How far it has all come along, indeed. If, in the past, Korean cars were seen as dowdy, perceived as unimaginative and subject to the more than odd derogatory comment in passing, then surely whatever is transpiring before our eyes is, quite simply, nothing short of a revelation.
Revolution, even. Granted, it has certainly taken time for things to kick in, but you only have to look at the past two years and see how rapid things are coming on line, where the slew of offerings coming about have, one after another, sought to not just placate, but accomplish something far more radical – how about excite for a suitable adjective?
Whatever you may call the current Hyundais and Kias of the world, they are most certainly not dowdy, unimaginative or befitting anymore of derogatory comments. Not even if you happen to be an erstwhile Japanese brand loyalist, even though the latter will undoubtedly still be flung this way.
For Kia, the pathfinder has unquestionably been the Forte, at least on these and nearby shores. This one proved once and for all that you could get a Korean offering that had the drive to match the looks. In many ways, it has helped alter the poor perception from all this while, stuck on with some pretty nasty glue.
The likes of the new Sorento, Sportage and Optima – all displaying the new design language set about by Peter Schreyer – are the next wave, set to capitalise on this little foothold on the beach. It is with the Optima that our story unfolds here, and what a neat little tale it has turned out to be indeed.
Continue reading after the jump.
It certainly wasn’t like that in the beginning, a decade ago. The original MS Optima, essentially a rebadged Hyundai Sonata, could hardly be called exciting; as a Jag rip-off, it wasn’t too bad, but on the whole felt like a bit like soggy toast.
The next one that came along, the second-generation MG, which arrived five years later, proved a far better proposition, and after its mid-life facelift, where Schreyer gave the car a new face, it even started to look like it was getting serious about things.
In truth, the MG was a proper car, proper being that it drove fairly well and displayed all the necessary and appropriate manners for a sedan. In all, the vehicle was hardly a poor offering, but it wasn’t eye-catchingly good, and it never had quite enough panache to catch consumers’ attention.
Third time should be the charm, then. Designed from a clean slate at Kia’s studios in Frankfurt, Germany and Irvine, California, Schreyer and his team have come up with what really is a stunning looking car in their interpretation of the TF, which is longer, wider and lower than the one it has replaced. If the new Sonata is all about verve, and fluidly so, then the Optima plays a suitable counterfoil, its muscularity and boldness simply fetching. The grand thing is that it’s never once shouty.
Yes, you’ll find hints of the familiar – the rear lamp assy of the A4, the front shoulder of the E60 5er and a rather Saab-ish rear upper deck, but the entire amalgamation of lines hangs together so organically the profile just works.
It looks simplistic upon initial glance, all that contouring, but you have to admire the complete manner in which the lines are so fully resolved on this one, and it takes a moment beyond the first few glimpses to realise that – witness the sculpturing from the C-pillar back on to the tail and you’ll get an idea of how the complex seems simple.
It’s quite the achievement, really, and this is a shape that will arguably have better appeal retention over a long haul than something which is dramatic and full of flourish. Schreyer says that this car looks better each time you clap eyes on it, and I’d have to say he’s spot on that dot.
The initial media drive for the car was in Dubai last year, but the Malaysian motoring press wasn’t on that one, so first dibs for us came only a couple of weeks ago, in Australia, coinciding with the Optima’s national launch Down Under. Special mention must go to Kia Motors Australia’s efficient handling of the drive event, which was held in Melbourne.
The car goes on sale in Australia in a single variant form at this point – with a 2.4 litre Theta II GDI D-CVVT pot and what is tagged as a Platinum variant, with just about all the bells and whistles you can strap on it. It’s not too badly priced either, rolling in at AUD$36,990.
For the money, you get a whole lot of kit with the Platinum spec level, starting with the flash-bang stuff – dual exhausts with chrome tips, a black chrome two-tone front mesh grille, new front and rear bumpers, sculpted side sills, rear lip type spoiler, LED daytime running lights (located above the fog lamps, and set into the front bumper) and LED rear combination lamps, not to mention a very, very bling looking machine-finished 18-inch, 10-spoke flush-faced alloy wheel.
With the wheel, you’re either going to love it or think it’s all over the top, but the point is that with Kia now looking like it’s openly adopting the peg of being the sportier sibling of the Hyundai/Kia pairing, such a display of brazenness fits perfectly into the scheme of things. It does sit well on the car the more you look at it.
Inside, the black interior is unfettered, and is actually quite cosseting as you spend more time in it. The centre stack instrument panel goes back to being driver-centric, contoured towards the driver at a 9.6 degree angle, and on the whole the interior projects an acceptably sporty outlook, in line with what’s happening outside. The dash also features soft-touch material, which feels great to the touch.
