More on the soon to be launched Kia Optima K5, which will be officially introduced on December 27 – some leaked pages of the product manual or brochure for the Malaysian-spec’d 2.0 litre model have come about, courtesy of reader Billy, and while they don’t really tell us that much more about the car that we already don’t know, there are still some tidbits to be had.
The most interesting is the mention of HPD (high performance dampers) as part of the car’s suspension setup. The configuration is similar to the Sachs high performance dampers – with floating pistons – found on the Australian 2.4 GDI variant we drove earlier in the year, and that particular suspension tune was quite the standout, so there’s a lot of handling promise being hinted here with the inclusion of HPD in the Malaysian version.
As mentioned in our earlier story, the D-segment K5 will be available here in a single engine variant form, this being the Theta II 2.0 litre MPI mill with 165 PS and 198 Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed transmission.
We do already know that the handsome, muscular Optima – styled by Peter Schreyer and his team at Kia’s studios in Frankfurt, Germany and Irvine, California – destined for Malaysia will come with the same machine-finished 18-inch, 10-spoke flush-faced alloy wheel as that of the Aussie car, and it’ll also feature leather seats.
Externally, with the exception of the dual tailpipes of the 2.4 GDI (the car here features a single tailpipe), the list of external cues looks pretty much identical too – same black chrome two-tone front mesh Tiger Nose grille, rear lip type spoiler, LED daytime running lights (located above the fog lamps, and set into the front bumper) and LED rear combination lamps. The K5 here will also feature auto-levelling HID xenon headlamps.
The scan of the interior features shows the same four-spoke leather steering wheel, replete with paddle shifters and function controls, and items include a foot parking brake and an Active ECO function. This optimally adjusts the ECU, TCU and air-conditioner compressor for the best fuel efficiency performance – Kia says it can result in up to 9.1% in fuel savings.
Other items on the known features list are dual-zone auto air-conditioning, full-width three-piece panoramic glass sunroof, cruise control, six airbags (dual front, front side and full length-curtain) and USB/Bluetooth connectivity.
Given the way it shapes up, I’d hazard a guess that the list for the local K5 should contain pretty much the whole shebang found in the Oz car, which should mean that push-button engine start/stop, LED side repeaters, a tailgate-mounted reversing safety camera with interior mirror LCD display monitor as well as illuminated door scuff plates and Supervision cluster – with a 3.5-inch TFT-colour LCD screen – are in.
Another bit on the list should be the six-CD changer, seven-speaker Infinity Premium Sound System, incorporating a centre speaker, subwoofer and an external amplifier. And safety-wise, ABS, EBD, TCS, brake assist, hill-start assist control and ESP should be part of the parcel. All in all, this should be a very comprehensively-equipped vehicle. No indicative pricing as of yet, but we’ll know come December 27.
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hmm no aluminium pedals?
Heard from reliable source that Naza intends to price this midway between the Kia Forte and the baseline Honda Accord to compete with the major players ( i.e. RM118,888).
Will book one if it’s true.
The spec almost same as Sportage which prices RM138k..
If this K5 quoted at RM120k, definitely it can sell well..
besides, naza need to improved its after sale services too..
r u sure it’s 120k?
it’s hyundai-badged sibling, the sonata is starting a 136k le…
16k is a huge difference!
anyway… if it’s true… it will be the main selling point of the car…
Dream On ! Already Confirm is RM 142,888.00 OTR
Confirm in your ARSE?
Kedai abang that way —>
Nice :)
i like organ type pedals, sub100k should have these feature
The latest Elantra will feature organ-type pedal and the starting price should be less than 100k!!!
8gen civic also have this… so far, i like it so much..
wow!
Hopefully we could see more of these on the roads. Great design and drive train combination too bad we are not getting any GDI engines due to fuel quality issues. The 2.2 diesel from the Sorrento and Santa Fe in this car would also be tempting
Currently the Optima only have one diesel engine which is the 1.7 U2 VGT TurboDiesel unit shared with Hyundai i40…
The 2.0L Turbo Optima is the one to watch out for ….. sadly not going to be available here
i think fuel quality issue might be to blame??
Where are u from?
I am one of the kia sales advisor..optima k5 already have stock..can contact me if interested..limited stock only 100 unit in malaysia..
interested, how to contact?
Hey Adam, how to contact ? Where can i see the actual car today ? How long should i wait to get a new car ? Is it possible to get the full spec car with GPS on it ?
Which showroom are you now ? Is it at the Red Cube which next to Federal Hiway ? Is it possible to book for test drive in this coming Saturday or Sunday ? Hope that you contact me asap.
Hi Adam,
Test drive is available?
Nice design but once I saw the KIA logo at the steering, it totally turn me off. They knew very well the name is not impressive, at least please change the logo without the name in it.
Just paste your own picture on top of the steering’s logo then :)
haha, why not paste the whole family photo :D
haha…. logo is ugly.. but i’m not sure if your face isnt uglier.. haha
Just heard of the name NAZA really scare me off. Still can’t forget my experience on my Sorento where I need to visit their service center almost every week! New car and yet they can’t solve the car problem where it steered to left all the time. On straight road I need to keep pulling the steering to right. What really piss me off is they claimed its NORMAL!! I actually felt happy even with the loss of 60K by selling it only after 1 year.
KIA ‘The Power To Surprise’…..you are in for a ‘surprise’ bro..sorry for you
Same goes to me, my KIA Picanto got brake problem..It keep jamming, I lost RM8k just to sell it to the used car, but I’m happy to get rid of it..damn
Cantik..menarik..tapi sorry..dah serik dengan kereta korea..bubbai!! Lesson learned.
u sell u 7years nazaria and aspect to sell it like 2nd hand toyoti or hondi.. no wonder la tak lepas…
lesson 1: if u worry the secondhand value, dont touch this car
lesson 2 : if u dont care about about lesson 1, then go ahead with this car , paultan review this car in australia as a great car ( except the engine type – australia GDI , ours – ThetaII)
Malaysia is so protective of her car industries that the people are often deprived of latest models and technology. This Kia Optima is a common sight in Middle East for quite some times now.
