Hope the current generation of Kia's are better than previous which had endless problems. I also know of many Forte owners who are starting to have problems with their gearboxes, etc already. Not the kind of scenario Kia would want to have if they wish to improve their brand image here in Malaysia.

But i would suggest waiting till the Hyundai Avante is launched in less than 2 months time. That car is really doing well and so far it seems to be way better than the Forte. Hope the prices are competitive.

I think the price is too high for a Kia. They should have priced it about RM 130K max only. Despite its good looks and specs, the price will kill it. We cannot anticipate the success of the Sportage based on the Forte as the main reason the Forte is selling well in Malaysia is because of its lower pricing together with its good specs. Without good pricing, Korean makes will not sell well. That's a fact.

Look at the Hyundai Sonata for example. How many do you see on the road today? Despite all its hype, it only sold 1,367 units this year compared to the much older Toyota Camry which sold 2,599 units. Specs alone couldnt boost its sales. If they had priced it lower by about 7K, its sales would have been much better for sure.

Lets hope the Hyundai AVante doesnt meet the same fate.

Have you read the terms and conditions of the extended warranty? As far as i know the extended warranty only covers certain parts unlike the normal warranty.

Yes. Exactly my stand as well. RM 138K++ is not a good price for a Korean make even though its a CBU.

So far ive been quite accurate about my predictions and assessments. When the Forte was launched, many ppl said it will thrash the Vios, Altis and Civic but clearly thats not the case now. Forte has only managed to match the sales of the Altis while the Vios and Civic are still miles ahead.

Same thing was said about the Sonata when it was launched. Many said it will thrash the Camry due to its impressive design and good specs but today the Sonata sales are still 50% less than the ageing Camry. When the new Camry is launched next year, what will happen to the Sonata then?

So im now saying this about the Kia Sportage. They made a big mistake pricing it so high. If it had been RM 130K or less, it would have been another revelation like the Forte. But Naza was too greedy. Based on the success of the Forte they thought they can push the Sportage price higher. Typical Malaysian mentality. Greedy.

Planning to sell after 4 yrs only?? Be prepared for a massive loss in resale value my friend. May i suggest you spend your money investing in property rather than wasting it changing cars every 4 yrs?

ASX is crap compared to the Sportage. Why do u think its sales are soo damn poor? Really not worth its price tag. Total flop if u ask me.

Hi Taipan, long time no see. How u been?

Launch date is in October 2011.

Using normal servicing costs to judge cost of maintenance is not the right way. Thats wht Kia is promoting since Forte days. The real cost of maintenance will only been seen when parts need to be changed later on not in the first 2 yrs.

The general problem with Korean makes in the past were that their parts dont last long. When the car is new, everything is fine and maintenance costs are low but when the parts start requiring replacement, thats when the costs start to sky-rocket.

Thats why i advise ppl never to believe all these projected maintenance costs. The fine print is that these costs are on the basis of normal wear & tear and only cover normal replacement parts. What's 'normal' for Kia may not be normal for a Toyota or a Honda.

My wife used a CBU Kia since 2006 and so far the maintenance costs of her car is far higher than my Vios. Hope the current generation of Kia's will be better but we wont know that now. Maybe in another 2 yrs time.

But comparing maintenance costs based on other markets is not right i believe. Even in the past, previous Kia models did have reasonable maintenance costs in other countries but was always the opposite case in Malaysia. Plus we still do not know anything on durability which was an issue on previous models too. The car is still new in Malaysia. We will only know in about 2 yrs time when parts start wearing off and replacements are required.

Yes the Sportage is priced too high. Anyway i hope it does badly because then Kia will think carefully about the pricing for the Kia Optima. If they get too ambitious then we'll see another highly priced offering when its launched.

Uve got the whole concept of resale value wrong. Second hand value is based on DEMAND not the original sale price. If the prices are higher the amount of the drop will be higher (due to higher % of drop) not the other way around. The Vios has got excellent resale value not so much because of the original price but because of its impressive sales (11,642 units sold from Jan to May 2011). This is a reflection of demand which in turn directly influences the resale value.

The second hand value figure may be higher due to the higher original value but when we talk about resale values we are talking about the percentage of drop not the actual value itself.

BTW, the Vios sells between RM 71K - RM 92K (excluding the promo discounts). Why just compare with the most expensive model only?

Lets see the demand increasing first. Thats more important for the resale value than anything else.

Have u ever heard a new owner condemning their car? Everything they say will surely be good la. No point asking.

Just follow the tyre pressure recommended by the manufacturer. It should be on the side driver's door panel. Then go over to a petrol station and get it adjusted properly. What's so difficult?

Guys, let me remind you to seriously reconsider buying if u cant get it registered by next month latest. Registering a new car in Oct-Dec period is a complete waste in my opinion as by Jan your car is already considered in the 2nd year. Waiting a few more months will make a big difference in the resale value at the end especially since its a Korean make, ull need all the extra resale value u can get.

Guys, does anybody know where i can view a unit in Klang Valley? I dont need to test drive. Just wanna get a feel of the real thing. Let me know asap. Thanks

Whr exactly? Do u have the showroom contact number?

Is there any change in spec between the CBU and CKD Sportages? Price is the same also right?

Only RM500 rebate? Optima u can get the same or more rebates and its a much newer model. I think u should be able to nego a better rebate as Kia is expecting some competition from the CX5 and upcoming Honda CRV.

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Added on April 12, 2012, 12:50 pmNot sure but since March, most of the Sportage deliveries are the CKD version.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Apr 12 2012, 12:50 PM

For the specs on offer and a RM 21K cheaper price tag, I think the Sportage is still a better bet.