed of service and attitude of KIA representative. I am disgusted from all what happened and I need to be compensated for all of this. This is not what I expected from a big company like KIA. I need an URGENT call from an International KIA representative as I do not want any more contact with the Egypt representatives. Regards, Tamer El Ghamry
2. Request
I need an URGENT call from an International KIA representative as I do not want any more contact with the Egypt representatives.I need to be compensated for all of this.
Tamer El Ghamry
Front Office Manager
Ramses Hilton
1115 Corniche El Nile
Cairo 12344, Egypt
Telephone: + 202 2577 7444
Fax: + 202 2394 6938
Email:tamer.elghamry@hilton.com
Website: http://www.hilton.com
Bringing back the Oriental nights of magic!
‘Falafel’ Oriental Restaurant with superb traditional Egyptian entertainment is now opened.
Reservations required : + 202 2577 7444 ext. 3212