Mr Zan… then go to the Middle East then…
really dunno wat to say about ppl like you. perhaps, pity.
Mr Taboogen, I am IN the Middle East riding Camry and latest Sonata as taxi while you err I guess riding Saga and Exora as taxi? Proton cars? You have better chance of getting rain here then spotting Proton or Perodua. They never able to to break the market and this is where there is NO tax..all companies have equal chances…Heck even the Chinese are getting in..
Oh come on….. You come to Germany it’s Mercedes E class for common taxi…. it doesnt prove anything…
Hi Arifjizat,
I used to heard one taxi driver told me when he was working in europe, they drive Merc as Taxi.
My last trip was Taiwan, they use Toyota Weld as Taxi, but here in Malaysia?? Hai….
All is due to over protect the local brand….
I hate to say that, but in reality the price tag can’t go lower than the recently launched Sportage, so it must be in the range from RM140K ~ RM148K…
Duh, one is a SUV and the another is a sedan. And SUV is always more expensive than sedan.
Not necessary..
Look at Sonata vs tucson, accord vs cr-v.. the price is almost the same..
OMG…more expensive than Sportage….No way, i expect the price will be between RM 125K up to RM 140K. If more than RM 140K, ppl will buy T&H or Sonata.
in Korea, Sportage is pricier than K5..when converted to RM, Sportage is around 90k while the K5 is around 75k
OMG…i think nasib(sales) for this car will be like Kia Forte (maybe lagi teruk), you can see this in the monthly car sales in Msia. T&H sales still better than K. So if this car price is RM130K++…. it will now sell well for sure.
Used to own a Kia Spectra… I’d always curse the damn thing because I used to hate it so much… But this Kia Optima I’d love to own!
Don’t compare a grand daddy with his son..definitely different =)
Kia still spell ‘torque’, wrong spelling. It should be torgue.
What is torgue???Is it new spelling for torque???
what a fool!
You’ve gotta be kidding
Kia is correct.
You are wrong. It is TORQUE, not TORGUE.
you can’t really spell, huh?
BEST COMMENT FAIL EVER!
Must be guys from Proton…..
This guy actually ‘menganjing’ how proton spell torque.
Either the readers in paultan are too damn serious or they always browse through the comment section to with the “I will support this post no matter what and condemned the evil doers to hell” attitude until they can’t take a joke anymore..
Paul Tan, you and your team should be held responsible for this.
(PS: I’m joking too.)
torgue?? hahahahahahahah……….where u get tis from?? lolz…
hey… i cn give u a free spelling bee class, if ure interested in. come over my house!
with ass lube ready?
drool!
I think Hyundai Sonata more sportier than luxury feeling when we make close comparison on interior and exterior.For my first impression I think Optima should be not more than RM100K++
if so, toyota camry and honda accord should price at RM50k coz the whole car is empty inside.
yes….50k without the badge, but slap in the 100k badge then the price is worth150k.
Camry and Accord not so bad. At least got something to press. Teana really milo kosong. Ais pun takda…
omg te specs are really impressive….i got no idea which idiot say tis car is expensive. For te amount of specs tis is probably best value for money car and tis is far better than any of te other 2.4 model. for RM140k it really makes sense and plus te HDP is something we usually associate with german cars
what’s ‘te’ ? what’s ’tis’ ?
people are getting lazier by the day…
duhhhhhhh its been design by germans
Wait till you see the car.. Which car offer 5 18 inch rim (included spare Tyre), static bending light, 8 speaker (Infinity), 6 Air bag, Power Sear with 2 memory setting?
Malaysia car market is getting more interesting :)
The interior design desirely look cheapo and low quality but the exterior match with City in term of beauty.
Hahaha….please drive your City there and compare when it is launched.
agree, let park city side by side and compare
;-)
LOL why you compare to those lousy City?
thui! this car is leagues ahead of the city in terms of looks, and pretty much anything for that matter!
Seems like a pretty nice package, waiting and see if it has good pricing as well.
Typical of recent KIA cars in Malaysia…accessories filled to the brim. Kudos!!
Would be super great if can get CKD version for cheaper price eh?
Noticed the dark oak wood fascia on the gear shift stick. Looks matching with the black interior. Very nice.
good to know that we can now purchase a sporty, spacious, well equipped and good handling car……..and finally with a cheap price tag (hopefully).
good handling? lol.
since when kia and hyundai knows anything about handling?” they still have a lot to learn
did u not read the inclusion of HPD in the car? we are getting the same setup as the aussies and tested to be better.
i agree they not the masters of handling yet, which is why i said good handling, not superior or excellent…just good.
handling will sure be way better than the sonata….and i have tested that car, the sonata handling is below par.
i thought the “tiger” image belongs to proton.
Yup, should be. But as always, proton dun have a clue on how to use the “tiger” image to their design except for the logo. Now Kia is the Harimau Malaya’s official car ;)
Quite excited with those fetures… But, feels trauma with my previous kia…… Wonder where my car right now….
very impressive spec list, shame about the engine
I reckon rm140k for this piece of crap
i reckon rm 0.01 for your puny brain
I offer RM1,000,000 for Maserati’s brain. Never used before!
good one… that Maserati fellow is really a piece of crap..!~
Dear Maserati,
This piece of KIA Optima crap is only slightly better than Vios, Altis, City, Accord and Camry.
