i personally think 144k still pricy if compare to sportage since SUV price structure is alwiz higher than sedan...not only tat...features and engine similar too!!optima got extra eco function and paddle shifter but tatz all...if they include in touch screen navi can jusitfy the high price la...now apa navi pun takda

At that price the upcoming Camry will easily trash it in sale numbers. The Optima's good looks wont save it here. Sonata learnt it the hard way and now Kia is walking down the same road. Crap!

seems like naza is getting greedier for the rm144k price-tag
even optima have many *small* unique features but i will not go for this car for this price-tag
if they bring in 2.4l but with rm144k; then we are talking. surely not for rm144k on 2.0l only
quite upset with the pricing...

coz now naza is owned by u-know-who...the son of the king of songlapers

The Kia optima is quite huge body size and only come with 2.0cc specs, I don't think the performance to be very smooth for driving.

In S'pore I can saw them drive the car like very huge size and looks like more huge than Camry or enqual like Lexus size.

it is trying to create a feeling/image.

i'm buying kia not because i cannot afford a camry. it is in fact same price/more expensive than camry.

which is very positive, if you ask me.

positive for them not for us lolz...alwiz been negative for us since the stupid king of songlapers gave birth to potong...

well for those who wants this sexy optima and with deeper pockets, can buy, korean cars' pricing strategy is changing...

at least when ppl ask you, why you buy kia?

because i can afford to buy a kia(which is on par with jap price) .

if you buy proton, ppl know, its economical

Just returned after seeing the car at Kia TTDI. I must say that the design is really impressive. Very sporty and has that luxurious look. The rear legroom is very generous and 3 adults can easily sit comfortably at the back. But the dashboard seems a generation behind unlike the futuristic ones found on the Sonata and Elantra.

Most disappointing is the pricing which is too high for a 2.0L Korean make despite its gadgets. Most of the ppl at the showroom also said the same. Plus the car doesnt have any Navigation which should have been pretty standard for cars of this category.

No test drive unit available till about April/May 2012. But i think this car would be hard pressed to keep up with other similar makes. Its 165Hp and 198Nm loses out to the Peugeot 508's 156Hp and 240Nm torque. 0-100kmph acceleration for the Optima is 10.9 secs compared to 9.2 secs on the 508.

Plus im not sure of Kia has got the suspension setup to deal with the 18 inch rims. Ride comfort would surely suffer. The Peugeot 508 is finding that a real bother now.

Sadly, i think Naza screwed up this one with the pricing. After doing a great job with the Forte, they got too greedy and thought they could nail Malaysians with the 144K price tag. Soon they'll know that Malaysians aint dumb and gadgets/good looks alone wont get them the sale numbers. Really baffles me how they could price the Optima so close to the Sonata when everybody knows that the Sonata isnt doing as well as anticipated.

Many ppl would prefer to wait for the new Camry for that price range. Im sure Toyota will improve the specs on the upcoming Camry.

probably due to supply shortage... they cant keep up with demand, so no point sell cheap if cant deliver..

better they reap profit first....

remember naza has a track record of screwing up customers by slashing price later... might happen when they can keep up with the demand later...

yes totally agree with u...if they put in navi mayb 144k consider ok but on high side...without the navi 144k is overkill...when will new camry be launched?

Oh dear! Its looks like another beautiful car kill by a local distributor. Malaysian just cant do business with motoring is it?

may i knw with the price tag 144k , is refer to CKD or CBU model?

10.9seconds is really slow , the FC surely suffers

cbu...lol ckd 144k they can close shop liao...

reason is bcoz the car is quite heavy also...bout 1550kg kerb weight...sportage is 1600+...sure no power...if naza still stick with 144 i think i might change to other cars liao la...not worth it

May 2012 but may be earlier.

Somehow the engines of Korean make are not really up the mark compared to Conti/Jap car

This post has been edited by Bliz: Dec 27 2011, 04:47 PM

Despite its good looks and decent specs, the Sonata only sold 2,740 units from Jan-Nov this year. Compared to 7,355 units of Camry & 4,332 units of Accord sold in that same period. Mind you these are the older Camry's and Accord's.

How then can Naza hope to break ground with the Optima priced at RM 143,888???? A really stupid move by Naza! Many ppl saying the same on Naza's FB page as well. Lets hammer them hard and hopefully they will throw in some goodies to balance up the price. If not, i see an early demise for the Optima.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Dec 27 2011, 04:50 PM

What a huge price different between the optima and forte.. +- 50k. The other brands didn't go that far between each segment. Naza2..haihh..

This post has been edited by tressele: Dec 27 2011, 04:53 PM