Naza Kia Malaysia has officially launched the Kia Optima K5 facelift – the refreshed sedan takes over from the original Optima, which made its local debut in late 2011. First unveiled at the 2013 New York International Auto Show in March last year, and then seen at IIMS 2013, the mid-life rework of the third-gen TF arrives here in its 2.0 litre-engined guise, as before.
Not too many changes, exterior-wise – new front and rear bumpers get slapped on, and the fog lamps are now made up of four LED clusters on each side. The location of the DRL strips has also been changed, now sited on the top part of the HID Xenon headlamps (previously, located on the bumper). The front grille has also been given a minor revision.
Rear changes include an updated diffuser, a sweeping sharp edge to the trunk lid design as well as new LED combination lamps. The car also gets a new twin five-spoke 18-inch wheel design (wrapped with 225/45 rubbers), which is less showy than the flat-dish 10-spoke design worn by its predecessor.
No mechanical changes – the facelift continues on with a 2.0 litre CVVL Nu engine with 165 PS at 6,500 rpm and 198 Nm at 4,800 rpm, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Performance numbers include a 0-100 km/h time of 10.6 seconds.
Inside, you’ll find redesigned leather seats that offer better support and comfort, with the front seats being air-ventilated, as well as a Drive Mode Select feature on a racing-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel – the system primarily alters the transmission shift timing, throttle mapping and steering wheel weight for its three modes: Normal, Eco and Sport.
Also on, push button ignition, an electronic parking brake and a 4.3-inch TFT LCD screen instrument cluster with rear-view camera. Familiar kit includes dual-zone air-conditioning, panoramic sunroof, eight-speaker Infinity sound system with AUX, USB and iPod connectivity, and powered front seats.
Safety-wise, the facelift Optima K5 comes with six airbags, vehicle stability management (VSM), ESC, EBD, ABS, TCS, brake assist, Isofix mount points as well as four front and four rear parking sensors.
Four colours are available for the car, these being Snow White Pearl, Satin Metal, Aurora Black and Smokey Blue – the last three colours are new to the facelift. The Kia Optima K5 is priced at RM149,888 on-the-road with insurance, and comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty.