Boring car. Let’s see the sales result. haha
Boring? Hello, this is a mid-size family car, so family carrying duties is its main priority. What so you expect? Lamborghini design? If so, go buy a Lamborghini if you really put design on top of your list.
Sales results, well, let’s just say it won’t beat the Camry, sales-wise, but for those who use their heart to buy one, kudos to them. I should know better, as i was once only a Jap car owner until i tried a Hyundai. Now, 2 years later, i’d be happy to give the Contis a try, thanks to their resurgence.
So after all those Hip Hip Hurray of the New Optima.
Our Beloved David D Wonder Boy decide to choose a conti car.
Plenty of Korean Fanboy supporter but would they put their money where their mouth is ? I don’t think so, That why we see pathetic MAA mothly sales result every month.
Anyway if my Family is paying for the car, i couldn’t care less on the residual value, too bad I wasn’t born with silver spoon not even Silver coated Stainless Steel Spoon.
Hey, don’t try to be such a twister here. Just because i said i would like to go for a Conti car doesn’t mean i won’t consider Jap or Korean cars. Got a problem with that? Even Volkswagen, Peugeot, and Ford sales combined aren’t able to beat the Japs, so what the heck?
There are many car lovers here who would love to have both Asian and European makes at home, me included, and some has already done it. So, what’s the big issue?
Get a life, damn it. Don’t come here trying to inflame the hatred, for as you see, your comments get downrated not because it’s in general, but for your sheer stupidity, stubbornness and arrogance. So, keep your arrogant mouth shut unless you have proper discussions.
Haha… The Meserati crap is commenting again
Y malaysian cannot accept Korean car?
they r just too obsessed with the japanese, ignore those who been cheated by T & H brands
i don’t think you can blame them – once bitten, twice shy. it will take more than one good generation of korean cars to change the perceptive. but having said that if you read the latest review on suv here, then you get the drift……..
blindsided by protection for Proton’s affordability forced upon us. If not, many will buy Korean cars for their actual price value.
bcos of perceptions…and bcos of bad horror previous experiences with that particular brand…its warented n not jus out of thin air…..
1 word..depreciation!
blindsided by malaysian cars’ affordability forced upon us. If not, more people will buy Korean cars. Well, actually they will buy all other OEM cars.
hopefully below 100k
Cant wait to see what Masked Ryder will criticize next. He really has a hard on for the Koreans.
Wonder why he is so busy body / kepoh with how some people wish to spend their hard earn money. Their money, their business / pasal lah.
huhuhu merry xmas everyone i love kia!
Another junk on the road. Whats the point fully loaded with kit but engine,gearbox and steering still crap? Kia, get ur priorities right. I would take a less beautiful car like a golf tsi anytime anyday cuz of its dsg box n engine
Different people….different taste…
Don’t say it is until junk level. Every car serves its purpose. VW wise is more focus on power train and handling, where as this is on overall.
diam la, can’t afford don’t say so much la, go dream your maserati la. d0g
i know TSI engine indeed a very good engine, but wat so bad abt Theta II till u hv 2 call it a junk?? do u know tat the Theta II shares its basic design with the 4B11T found in Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution and Lancer Ralliart platform?? so Evo oso a junk compare wit TSI, Vtec..etc?? just my 2cents….
Junk again, huh, Maserati? What about calling yourself JUNK? Bloody sore loser of a rich, arrogant Merc-driving bastard. Seriously, get a life, this is the real-life competition of cars, so why so picky about the Koreans launching a new car?
Please, the Golf is a great car, but it’s in a different category. Why not compare it to a Passat or a 508? Then it’s a more logical comparison. My goodness, can;t believe low-lifes like you still like trolling here, making car lovers angry, and trying to turn this place into somewhat of a manhood-measuring contest. Gosh.
peng yu,
DSG box is not everything in a car !!!!
sedan vs compact hatch?
korean vs german?
what theory is this?
Every car has its own segment. enough said.
DSG sucks. it shifts like a fake orgasm, lots of huha but no feel.
Based on your arguement, even jap cars are junk as they cant compete with golf TSI coz of its dsg box n engine.
So you reckon Honda and toyota should get their priorities right too?
Or are you so narrow minded that you forgot about your fav japs in your argument?
PS: To the imbecile who likes to impersonate other ppl, you should get a life as yours is sad and pathetic.
Put in 10 year old engine, 10 year old gearbox. Yea, I guesses this is your priority, same as Toyoda.
The real Maserati is back. As usual, mouth full of SHIT.
Mate,
I like your technology comment but I find it strange that why don’t you write this comment regarding the engine, gearbox and steering crap as you have mentioned on this manufacturer for below 3 models as you have shown yourself you are a technology freak.
http://paultan.org/2011/12/09/toyota-avanza-brochures-out-on-the-upcoming-facelift/
http://paultan.org/2011/10/07/toyota-fortuner-facelift-launched-from-rm168k-to-rm182k/
http://paultan.org/2011/10/21/2011-toyota-innova-gets-updated-looks-in-malaysia/
Strange isn’t it?
Well, all i can say to maserati is that over a 7 year period loan ( the usual for the poor abused malaysian motorist), his GOLF TSI and “RELIABLE” gearbox is 2- 3 times more likely to break down. All the global quality surveys indicate that Volkswagen has to buck up on its reliability. Maybe it can learn something from Hyundai
Meserati, you got $$$ or not??? Take golf TSI?
You must be dreaming your meserati……..
another guy got caught up with marketing speak. seriously, i don’t know what the DSG gearbox means to the majority of everyday drivers. smooth shift? a lot of auto trannys today shift quite smoothly. it’s not like it’s a day and night difference. faster 0-100 times? common, you’re not driving a sports car. 1second faster to 100 because of shift time so you’re king? doh!
tsi engine – great amount of torque and power. but guess what? not everybody needs that kind of power. have you seen the engine oil consumption issues with the new tsi engines? australian owners report up to 1L per 1000km engine oil consumed. enjoy your TSI lah. sheesh.
cannot understand these people. a car is more than just an engine and gearbox. if that’s your priority then go buy the TSI engine and DSG gearbox and retrofit it to a sampan and drive around town proudly proclaiming you own super high tech gearbox + engine.
