Kia Roadshow in November
Naza Kia Sdn Bhd is having a roadshow for their newly launched Kia Optima, Kia Sportage facelift and Kia Spectra5 models. Many have decided to forever shun Korean cars, especially Kias, after bad experiences with the Sephia. But these are the latest generation of Kias and it would be interesting to go have a look and see if they have made any progress over the years or not.
- 23-25 Nov 2007 – Sunway Pyramid, Kuala Lumpur (New Wing)
- 27-29 Nov 2007 – Damansara Intan, Petaling Jaya
- 30 Nov – 2 Dec 2007 – Danga Bay, Johor Bahru
Kia cars registered during these roadshow dates will be eligible to get a free Samsung SGH-L760 phone, a slider phone featuring 3G, MP3/WMA/ACC player, microSD expandable memory and a 2 megapixel camera.
November 23, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
I was there for a SUBWAY sandwich and also test drove the Kia Sportage. Quite zippy. Quality quite acceptable. Tomorrow or Sunday I will go and try Optima and Spectra5.
November 23, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Petrol sucker car!
November 23, 2007 @ 7:16 pm
Yeah BigFish, I must agree with you as I was an owner of one before. I install dunno how many gadgets (surbo, air power, blah blah blah..) to reduce the guzzle but tarak jalan even a bit on them….
November 23, 2007 @ 7:18 pm
i am driving kia as well.
its a nice engine… and design for ichy leg people…
not for those that like to save fuel. Fact is that on highway.. 120-140km/h.. it uses Rm15-Rm17/100km petrol on my spectra. Quit reasonable. But at city, you need t watch the RPM.
lately i upgraded the ekzos and intake… power & torque increased. And now its even better.
Good if you like to rush after tool gate.. and good as family car as well.
Low price, cheapest in the class i think. no complain
November 23, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
i talked to 2 other spectra owner before..
and fact is that they dont use the gas paddle the spectra way
.. the engine and transmission is quit sensitive, where it will change gear quit easily. The first week getting the car is horrible on petrol.. but i quickly learned the tricks.. and this car really speed & rip.
Not the fastest laa.. not in mount chunmin… but mont kiara ya laa.
November 23, 2007 @ 8:15 pm
BigFish said,
November 23, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
New Korea Cars feature the latest CVVT engines which is very fuel efficient, you can get alot of information on the net.
Please do update yourself.
November 23, 2007 @ 8:35 pm
Optima is quite nice… This car is very spacious and the price is really attractive…
November 23, 2007 @ 8:48 pm
why those cars looks so boring ?
November 23, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
Korean cars only worth buying after 2-3 years due to lousy resale value.
Imagine now u can buy a 2003 Kia Carnival for a mere RM 35k (brand new price was RM 170k!).
November 23, 2007 @ 10:02 pm
hyundai said,
November 23, 2007 @ 8:35 pm
I knocked my head while trying to sit at the back. Sonata scored better in this point.
acbc said,
November 23, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
Because we have Naza Ria.
November 23, 2007 @ 10:50 pm
koreans are improving as we can see…..its only 7-8 years since the very 1st sephia came around to malaysia…..
now they are on CVVT tech, i’d like to give them a chance if they can get sales going and hopefully resale value and spare parts/maintainence will be much better in the future.
November 23, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
“Imagine now u can buy a 2003 Kia Carnival for a mere RM 35k (brand new price was RM 170k!).”
i doubt this.. i reading lots of “on the road” magazine. Second hand car price is what i concern as well.
kia was having a bad resell price (previously).. because since the car assemble in kedah, the new car is selling 30k+- cheaper that the previous imported model. So, those that later selling it, cry like a baby (cause of buying imported car).
well, i bought the spectra upgraded version for 64k. And now new car selling price hick to 69k empty car. yaiks… not sure the figure true or wat. But thats what i see in magazine.
For reselling car that is 2-3years old.. that is a total lost, the worst time to sell. Probably you are loosing 50% of it. I think if today i sell my spectra, i will getting 30k around +-.. which i dont want to sell. Its a very nice and strong engine…. muak muak.. been smoke the S on uphill before.. lol..
this is due to the auto transmission that is ‘clutch’ like. Not sure wat, but its not deadly attached like we found in new waja. When you got cluth like transmisiion.. its voom voom time.
November 23, 2007 @ 11:30 pm
kia car is very cheap in price…even in new model.
here is the fact.
kia RIA = 80-100k . v6 2.5L A
Kia citra = 79k . 2.0 A CVVT
quit a good bargain. And fact is that, there is lots of citra on the road.
November 23, 2007 @ 11:46 pm
Is the new KIA RIO 1.4 JB engine really exactly same as Hyundai Getz engine???
November 24, 2007 @ 12:20 am
exterior looks outdated…
November 24, 2007 @ 1:47 am
sorry i have 2 say spectra is the worst ive ever driven…prefer driving my gen2 than my spectra all the time
November 24, 2007 @ 2:38 am
I am currently testing the Kia Optima and am getting about 12.5 liters per 100km travelled using very realistic real life driving patterns - a mix of city and highway with more city than highway, and the occasional full throttle overtaking. Measurement started from a full to the brim tank of petrol, and a mix of single person, 2, 3 or 4 persons in a car with mostly 2 in a car.