Standard kit on the Oz issue are full-leather seats (with 8-way and 4-way powered adjustment for driver and front passenger respectively) with cooling ventilation for the driver and seat warmers on both front seats; a four-spoke leather steering wheel with paddle shifters and function controls; dual-zone, fully automatic temperature control and a three-piece, full-width panoramic glass sunroof.
Elsewhere, there’s a six-CD changer, seven-speaker Infinity Premium Sound System, replete with a four-inch centre speaker, eight-inch subwoofer and an external amplifier, with MP3, USB, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity; cruise control and a twin-cylinder Supervision instrument cluster incorporating a 3.5-inch TFT-colour LCD screen for core information display
Other standard features include push-button engine start/stop, LED side repeaters, electric door mirrors, and a tailgate-mounted reversing safety camera with interior mirror display monitor as well as illuminated door scuff plates.
Safety-wise, there’s ESC, which incorporates ABS, EBD, TCS, brake assist and hill-start assist control, as well as active front headrests and six airbags (dual front, front side and full length-curtain).
The 2.4 litre gasoline direct injection block offers 198 hp at 6,300 rpm and a maximum torque of 250 Nm at 4,250 rpm (an extra 20hp and 21Nm over what’s on the MPI 2.4 litre block), working with a six-speed automatic transmission. An Active ECO system button reoptimises the ECU and transmission control unit as well as the AC’s compressor to offer better fuel economy – the company claims up to 9% improvement can be had. Performance specs include a 0-100kph time of 9.0 seconds, and a 210 kph top speed.
The GDI lump is especially noteworthy. We won’t be getting the unit, of course, what with our fuel being what it is, but that’s our loss. In use, the unit proved willing and meaty, especially in the lower midband – it’s still a bit lazy at the start of the jump, but there’s no shortage of pull once you’ve stated your intent that you want to hustle along.
Elsewhere, front seat comfort levels are quite high over an extended duration, and the seat cooler function is quite the trick (it’s summer in Australia, so that proved a handy thing indeed) – it’d have been nice to have it for the front passenger seat as well. The boot wasn’t used except to store a picnic cooler bag, but the 505 litre trunk looks like it should pass muster for all but the most extreme cargo-carrying demands.
The Optima isn’t arriving in Malaysia until the third quarter of the year, so there’s really no information at present as to what the outfitting and specification levels will be (in likelihood, the 2.0 litre and 2.4 litre Theta II pots, in EX and SX variant guise, should be the ones, I’m speculating), but there are some things from the Aussie version that I’d argue are virtually a must for the inbound car, when it comes.
The big ticket item here isn’t the block, which is a real kitten, nor is it so much the level of trim and kit, which is nice to have around. No, it is the revisions in the suspension that make for the deal with the Optima, revisions that make for a vastly improved – and easily perceptible – difference.
In its stock form, the Optima’s handling and ride would fall right beside that of the Sonata. Having driven the 2.0 litre Sonata here, the car represents a significant leap forward from the previous one. It’s a winsome beast with a lot of flash, but it does vacillate when it comes to handling.
In a straight line, the Sonata offers a firm-ish ride, arguably with a bit too much roll into corners. Nothing that’ll go amiss if you amble along, but push things and you’ll find that the front and rear don’t talk to each other, or for that matter, to the driver. Coupled to a light steering with a completely vague feel (which is of course a boon in day to day traffic, in counterpoint), one’s left with just what’s coming off the butt in feedback when charging into corners. Exhilarating, certainly, but there were moments when it was all left to faith, and faith will only take you so far.
Some reports from the Australian motoring press have been rather critical of the Sonata’s handling, working along very similar lines, and with the Optima’s standard tune being identical to the Sonata, Kia Motors Australia went about reworking that particular equation.
Working with its local ride and handling partner, GTS, the company has come up with a revised tune that distinctly separates it from not just from its Hyundai cousin, but the same car with the global tune.
New Sachs high performance dampers, with floating pistons compared to the stock damper’s fixed ones, revised spring rates and thicker 24 mm front and 18 mm rear swaybars were plugged on, and the hydraulic steering on the car was reworked to offer a weightier feel, up by 20%.
Quite a bit of work went into achieving this – using a mobile workshop with a shock dyno, the KMA team, working with a Sachs engineer who flew in for the job, conducted around 10 rebuilds at each end of the vehicle. Dozens of test drives and more rebuilds later, the team finally arrived at the optimum damper settings, sway bar and spring rate combination.