Haha great, the real Maserati is back, as always, mouth full of SHIT.
although i dislike this maserati guy,but i have to say that Hyundai/Kia’s current engine is a lil bit short on delivering a good drive quality,despite having a high hp and torque figure.i had the the priviledge of drving the sonata for a long period,i must say the engine,gearbox and handling dun really work together.its sumthing Hyundai/kia has yet to perfect,but knowing how fast they catch up,i believe the next gens would be on par with Germans and give the Japs a run for their money.kudos to kia and hyundai for improving so quickly
Looks fierce, like a muscle car. I wonder how the performance and handling are though. It is already well-equipped but would be more amazing if they put in the 2.0L GDI turbo instead.
price! price! price! but AP king wont kill own self. expect RM119K range…damn.
I know why is maserati hate to much about Hyundai and Kia, maybe it’s because of his family died in a car crash in a hyundai or kia. Sad, rip.
When U borrowed my Nick Name, at lease write with some courtesy, he have his opinion & u have yours, no problem if we crack a joke or 2, but don’t go to the extend of cursing or insulting other people family.
Visually, the interior design & features is quite ergonomic. It’s within the par of its own class.
I see alot of narrow minded people here! i mean how can u compare a D segment car with Honda city and golf TSI? its a totally different class all together. If u want to compare with TSI engines please compare the Optima TURBO.
sean dont be narrow minded too… its just typical malaysian to campare car with the price tag not on the car segment… thats all… if you got the drift you’ll understand it… like we always compare saga and myvi… or now myvi over exora… since they are in the same price bracket… if we are more malaysian.. we will understand….
we all know tat TSI engine indeed a very good engine, but wat so bad abt Theta II engine till u hv 2 call it a junk?? do u know tat the Theta II shares its basic design with the 4B11T found in Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution and Lancer Ralliart platforms?? just my 2 cents…..
Good luck Kia , I don’t think this car will sell well in Malaysia as the segment is already overcrowded with better quality cars
Front view more like a K9
BTW, how is this infinity premium sound?
Good or so-so only?
search on youtube then you’ll know how good it is…
Bloody hell it’s amazing, i thought the infinity moniker was just a name Kia came up for their own system, not actually done by Infinity audio
Suppressingly the spec that available in malaysia here is pretty impressive and lots of extra features/gadgets…So previously we mentioning bout the OTR which will going to be RM142,888.00 looks like it can be exceptable+competitive…Cant wait to test drive it and share to friend on this great ride…
Why the new Optima copies Pontiac G8 front design. The Pontiac G8 already launch since 2008.
Please Korean car manufacture don’t copy cat lorh not nice..Just look at how originality Ford, Chevrolet designs the car.
I will pick Hyundai Sonata for originality.
Lol. Do u even know how a G8 looks like? It looks no where like the G8 or its Commodore twin.
I think the Optima is plenty original.
not the same la bro .
Why is everyone over protective of a brand or model thay have not yet owned? Its a fact with many kias on a global scale to have a much lower selling point both new and used. Similarly to the japanese cars back in the 70s, people will never even thing about driving one. But if someone dislikes a certain brand, a certain model, why debate furiously on it, theres no right and wrong solutions for such matter.
Its a shame to see how people would lower down someones opinion (which can be true) and still thinking about freedom of speech..
There are facts, and there are biased opinions and reviews with cars.
My say: this car looks good at most angles, and by the photo, the interior looks luxurious. BUT i think about my future since a car is not a toy that can be bought and sold at any wished time, and a KIA has poor after sales value and fuel efficiency is not on par. This is a fact that you can understand and see throughtout malaysia and globally.
Thumbs me up … i cant agree with you more… typical malaysian… WE talk too much but we do oven lesser….. that we can hardly changed…..
we want this we want that…. want high end technology, spec with low price… argue here and there….. but when it come to oneself let say their company say.. we need to cut your salary or reduce bonus… all will jump like monkey…. but they doesn’t care if its happened to other person….
true but if you want to maximize fuel efficiency and after sales value, a kancil, myvi, or kelisa is the best, honestly!
Kia & Hyundai gives the best specs & techs but only a few will buy it. thats the sad case of koreans in malaysia.
Sonata looks much more luxurious so I guess this should be priced lower than it. awesome.
Nice looking car, way better than good looking than the overprice Sonata … let’s see how Naza price this Optima, should sell reasonably well if pricing is ok .. like Forte
hoping no proton salesman here.
They will write this tag “Exora Prime 1.6 CFE better!”
So this is gonna be CBU? Looks good. But dangerously priced.
I feel it won’t take off until it’s CKD-ed with much lower price, assuming the expected RM140k++ price range is true. Accord and Camry will sell well at this rate. Damn shame.
Tiger roar grille, tapi macam rimau takde gigi je…:-) Just deviating from technical discussion.
Why allow only new Kia model coming in? Where is the Avante from Hyundai?
too much better than inspira junk proton (comparison apple vs apple)
Hopefully after 1 or 2 years, the price drop very high, than the mid income people can buy it!!
Inspira is C-segment la dude. Optima is in D-segment. Still apple vs durian comparison.
Some of you missed my point. My point is that its not what class the car is in be it a,b,c or d. What i meant is that even the golf tsi doesnt look as great as the optima but it drives a million times better. Wait, we dont even need to look at golf tsi. Just compare civic 2.0 with this. Pls lah korea, dont give us good looking shells that drive like crap. Give us moderate looking shells but drives like a dream.