November 24, 2007 @ 3:27 am
if u do a proper research on CVVT….the main advantages is that it has less power loss and a quciker shift times…but saving FC is very doubtful….even if its true…its very minor….
November 24, 2007 @ 3:36 am
i’m curious, what has CVVT to do with shift times? as far as i know it has no relations to the gearbox. maybe you can share with us the page you’re referring to.
November 24, 2007 @ 8:32 am
Isaacvky:
Hit your head? Isn’t Optima physically similar to Sonata?
November 24, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
i’m using citra GS & its a good vehicle, bought it @ juz 74k.its fuel consumption? ok lar, 20 bucks of fuel can get me 2 way trip (sentul-klang). its body’s very solid, i hav a small accident once, a wira kiss my BUTT, sustain minor scratch but the wira’s frnt bumpers got out…. lucky me, poor him….
November 24, 2007 @ 1:04 pm
Paul, that’s the Optima 2.0 you tested?
You might get better mileage with the 2.4, reason could the 2.0 was having hard time hauling that heavy machine.
November 24, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
yup…agree wit nmh…gen2 is better than spectra…
November 24, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
charger: there is no latest generation optima 2.4 on sale
November 24, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
my friend drive kia spectra, woooo big eater on gasoline… next year
mati ooooo, minyak naik more n more n more n more
November 24, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
I went to Sunway Pyramid again today. Rear headroom is very good. And the car is already CKD not CBU and then CKD and reduce price so no need to bring up this old story in relation to the current models. Go and see for yourself.
November 24, 2007 @ 8:00 pm
Next year mati oooo? Hahaha! But one thing’s very true, you don’t hear of ANY Spectra owners complaining about power window failure, that’s for sure.
November 25, 2007 @ 3:10 am
acbc said,
November 23, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
Korean cars only worth buying after 2-3 years due to lousy resale value.
Imagine now u can buy a 2003 Kia Carnival for a mere RM 35k (brand new price was RM 170k!).
____
dat was due to ckd naza ria la….selling at 90K plus…pls update yourself.
also big engine cars like that suffer heavy depreciuation no matter wat brand i.e take toyota, supposedly the strongest brand in resale value around or at least what most ppl believes….a 2003 toyota estima only 120k now ( brand new last time selling at 330k plus)
when comes to korean cars alot of ppl think they are expert….”oh last time (1990s) my aunty said high fuel comsumption” etc…and other loads of crap. heck… how many actually drive one themselves and find out the truth?
Anyway… i think sonata looks better than this optima but this is already a major improvement from the old ugly optima
November 25, 2007 @ 3:17 am
e-nabilll said,
November 24, 2007 @ 3:27 am
if u do a proper research on CVVT….the main advantages is that it has less power loss and a quciker shift times…but saving FC is very doubtful….even if its true…its very minor….
_____
dun joke la…CVVT is more or less equivalent to i-vtec, vvt-i or mivec….how to improve gearbox shift time?
November 25, 2007 @ 6:18 pm
e-nabilll said,
November 24, 2007 @ 3:27 am
It’s CVVT Continuously Variable Valve Timing
Not CVT Continuously Variable Transmission
November 29, 2007 @ 8:06 pm
In August when they first launched the new Optima I went to check it out at the local dealer in Kulim (LK Low). The salesman James was very helpful however he was apologetic when I asked him to start the engine so that I can hear the sound. I did not even ask for a test drive as I understood that this was a very new car. James told me his boss wants a deposit or down payment to be paid upfront before he can even start the engine for me. I told him, what nonsense is this? He apologized again and said that it was boss’ orders.
I was very disappointed with this (could it have been that I went to visit the showroom riding a scooter and not with my 2-litre car I am presently driving) and told James that “you have just lost a potential sale, perhaps as mentioned you have received 5 bookings today that’s why your boss cannot be botheredâ€.
I emailed Naza’s customer care and it took me 6 emails and finally 1 fax (I had to submit to their preferred method of using the fax instead of email to raise a complaint) before I was finally contacted by their customer service manager. He promised to take it up with the dealership and it was only after 3 more email exchanges that I was told the Kulim showroom had been given a show cause letter to explain what had happened.
At the same time the dealership boss Mr Low himself gave me a call to offer to arrange an appointment for test drive (well if I had not complained to Naza persistently, I would have had to buy one before I can get behind the wheel of a new Optima). I did ask him why he prohibited his salespeople from even starting the engine and he said cars needed trade plates before they can be tested by customers.. well.. well.. well let us see when the economy goes into recession someday, car dealers will be begging us to buy their goods.
November 30, 2007 @ 6:23 am
… and that is why Naza Kia will never go anywhere even with good products, until they fix the PEOPLE. Kia Motors has already fixed the products IMHO.