In use, the revised stock suspension offers an excellent balance of firmness and compliancy where ride is concerned, with the car being closer in deportment to an European offering, with enough nuggets of information coming off the steering to prevent it from being too humdrum.
Having a media test drive in Australia does present some limitations, of course; for one, I can’t tell you how things behave past the 110 kph zone, which is as fast as anyone could get to. The only negative thus far would be with the level of tyre noise which, while not jarringly intrusive, is there.
As for handling, the drive route took us well into the scenic Yarra Valley and surrounding areas, so when we could get off the beaten track and well into gravel and significantly quieter B-roads, the chance to try out if everything was as well sorted as suggested was never refused.
The Optima responds to thug-like behaviour quite splendidly. It’s not an all-out bruiser in this regard, for sure, but the front/rear unity is solid, and the car tracks cleanly when pushed, never wavering or hesitant in the middle of things, with no fuss in the follow through. Nicely integrated, and very well sorted, there is everything to suggest that it is now the definitive form in handling (with this particular tune level), easily more than a measure for the Honda Accord, which has been the class-leading performer in that area for the segment over here.
All in all, KMA has achieved a sterling plug with the car’s R&H, and the argument is ripe that we should grab that same tune, something that was pointed out to the Naza Kia people. There’s also a UK/Europe tune, which is coming about; it’d be interesting to see how different that one is.
We’ll have to wait to see how it eventually shapes up in Malaysia, but certainly, the first impressions of the Optima have revealed a car that has thrown down the gauntlet at the status quo, more than itching for a scrap (and oh, wouldn’t that 274 hp, 365 Nm 2.0 litre turbo running in the US be a right devil?).
Handsome to a fault, robust and willing, it’s definitely a revelation, and all that stands against it will inevitably be perception, here at least (the word is that it will be priced competitively, with the 2.0 in the RM140,000 region). Still, notwithstanding the local front, in the larger scheme of things, the Optima is very much proof that the revolution is not only well and truly underway, but irresistibly so.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
looks better than the sonata.
Agree! Very nice design.
But I don’t quite like the interior… a bit of a let down.
Yup, couldn’t agree more….
Teh Interior is a bit of a let down, but i guess they wanted a more driver oriented dash as opposed to the Camry’s and theAccord’s which to me is user friendly, but doesn’t hold much excitement. Looka abit alike the old Saab’s layout from far.
plastic feeling….
what do you expect!? leather wrapped interior for RM140k? besides as far i am concerned, hard plastic are better in the long run, as soft touch plastic/rubber tend to melt in hot weather like in malaysia. also who in the hell touches the dashboard to see if its soft touch material!?
many people touch the dashboard by the way just to enjoy the soft touch plastics. afaik, soft touch material that screws up seems to be coming mainly from european cars. cars like my dad’s wira (94) door panels and dashboard are still nice and soft after so many years.
poo,
you are sexually deprived! if you looking for something soft to touch, then i suggest going to thailand!
Plastic feel??? how do you know when you haven’t been in the car?
Not so much of a plastic interior, its just dull, kinda like a nissan interior… zzzz
Check out the US version
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/S7YkeemHwZI/AAAAAAACtxc/nvY6ikrseXA/s1600/2011-Kia-Optima-11.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/S7YkGCCbL2I/AAAAAAACtu8/SYgxgc9Iddo/s1600/2011-Kia-Optima-9.jpg
agreed, italian design make KIA changed a lot, interior….still need improvement
I like Sonata more. This one is a bit too boxy for me. Nicer interior in Sonata too.
That’s one hell of a KIA! I wish Proton make cars like that.
Hope Naza will CKD it and price below 120K…RM118K shall able to make korean car different in Malaysia market.
RM120 & 118k not much diff.. Rm100K better
if that’s the case, better to give it for free! kinda ridiculous the prices that were suggested. the car business is not a charity and if you want one, perhaps, changing your job for a higher paying one would help.
Hi Poo, I’m not sure why you are saying the prices suggested are ridiculous when its no secret that cars over here in Malaysia a priced way too high due to taxes, just curious. Without tax, some of the foreign makes are cheaper than our local cars in the same class.
yup. the prices are inflated artificially but this is a fact that i guess i have come to accept and live with. there is no way that the powers that be will remove this huge chunk of income. therefore, suggesting a lower price for the car or any other car is just an idea that will never take off the ground.
the only way to enjoy cheaper car is to migrate… but that brings along another set of issues.