And dont tell me theta engine share design with so and so. If you give the japs and china the same raw material, i am sure the final product of the japs will be a million times better than china. Same goes to lancer engine and whatever bullcrap theta engine.its not whether they share the same design,its who has the expertise to finetune it.
i have experience with the sonata, and yes, the handling on the sonata is not exactly confidence inspiring. but yet it still sells. the same can be said for the vios or camry (floaty like a sampan). not everyone has handling as a priority
I do agreed. The Koreans are giving us gorgeous cars now, but the only thing is the specs and drive quality understates the car. And to a certain extend I feel disappointed that the specs given don’t compliment this good looking car. However, I believe it is a matter of time before they pick up on other lacking areas, they already got the design right.
but i just dun understand, y Theta II engine is a junk??u own a Theta II engine car now or b4?? does the engine gav u any problems b4?? can u just tell us wats so wrong abt this Theta II engine??
hope the interior is black. dont look nice if beige colour ^^
the specs sounded a lot like a sonata with a different skin…
driven one b4, and i would say it’s impressive..
so this could be another good car…
Hate to say.. but I must admit that KIA now become better and more better from day to day..
Both Protongkat and Hyundai-Kia enjoy protection by gomen, a fact.
Only difference Hyundai-Kia very smart go big market like US, Euro, Latins for volume economics and quickly hire best designers to beat everyone as good design sells anywhere.
For Protongkat, very stupid regard US market as kafir but enough to sell small in UK. Loose tons of money by missing volume economics, suffer fugly designs, pay Kroni, pay Lotus and ends up broke dead end like now.
Someone very smart know how to use advantage and the other one keep blaming others for not supporting their ugly craps.
Now look at this Optima K5 and compare with Banana V6. Pathetic.
Please Google when was Hyundai established and when was Proton. Both do not have the same age. Tell me where is Hyundai when it had the same age as Proton?
So how do you justify Cars made by Luxgen ? They only started making cars in 2009? Obviously their cars are way better than p1’s
LUXGEN Motors (Chinese: ?????; pinyin: Nàzhìjié Qìch?) is a Taiwanese automaker. It was initially a private brand, announced by Yulon on January 6, 2009. The name “Luxgen” is formed by combining “Luxury” and “Genius”. The company’s slogan is “Think Ahead”. Luxgen also plans to launch the brand in China and manufacture Luxgen vehicles in Hangzhou, China in late 2010.[1]
Wikipedia
Oh yeah another point …. the first batch of SAGA which came out of Proton’s plant has build qualities way better then any Hyundai or Kia of that time . My 1992 Saga’s dashboard material is undoubtedly better then the Kia Sephia which was sold many years ago. After that it seems do go downhill. you go figure that out.
SG COE prices had went crazy these days… else I’ll be the first one to get it. You GOT TO SEE THE OPTIMA in PERSON to appreciate how nice and well design it is.
Too bad both SG and Bolehland got the base 2L Theta II. According to Hyundai, even with low sulphur fuel available here in SG, they still won’t want to introduce the GDI series engines here for fear the that the high sulphur content fuel in Malaysia will damage the injectors in no time. Direct Injection needs very low sulphur (ie Euro 4 and above) gasoline to prevent excessive carbon buildup in the injectors.
So until both countries can prove we have ready and easy supply of low sulphur gasoline, Hyundai/Kia will NOT introduce their GDI engines here. They don’t want to be laden with numerous expensive repairs.
The Optima SHOULD be available in 2.4L Theta II. The base 2L is abit underpowered. I’ve test driven it twice and although it might look ok with 2 pple on board, you can feel the engine starting to struggle slightly with 4 pple on board. OK la, I’m comparing the Optima with my FD1… but still… more power is always desireable.
http://www.kiaglobal.com/sg/en/wcm/groups/webcontent/@kgn/documents/webvehiclecontent/013203.pdf
For that, we will have to get the i45/Sonata here in SG… :(
This is a rather good performance for a 2.0L engine. I think Civic 2.0 is only around 150PS but at higher rpm.
This is why I said Honda has lost its tech brilliance…esp with the next gen Civic, not only its damn ugly, the materials used is much worse than the current FD generation…. and the K20Z engine option is gone becos it’s too exciting for the new car liao… :(
Lots of goodies. Keep it up Kimchi. I believe the day where ppl choose Kimchi over Sushi is not far away.
Frankly speaking, I think I wld prefer Sushi more than Kimchi… in term of food. But when come to car, I personally think that Korean car makers have really done a good job in the recent years, whereas Jap car makers like T & H are a little bit behind these days in term of thier design & technology, such as the coming H Civic & T Camry….
Frankly speaking, I think I wld still prefer Sushi to Kimchi, just becos of thier taste, in term of food. In term of car, I think the Korean car makers have really done a good job in the recent years. Whereas our Jap car makers are a little bit behind especially in term of thier design, such as the coming H Civic & T Camry.
Everytime a Korean car comes into our market, ppl just bash like there’s no 2morrow even before they put their hands on the wheel….Crap here crap there.If you ever been to Korea you probably find the whole f**kin road full of their cars & they dont seem to complain much.Anyway I’m not a Korean car fan either & will never wish to own one at least not for this moment.
Good specification and great design, in fact, a great beauty but all the but on Koreans in terms of handling, engine noise and maintenance cost in Malaysia, lastly the resale price will be main loser versus the Japanese brand or European
all kia car = stupid car
maserati is famous with his criticism in every korean car article.. I think he likes the attention.
anyone have any info about Theta II 2.0 litre MPI ??
does it have VVT on intake only or both intake and exhaust have VVT?
things that I know is we can’t get GDI (direct injection) due to our Bolehland Fuel Quality
Actually the GDI series is still based on the Theta II series. In fact its called Theta II GDI in North America. So it’s not an out of date engine in anyway.