Will only consider this car if the price is below RM80K.
gajen:or free for you better,wake up ,you live in malaysia not uk
You must be currently riding a kapchai. Please take things step by step, start with a Saga BLM, then move up to a Forte, and someday when you’re holding a decent job and earning a better salary, you can seriously consider one of these better C/D segment cars.
Poor man. Shut up.
You are not orang besar ya. Your consideration is not important; are you trying to influence others with your babyish suggestion?
He definitely cannot afford this car, so KIA, no need to pay attention to him, simply babyish.
This car at RM120K will be good.
BTW I can afford new Mercs.
dont need to be a showoff… way too many… we definitely dont need one more..
get a forte instead
should be less than Sonata
rm 120k for 2.0 basic spec
rm 130k for 2.0 sx
rm140k for 2.4
Don’t expect it to be cheap anymore, The new Kia Sorento cost Rm158,888.00
just curious. why should it be cheaper than a sonata?
Agree. Hyundai Sime Darby made a BIG mistake of pricing the Sonata too close to the M’sian favourite Camry. Camry buyer will not be tempted by the RM10K difference in price between them. In order to lure them away, Naza Kia HAVE to price extremely competitive vis a vis the Sonata, Ford Focus & Camry.
Taking the current Optima being circa RM102K (if not mistaken), new Sonata circa RM136K, Ford Focus circa RM117K & Camry RM145K into account, the realistic competitive pricing for the new 2011 Optima should be circa RM112K.
Am very interested in this car & if its RM112K, I would not hesitate to book immediately.
If you keep on pricing it cheap you will always be a cheap car…
Rhys Millen, you have to understand the dynamics & psychology of the typical M’sian buyers.
The largest group consists of Japanese cars supporters. To them, anything by T&H are the bee’s knees. Just look at the the sales volume of Vios & City, Camry & Accord. To lure them away, you need to have a proven track record & build a brand image synonymous with prestige. Prestige IS the main reason they buy T&H. Something Kia & Hyundai doesnt have at the moment in M’sia.
Then there is the group that doesnt mind the “less prestigious” branding but demand Value For Money. This group has a upper limit to how much they are willing to spend. However, if you can convince this group, they will be your advertisers & you know how powerful the word of mouth advertising can be.
If Naza Kia is smart, they will price as they have done with the Forte (ie. 30-40K below T&H) to draw the second group & use them as the base to build a reputation & build the brand.
Only when Naza Kia have branding image & proven track record can they command a higher price ala T&H. Brand building is like Rome, it wasnt build in a day.
Well nothing stops them from pricing it the same but provide more features and value. ….
If you keep on pricing it cheaper …. you will always be perceived as a budget car …….At the end of the day it depends on your positioning …
Price alone won’t make Hyundai/Kia a winner. Car is no more just a vehicle to take you from point A to B but an important extension to the owner image. Why the need for Roll Royce if Merc or BMW is already very good. On the other hand, why the need for Merc or BMW if T & H can perform the function equally good. It is all due to the image each brand contribute to its owner.
So, Sonata or Optima need much more than just attractive pricing. Case in point, even though Forte is highly praised, is fully loaded and is priced 20-30k cheaper then the competitors, it still cannot get into the 10 best selling brands, month after month.
You need time to built the image and a false start (think Sephia, Rio and the like) make it more difficult to erase the perception. Slowly but surely the new Sonata and Optima is greatly paving the way.
Forte is not in the 10 best selling for the month due to slow delivery… Actual sales report from AAM gives about 700 units sold a month… That is more that the Proton Exora
phew….my hearts cant stop beating…
wow…another great car from kia is coming to hit the road
damn nice looking car….
wow i really like this design.
i must admit that i never liked the brand before but along with the new kia morning aka picanto they make some of the best designed cars around with great value to boot. the forte is quite nice too.
I sees many cars in this car =)
maybe just because the designer designed so many cars before designing this car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schreyer
Kia and hyundai is awesome these days.
Check out the Kia Koup and Hyundai Genesis Coupes.
Wonder when will those cars come into our shores.
the koup is in already, it cost about 120k.
one of the very few cars that has fog lamps with LED running lights. Many car manufacturers now omit the fog lamps in place of the the LED running lights.
get the new Audi A6.. everyting LED lights..including ur turning signals~~ :)
I’m sorry but the author’s style of writing is quite hard to follow through. A lot of commas and long-winded sentences. I like Paul’s style of writing better, with simple sentence structure but still able to bring in the emotion.
Point noted, irwan, but to each his own. Not going to write how I can’t. Not for reviews, anyway. I put the blame squarely on reading too much D.F. Wallace and other such literature. Cheers!
At least you’re not influenced by Shakespeare, or god forbid, Chaucer!
anthony,
well, i for one enjoyed the read, it was very much in the vein of the old masters and i appreciate the so-called ‘long-windedness’. you only find this kind of literature these days in british car mags. maybe i’m too influenced by older editions of auto international and asian auto (i’m talking pre-1990).
Anthony, keep it up! I love your writings, more international english rather than Manglish.
nice writing anthony. keep it up
You sound impressed Anthony. So big question is is it better than the Jap H & T brand of the same class?
Yes, pretty impressed with the handling and ride, for sure. I put a lot of value into how a car drives – input and feedback are important. As is perception and feel. But arguably a sedan in this segment doesn’t really need to do well in such dynamic terms. Mostly point A-B ferries, really.
To answer the big question, I’d say yes, but mebbe that’s just me. :)
For it to sell it Malaysia it has to undercut H & T by RM5k or more and offer more kit as standard. Even that is not a gurantee success. Rear lights look slightly small when compared to its body-looks sligthly weird.
Any plans on reviewing the new Hyundai Elantra?
The car is photogenic, but the proportions are better scaled in the metal. Yes, we’ll just have to wait and see how much kit gets placed in as standard. Right now there’s no indication.
No plans yet, but one never knows.
RM5K cheaper? Don’t make me laugh! It wouldn’t even be enough to make people reconsider.
the forte is 30k cheaper then its C-segment competitor..
if the optima is priced 120k its 25k cheaper then that of 2.0 camry and accord
wow i feel bad for proton for not able to compete with korean car makers..
Bring on the NIssan Fuga Rebadge, then Proton can play with them with an Infiniti equilavent rebadged into a Perdana! LOL
It’s just sooner or later and I wonder if the Fuga would give them a run of their money
I prefere VW Passat rebadge as perdana more then Fuga.
rebadge car vs original design? even this kind of winning is needed? mmh….what kind of standard are we heading into?
What to expect from a company that still need crutches to keep it afloat
wow…..love at first sight….wonderful design and smooth lines eventhough the sport rim a bit ugly….
This sedan, new Morning/Picanto, even Forte has set new design benchmark. The design really cool and only area KIA need to have some improvement is seat design and a bit of dashboard design. The exterior is made Japanese car behind the Korean. Sorento a little weird if we compared to Santa Fe 2.2CRDi – my next SUV in 2 year time since my new member of family arrived.
This saloon will be a massive hit if KIA really ambitious and put a turbodiesel borrowed from 2.2 Santa Fe and NAZA-KIA post-purchase service really on par with the likes of Japanese’s.
looks good except the rims. should do well here if pricing is right to gain from those overpriced TNH. This is a better perdana replacement .cheers
That’s the power of German designer.Not even the Koreans could do it.Wonder how they gonna design their car after the guy left.Perhaps back to old 90’s?
Well written review. Certainly light years ahead of the crapster articles u see in local car mags where the word ‘car’ can be repeated 3 times in 1, yes 1, sentence. Nice car too :)
RM140,000 would be a tough sell for this brand in Malaysia. Just like the Forte, they must priced it RM30K-RM40K cheaper than the equivalent Japanese brand to survive. I hope the success of Forte doesn’t go to their heads.
no they don’t! the new optima & sonata is better compared to camry and accord. gone are the days hyundai & kia compete based on price only. their cars are as good, if not better then their japanese counterpart.
On the roads, it seems like Forte is doing a lot better than all previous Korean cars. Hope the reliability and durability has greatly improved, and the after-sales service.
saab dashboard & c-pillar.
Wow! Looks worth to trade in my civic!
it be cool if they can sell it at Civic and Altis price!
The exterior design is great but I’m kinda let down by the dash – looks very 1980’s and may not age well.
overdone on the steering wheel.
It’s very hard to understand what the author is trying to say here! You sound more like a erotic romance novel author!
Make it simple.
Yes, ok, will try harder to be more convoluted the next time! :)
KISS bro… Keep It Short and Simple :)
Saw this car at KLIMS, my God it looks great. Properly refined and sophisticated, it wouldn’t look odd parking with luxury German cars at some posh places.
I reckon it’ll be cheaper than Sonata thanks to Naza relationship, it will sell better than before I believe, even after factoring Msian biasedness to T n H badge and after-sales issues.
That’s too bad. Malaysian journalism is already devolving (see all the grammar/vocab mistakes in The Star/ NST or any local car magazine), and good writers like Anthony are being asked to simplify their language. Might as well just tweet instead of blogging then.