Yes Theta II has VVT on both the intake and exhaust valves. Toyota still have plenty of 11 yr old VVTi tech but somehow pple still pay top $$ for it. :(
Wait for the Suzuki Kizashi, heard should be launching next year Jan 2012, should be a good contender as well !!
Have not seen the real car yet, but from picture the exterior (personal taste) looks better than Sonata, especially the front. Interios wise I also prefer this look. I read somewhere that the handling is also better. Overall I think it’s a better car to Sonata.
Gives KIA the credits when it’s due. Ya, KIA used to have a bad name on non-reliable engine / gearbox, hopefully they overcome it.
When it comes to technology advancement, Hyundai/KIA is showing more commitment than T&H, to imagine Toyota is still using it’s 2.4cc engine since 2000 ?! Only gearbox is slightly advanced from 4spd to 5 spd, or CVT in the case of Vellfire 2.4. But many should know that this CVT while providing better smoothness and fuel economy, it scarifies top speed by 10-15%, and reliability is still unknown because the structure is simple -> you pull the BIG car with no gear, there might be long-term stress.
As for MPI or GDI, I still think that they should bring in the GDI version, since VW also can bring in their FSI and Turbo-FSI engine, which is direct injection as well. So far among my VW peers I have not heard of engine problem due to direct injection. More from the DSG actually ;)
CFE is still better compared than Tetta II….CFE 2000rpm-400rpm torque at 205Nm…but Tetta II 202Nm at 4800rpm….Exora bold better acceleration compared than KIA Optima..
Exora heavy lah.
CFE is turbo with CPS @ Timing Belt Engine……..
Theta II is not Turbo with Dual CVVT type @ Timing Chain………..
Durability-> Theta II since using it.
Campro-> Still Doubt since Many video in Youtube show Campro Engine Failure even 2011 model.
CFE must compare with Peugeot 5008 since Turbo 1.6
Haha you guys actually think the CFE Campro engine is in the same league as Ford Ecoboost and PSA 1.6L T? They’re of completely different class atogether la..
Exora can’t go anywhere fast even with the Turbo mainly becos it has a power zapping CVT to zap whatever extra power the turbocharger can offer. And to my Malaysian friends, some of you may not realize exactly how unreliable CVTs can be…esp if is used to haul heavy loads most of the time.
Case in point, do you guys ever wonder why many JDM cars who had CVTs in Japan had conventional 4-5AT or better yet, manual trans when the said models are converted for official export duties? For example, Fit–> Jazz, Estime–> Previa, Wish CVT–> Wish 4AT… etc. Do you think the engineers have too much free time in their hands? haha :D
Not all CVT are bad. After development of so many years I believe there must be some improvement. Honda give up their CVT but Nissan been using it and heard no major problems.
What really worry is to turbo charges an engine that not initially design to work under turbo charge condition. I guess that’s why output from CFE is much lower if compare to 1.6 prince.
This is another model NOT for those who are too hard-up on resale values.
The reason ppl dont buy korean makes is because all of these specs listed out by kia or hyundai are just paper specs. Ppl are smart enough not to be fooled by paper specs when in real life driving, the experience doesnt match up with the paper specs.
Throw away that useless infinity sound system and gimme a better smoother revving engine.
Get rid of that so called hpd, and gimme a faster better gearbox.
And remove two airbags and make the car a better car to drive then i might consider buying korean. U fellas all think the more airbags the merier? U know after a certain time frame,u hv to service those stupid airbags? The more bags,the more money spent.
Koreans hv to give the car some spirit like how japs do it. Not give us a good looking shell and throw in all the 3rd party kit but neglect the most important things in the car. The sonata is good looking but sucks to drive, the forte looks good when it was first launched, but looks very old now even thoug only 2 years old.
Pls lah korea, dont give us paper specs, give us real good quality cars to drive.
Typical selfish and stereotypical uncle mentality, thought what he says represents all Malaysians. Eh looser, there are many more Malaysians that are wiser than you thought. We buy Korean cars because they offer the same tech for a lower price. For the same price as the japS we have the contis around, so at the end of the day who needs Japanese cars? They are not really nice to drive, not refined and not as economical as claimed which makes it not much different from Korean products and yet being priced higher. Rediculous!!!!
That’s why I say, your whole family died in a car crash because no airbags.
Sad for you, rip your mom and dead.
That Maserati bro must be the 1st guy I came across who complained about having too many airbags! :o
Hey bro, do you know that most of your Japs cars sold in Bolehland come standard with 6 airbags in most western countries?? They’re not installed in this part of the world mainly because the manufacturers believe we SE Asians are super rich and will pay top $$ for lesser things just to enjoy that T or H badge up front. Just becos you can’t find 6 airbags in your Altis or Camry doesn’t mean they’re not offered as such in North America, Europe or Aussie mah!…sigh… :(
We should commend Hyundai/Kia for valuing lives of we SE Asians and that they don’t del eseential safety features just to have a bigger profit…
Cant blame him
He ran out of points already but still want to bash korean makes.
Its quite obvious he is getting desperate.
Erm….Do you did a test drive on this actual car aboard or somewhere else? Have you compare to the same segment cars? If yes do the price between them worth the different of the handling? Besides the techs that offered by this Optima.
I challenge that Maserati bro to make a trip to Singapore Kia showrooms to test drive the new Optima. I dare him to make the same statements above after the test drive!…!@#$%
I shall wait for you at the showrooms ok?? You want to meet at Ubi or Alexandra showroom?? :D
Not a problem sir, 5 years warranty with unlimited mileage…free kimchi for every visit!
Haha, the adage of “the more equipment, the more can go wrong”.
I know how that feels. My waja’s single driver’s airbag just expired. Not sure how much it costs to replace but it should be expensive. That’s just ONE airbag.
The ABS too is dead years ago, repair costs can go four-digit. I had been driving ABS-less for years since then. At the very least, I think I have become a more careful driver as I don’t have ABS to rely on anymore.
Cars like Sunny 130Y, Corolla E100, even Proton Saga… those were the days of pure and simple motoring. The epitome of cheap and cheerful car.
Now let’s get back to 2011.
what actually do you want for your car? tin kosong? a car with an engine only? then find a kancil.. no need to think about all those stuffs’ replacements. sigh..
U mad bro?
I probably wouldn’t have bitched about it if the replacement cost is reasonable. Over RM1,000 to service ABS? Since when Proton maintenance become like BMW maintenance?!?!?!!!
Cars nowadays are far more advanced, yet they’re of lower quality. And friggin expensive. Come on, years or decades ago they can say they’re small company, they need to grow volume, for economy of scale, lower cost, more saving blablabla. So where’s the savings from economy of scale? Has it resulted to savings to end user? IMHO, the absolute opposite.
Yes I do perceive new cars are crappy quality. They’ll be bulletproof for like 3, 5 years, then they’ll fall apart and ultra expensive to maintain with all the electronics and whatnots. It’s all part of the plan to make you pay more to the company, while they sweettalk you with eco-frenly tech, fuel efficient, safety, etc etc.
yes, my inspira can pwn this kia forte anytime.
rear camera? 6 airbags? what else? plug and play ESP CBC bla bla bla? while using torsion beam, which will have snap oversteer?
korean car is good , but handling wise, they need to have something like evo,type r , and learn from those track/circuit experience.
car tuning know-how is veyr hard to copy.
not all people are racers minded like u..pawn this car pawn that car..what type of handling do u want? taking a corner with 100km/h?? forte’s tuning not for u..but it suits best for other people who love to have a comfort feeling when driving..
Man, just how many people out there want or expect all cars to handle like Evo, WRX?
Who wants to shake their bones and go almost deaf just to make a trip to the supermarket?! :( I certainly don’t want that.
And what happens if you have childrens in the car? Can they take the super harsh ride so that daddy can complete a turn quicker? Can if daddy didn’t go deaf after a trip to the supermarket, his children would prob suffered from perm hearing damage if they’re housed in a Evo day in and out haha:D
Eh , moron !! this is optima lah , not forte. If you don’t know how to read , then go back to kindergarten. Stupid.
jap cars? no thanks, even local cars have better tech with cheaper price..cvt..turbocharged engine..etc. rather put money on cheaper korean cars if really want foreign ones
Maserati always give stupid nonsense comments. Everyday lupa makan ubat! Very shy lah if you’re one of my family…
After Maserati had an accident lying in the hospital, he wished his car has more air bags.
All I would say is its a great looking car and real value for the money. I actually booked the sonata in August and received the call from my salesman that my car has arrived and he has given me the chasis num. But then, with the news of this optima K5 launching, I immediately went to KIA’s showroom and asked for more details last week. What suprise me the most is that I immediately fall in love and paid for the booking. Really hoping to get the first batch and in white color. It has everything the Sonata 2.0HS has and also the addtional:
1) 18″ rims
2) DRL
3) HID
4) Nappa leather
5) Dual Climate control Acc
6) Reverse cam
7) 6 airbags
8) Paddle shift
9) Better suspension setup
10) Hopefully the Infinity sound system
11) 6 CD changer
12) Drivers power seat with memory
13) Passengers power seat
Honda and Toyota are way behind in terms of gadget and feels less, eventhough it has better brand name but who cares. The way I see it, the Koreans has great potential and i am willing to give it a shot. Cant wait for the day I receive the car.
I am with you pal. I own a 2.0 Accord VTI-L. After looking at this full features optima k5 specification and its video from youtube, although the engine is MPI and GDI, I am ready to give it a shot too.
When I sit in my Honda, I find it cheap, and with the price I am paying, I get less feature than K5. I don’t even have a multi-information display. The Cluster a plain. I think I am just going to vote for KIA K5 just like I am going to vote for the opposition. Enough of tolerating the government BN and Jap cars all this years. T & H is offering no features but Koreans are. Again, I am going for it, be it a TETHA MPI or GDI. By the way, does anyone knows whats the interest rate that this car is offerring ?
Can a 31 yr ol guy drive these,,? Hehe
eh moron , this is optima lah , not forte . dunno how to read , go back to your kindergarten lah , stupid.
Off topic,
yup, i fullt agree we shouldnt compare cfe 1.6 n theta 2 2.0 coz cfe turbo, theta 2 n/a, but heard n read so much previously people comparing exora cps with innova 2.0, glivina 1.8, alza 1.5, weird,is it coz even size, weight, displacement also diff n price.
mr ss427, cvt zap less power n torque compare to conventional at n on par with manual trans interm of powerloss. Haiya, at has torque converter which sap much power from engine.
About reliability, yup,if u r talking about cvt in 90’s n early 2000’s, yes, but they make advancement. Remember, prius only has cvt inside, n sell millions in the world, n how many faulty cvt prius versus at in corrola?
N cvt has gears, it call planetary gears which has infinite ratio, not one gear. Aiyo, please la read n understand first when comment. For ur info, why cfe has low pwr compare to prince turbo n tsi, look at the gbox first, every gbox has limitation on pwr n torque that they can hold, the same as cvt. Thats why thp200 prince only available in manual, not 6at as other siblings. Thats what standard tsi golf can have 7 speed dsg while gti 6 speed, n even for golf R, not only dsg, but the engine also diff. Even golf R is the ultimate golf from vw, but use mk5 engine that even dont have vvt inside, while the standard tsi has vvt inside, reason coz not only gbox, engine also has limitation( if u r talking bout mass production car engine that shud be reliable at least 200k km,not drag racing engine)
campro not reliable@not, even other engines,depend to the owners care. Campro engine,If threat like japs cars, pour water to radiator@use wrong coolant to radiator will cause engine to overheat n u know what happened next.