For what it’s worth, I think Anthony’s a bloody fantastic journalist and enjoy his writing style.
keong,
i couldn’t agree more! anthony’s writing does carry substance. i’m not saying others don’t, just that this style is my preference.
Anthony, keep up the good writing style, don’t change it and make us dumb.
i must say it’s a job well done to Kia. before this i wouldn’t consider any korean make but with the forte and this upcoming optima i’d definitely include this in my consideration list. hopefully more beautiful cars will be coming from Kia in the future.
Nice looking car, better than the crappy looking Volvo from the previous article.
saw this in korea last month, some are using it as a Taxi
Merc also using as taxi in Germany.
Not vios bro, it is altis
Just like the Thai’s using Toyota Vios as taxis ;-)
so that why we use proton as our taxi,,,but iswara taaxi was so 90’s.. to bad for us right?
again…well done, KIA !!!
Bet you it would come with different set of tyres than those on these pics. Coz if it did, it would hurt your butt really bad. Sachs or no Sachs.
bob, well, imagine the fun in saying, “the ride Sachs …” :D
Great article and good reviews. Keep up the good works.
The jap is losing the plot and the korean are leading. The next to watch is China.
Very cantiq. No need to compare with Sonata, it is even much better than the current Accord and Camry.
The best-looking D-segment saloon in 2011.
Price in Malaysia should be kept below RM120,000 ya Kia.
It looks great in blue..omg..I have to save money from now!
Was in Korea last Dec and the local says that KIA Optima or K5/K7 is facing shortage of supply in Korea since launched…
At least 100 million light years ahead than RM102K Proton Perdana!
Old engines for malaysia again, malaysia boleh
wow! look stunning. but it is KIA. typical korean car. bad dashboard design. lack of umph! compare to japanese car. honestly this car look great better than accord and camry.
Saab has the same dashboard design, what says you?
Nice design, but i feel that kia & hyundai not doing really well in M’sia market in term of sales..why? i dunno…. korean phobia??
Aihhh..all Korean cars nowadays look great but still drives like crap!
When are they going to improve the technical specs about the car?
All those specs on paper is really misleading as it does not translate to real live figures.
people who r actually knowlegeable on cars and has reviewed hundreds of them says otherwise after driving the latest Korean cars….n these cars has been scooping most major car awards globally given by reputable reviewers….who cares about the opinions coming from a amateur living in some squatter n has god like praises for the local made Japs wannabe cars which are not even 1/100 equivalent to the REAL Japs sold in Japan, US n Europe but prices as though they are and led to delusional fools like the one above…..
haha…pliss dont say something stupid! the korean car especially Forte drives better that City or Vios. City or vios mkn asap je la kat highway..haha..boring interior by toyata and honda nowadays..
Don’t repeat SD mistake with current sonata. Price it too near to T&H is inviting failures Please price it max 120K for full spec 2.0, then it will surely sell like hot cakes!
what are you talking about? its not like SD is not selling the Sonata…. there is a 3 month waiting list. if there was one mistake, it was not ordering more units or ramping up CKD operations quick enough.
I’m starting to see a good number of these sonatas on the road now.
even if it was the same price, the Sonata is higher spec’ed than the equivalent priced Accord.
and one more thing, Anthony’s prose was certainly a breath of fresh air. If that was too difficult for someone to follow, well I feel sorry for him.
Great review! Keep it on!
while KIA/Hyundai build better and better products, our Proton is too busy sponsoring F1..should cut the glamour and start making real world class products..which would really mean something
It’s a beautiful car in general. The layout of the back looks a little awkward in my opinion ( in photos, at least) but Schreyer’s adaptation of the Tiger Nose onto the various Kia fronts have been nothing short of amazing. Even the Kia POP worked well.
On a side note, it’s nice to see more articles from you, Anthony. I like your writing style, it really sounds like you write the way you’d talk. There’s a nice easy flow to your words.
Ash, actually, my spoken vocab is pretty limited these days, with “sit”, “whatcha doing” and “hungry?” forming the basis of my daily conversation. I think I told someone the other day, “stay”, and said “good girl” sometime after that! :)
Yes, definitely need to get out and be more social.
empty tins here like Maserati, afhm, kecohbetol yet to drive or even see the car in metal but can give bad reviews. the author who has driven the car was impressed, but empty tins say other wise.. tsk tsk tsk
Anthony Lim says:
2/2/2011 at 4:24 am
Yes, pretty impressed with the handling and ride, for sure. I put a lot of value into how a car drives – input and feedback are important. As is perception and feel. But arguably a sedan in this segment doesn’t really need to do well in such dynamic terms. Mostly point A-B ferries, really.