Its die cast iron based mean u need to proper running-in it or it will cause engine oil wont enter one of the cylinder. Receive stockyard car, jln terus,pedal to metal attitude, mileage just @ 3km only,also can cause it too.
There are many proud campro owners out there that already covered more 200k km or even beyond 300k km without problem.
So please, dont belittle ur own country engine.It is not better, but it is not bad either. U need to know, diff car need different need to maintain it, if uexperience driven twin spark engine, then u know how differently we maintain a car. What most msian know is to change engine oil n oil filter, thats all.
Campro’s biggest problem isn’t the engine itself.
No engine is perfect, but what gives people the sour taste is proton over-hyping the engine. No fault to the engine itself besides a weak crank, decidedly thirsty demeanor and odd powerband due to its missing features.
I fervently maintain that the campro was an incomplete engine at launch, missing the crucial “cam profiling” and variable intake needed to make this a good engine. No doubt made worst by proton up selling the engine it could not deliver.
And back to the theta II, its still a pity we are not getting hyundai/kia (and much less everyone else’s latest) direct injection petrol and diesel engines.
I drive a Forte nearly two years now and quite happy with it..no issues with it, touch wood! :-) much more better than my previous generation vios..as i know im paying every month a car that perform well with all the bell and whistle… i hate thinking that i pay rm700 every month for a mundane basic vios earlier..good car but everytime i go to bank to pay the 700 bucks…im cringed!
after sales services depend on the branch actually..i have bad experience with kajang SC but give five star to kia selayang and glenmarie.
I’m also drive forte. Still not understand why Vios and City still lead the sale…
BY NAZA again! make sure you check the warranty statement before you buy it. A lot things not cover under warranty. Spare parts should cost you a bomb!!!!! Just becareful when you buy Peugeot, Kia and Naza car!!!!
Again GREAT Car BAD rep!
A lot of things, like what? Give us a basket of spare parts prices to compare.
The weridest things is when Honda came out with an fuc*in ugly design car nobody complain even u already know that car is damn ugly! But when Kia&Hyundai come with a great car and a great feature people will bashing them. Whats wrong with u guys? crazy? doesnt know how to compare r?! For Example accord very expensive and less feature meanwhile it have an ugly design but still people choose Accord because of why? Its a Honda also same with Toyota even it just an empty car without any good feature but still people will buy it for example DUGONG!!! Just ACCEPT the fact that Kia and Hyundai are going forward la people!!
inokom elantra? naza forte? LOL…better buy chevy or ford..
thanks bro, finally another d0g that will follow me. Gratz.
saw this car down south in singapore..its a beauty!
Thanks to ex AUDI chief designer.
Mr Taboogen I am IN Middle East since 2008..riding Camry and Sonata as taxi while I guess errr you ride Saga as taxi? Heck here they even sell 2012 models now..Persona or Gen 2 or Waja? Yeah a very very very rare sight here. Somehow Proton could not break the market here and this is a country where there is NO tax. The Chinese has better luck…
if you guys understand mandarin you may go to www.buycartv.com.tw to check the review of new toyota camry 2.5G about RM100k. I think malaysia camry will follow taiwan version
. in my opinio I still like Kia optima look sporty, more safety features and value for money.
Camry looks like grandfather car and very conservative.
if you guys understand mandarin, you may go to www.buycartv.com.tw to have new toyota camry taiwan version review. 2.5G selling price about RM100k. I think Malaysia camry will follow this version. I still prefer Kia Optima because I am young man….haha!
This car actually stands out in a traffic jam.. Very special. Passive and active safety features is superior to most cars in the suggested price range. It’s car I’d like my family to travel in, due to it’s safety features. It’s the safest car I can afford. Power is secondary to me. But, will local manufacturers introduce the same level of safety in their new offerings? If yes, I’ll wait for the new D segment car by Proton..
Don’t put too much expectation on local Proton…..But the on the road price for K5 is really expensive if compare with local brand, but consider the safety and advance feature, I will definitely to buy another if I can win the coming lottery LoL
Down the road price factor is the biggest issue here :-) nobody leak the price yet? Amazing….
RM 142,888.00
2011 KIA Optima Driving Footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoV-zput8xI
ride both k5 and sonata, k5 is sportier and beautiful,adore it but have to admit, sonata, more comfort…
Car of the Year 2011 at singapore…
Where’s PaulTan’s review in Red Cube PJ? Went to TTDI’s branch, surprised that there was not many customer (we were the only ones). RM143, 888. Is it worth since similar price as Sonata 2.0 High Spec?
I am the victim of capitalism..If Kia wants to be popular here..Original and 3rd party spare parts price must be available and competitive..the compatibility rate between models is also a main factor..and fuel consumption..
again as the victim of capitalism..im afraid to buy anything other than the Japs..because of the resale value and spare part availability made visible by grey importers here..
GG
My k5 Gera box problem until today there not yet solve out my problem.?
Very disappointed on there sale service.
My K5 gear box problem since July,service centre aready sent the report
To HQ,but until today there dun even solve my problem, very disappointed in this KIA, will call up Kia service centre next week,
If there still dun have a answer I will upload complain to Facebook and YouTube.
Hye bro..
when u bought ur K5?
Im planning to book K5.. but, still never decided yet.. Errr…, afraid of after sale services and resale value of KIA…
What do you think about K5?
Is that a good car?
How to check the Automatic Transmission gear oil