To answer the big question, I’d say yes, but mebbe that’s just me.
again in this Boleh Land, we MUST NOT be too rush to buy the new korean car.
wait for the 2nd hand and you can save “huge money” to even pay your downpayment for a house. remember, let those “die hard” and “brainless” buy the new korean car, we “smart guy” will take benefits from them by buying the 2nd hand with few times cheaper money !!!!
A 1 year old forte only depreciates about 6%.. better then the new honda city. Good luck trying
this car can sell! under the RM150K range can challenge the 2.0 of Camry and Accord.
too bad its under Naza, so the after sales services drag down the resale value.
Japanese car still has the brand name. But, when it comes time to upgrade my toyota camry hybrid, I’ll seriously consider changing it to Kia/Hyundai. After all, the same dealer in australia that sold me my hybrid also sells Kia / hyundai. The reason i chose the hybrid over hyundai/kia was the finance. Last year, Toyota australia gave an introductory interest rate of 1.6% for 4 years. Even now, if u walk into a toyota dealer in aus, u can still get 2.9% interest rate. Secret to get a good deal? Tell them that u are paying cash, then at the last minute ask for the finance!!!!!!!!!!! Heh heh….
hey… the reverse camera lcd same like the new 6 speed forte
design is first class…but when come to handling, after sales, spare parts & maintenance or 2nd hand value…better stick to Toyota or Honda or even Proton…if you don’t want more headache….
Wake up civicman.
I have been driving Forte for a year, all areas have been very good. Most important, I have save my RM30,000 for my next property investment downpayment.
Oh yes, almost forget to mention, until now I still get people starring at my Forte whenever stoping at the red light. Do you get this kind of attention on your civic??? hahahha…..
Yeah Forteman thats right ^_^ even mercs starring at my mum forte ^^
rhetoric mentality…please move on!
i like the bold design..
The waiting list is 3 months long for the Sonata. Ppl are switching to the Sonata because :
1. The car looks & drives great.
2. It stands out if you compare with T&H.
3. Even Camry and Honda owners wished they waited and bought the Sonata. (I know a few owners)
4. It is cheaper than T&H.
5. More kitted up than T&H.
6. Better bang for your buck than T&H.
7. Easier to get a service appointment as compared with T&H.
8. The SmartER guys gets it.
9. 5 yrs warranty or 300k mileage. By that time, you might be changing your ride to another new korean model?
10. Etc etc etc
This will be the same result for this KIA. The Koreans are taking over the Japs for sure. If the local dealers here maintains a good service after sales, the Japs can start kissing the koreans arse for sure.
The above are my just my take on it.
THERE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE NO “SECONDHAND VALUE” CARS ON THE ROAD NOWSDAY.LIKE SONATA, FORTE AND PEUGEOT ESPECIALLY IN K.L. I THINK CONSUMERS KNOW WHAT THEY WANT NOWSDAY. THEY NOT JUST COMPARED THE SECOND HAND VALUE BUT QUALITY AND AND SAFETY FEATURES THAT ABLE TO OFFER TO THEM. ACTUALLY IF U CHECK ON MUDAH .COM, THE SECOND VALUE FOR HONDA ACCORD AND CAMRY ALSO VERY POOR..YEAR 2007 CAMRY 2.4 ONLY SELL RM118K BU USED CAR DEALERS. AVERAGE MORE THAN 20K GONE. MY FRIENDS GOT CAMRY AND HONDA ACCORD,A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.POOR QUALITY COMPARE TO LAST TIME. LOOK HUGE ONLY BUT HANDLING AND STABILITY IS VERY POOR.
HONDA JAPAN CEO DID MENTION BEWARE OF HYUNDAI AND KIA THEY IMPROVE VERY FAST. I THINK CARS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE IN MALAYSIA CAUSE THEM ALWAYD THINK ABOUT SECOND HAND VALUE NOT LIKE USA OR UK .MY FRIEND HONDA CITY GOT FLOATED WHEN RAINNING. ONLY 1YEAR PLUS. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND NOWSDAY T & H ALSO POOR IN QUALITY AS OUR PROTON.
do u think T .H and N give u good quality cars in Malaysia?
Unfortunately Kia / Hyundai is leaving toyota behind in a lot of product lines. I think that this is because of Japanese culture. The quality is high, but a bit slow to change. But even in quality, i feel that korean is getting ahead in some areas compared to toyota. At least in their cars, they give more features for the same amount of money!!! In fact, there are a lot of rumours that younger Japanese engineers are now working for the KOREANS!!!!!
They don’t need Japanese engineers. They’ve got test tracks in the Mojave desert, Russelheim, and their R&D facilities in Korea are bigger and better than lets say, Big Red. They supply engines to Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and Mitsubishi and are the 5th largest automaker in the world.
Actually Accord n Camry resale value is still better than Sonata/Optima….yup, I have been checking mudah.my very frequently. The Cefiro second hand also attractive.
In terms of design, I think the Sonata still looks better than this one but this one suits those who want a less fanciful design.
My 2006 Saga also using Sachs super touring and it was worth the money. It didn’t cost that much either as they are made locally!
This model is miles ahead of the last one!
I’ll buy the car just for the looks, its a masterpiece, in silver it looks the business… but in red….. it looks terrifically awesome~! , I think it’ll look good in almost every premium segment colours , maybe KIA should experiment with ‘british racing green’ as well…. and the usual towkey’s ‘champagne gold’ ….
Naza Optima…
will wait for the CKD VW passat… when will it be available in Msia? End Dec 2011?
anybody knows the estimated price?
The Design like SAAB Car.The exterior & Interior Very Out To Date……
Actually, even BMW has realised it’s mistake & has revamped the new F10 & F30 dash to be driver centric, ala the cockpit design of the older E36’s & E39’s.
So is the new BMW interior designs “Very Out of Date” also?
The car still need a nose job…
A bold looking car that won’t look outdated too fast. They must expect to sell a lot of these in Oz for them to fly in a team to re-do the suspension.
But Aussie will only get 1000 cars for this year due to high worldwide demand…
Awesome…
confirm i’ll buy this car in 3 years time at RM30k cash…
(wasting money to buy brand new, 2nd hand will do)
yeeehaaa…..
Keep up the good work Anthony. Your writing is fine as it is.
I saw this car yesterday on the road while coming back from Putrajaya to Puchong. Very good looking. Even more mouth watering than Forte. Exiting toll gate Puchong side by side exactly the same time but my vios cant compete wif the 2.4 engine.
Did you happen to notice if it was the same bling-bling 18″ rims as the pics above?
I think so.. the rim was quite large.. at least 17″… at 1st I thought it;s an Audi until I saw the KIA emblem.. surely if u remove the emblem nobody would say it a KIA.. :D
now its ok to keep the kia logo, u need to remove honda and toyota logo already
Saw this car in US last week and very impressive looking compared to Sonata, Accord and even Camry. The rear looks very much similar to Hyundai Genesis coupe that is not available in Malaysia.
I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, thanks to Paul Tan and Anthony, atleast I now have a little bit of an idea when we can expect this to arrive.
I was saving up for a BMW coupe (love the sleekness of coupes), but I’m more inclined to hold out for a 2.4 version of the Optima! It’s got EVERYTHING I’ve been lusting after (m/f steering w/paddle shift, gorgeous VW Passat CC-like seats, and much much more). It even has sleek coupe lines (except its a 2-door and not 4-door, which is not a bad thing)!
What’s not to love about this?
For all non-Korean car believers, I truly understand how you feel after seeing the flops of the past. However, everything has to start somewhere. And I truly believe Hyundai and Kia have “come of age” and has everything they need now in their artillery to really kick some Japanese (car-makers) ass!
Talking about resale/residual values, I think it’s way too early now to judge. These cars are getting more desirable. The people’s mindset WILL change once they realise how much they’re getting out of these cars.
I’ve enjoyed watching these Korean carmakers grow and develop. It is now time for me to show them my support.
My first ever Korean car will be a 2010 Kia Optima, in white colour. Sign me up!
U do the right job! Fully support!!
Nice looking but unknown performance… i have been using Kia for 3 year… engine like suck and always given problem.. one after another…
my current optima always giving problem.. and engine too soft and not agrresive too
I have been waiting for the Optima to arrive for some time! Had a chat with a few Kia dealers yesterday. Got a pretty consistent story across. Optima definitely will not be here in Sept! Best guess is end of this year! Apparently there are some problem with the AP. Same thing with the Sportage, all held up at Port Klang waiting for AP.
Anyone hears any story or can confirm my story?
Sigh, shd I now consider the less attractive Sonata?
Hi, what’s the latest update on the launch date on our shores?
Hi, what’s the latest update on the launch?
Although kia is a korean manufacturer – they are a true multinational in terms of the people they hire and involve in their car design. The world is too competitive for companies to put race or nationality first and exclude a lot of talent. Hopefully proton, petronas and all quasi-government Malaysian companies will learn from that. At the moment we have to live with world famous bumi-made cars.