anyone saw the news yesterday?

vios hit head on by proton(IIRC), what if it was an optima or other safer car, do you think the vios driver and front passenger could have survive?

Guys,

I managed to get a test drive with the new Optima. I must say im impressed with the suspension. Its surely better than the Peugeot 508. We went thru alot of bumps and i also sat at the back to get a feel and it was relatively smooth. We also took some corners on the Sprint Highway at 130kmph and body roll was minimal. Quite good road handling. Stable and well planted on the road.

But as i expected, the car is a bit sluggish on startup due to the body weight. Plus it doesnt have the 240Nm torque which the 508 has. But i think i can live with that as comfort is my biggest concern. Road noise and sound infiltration into the cabin is also at a minimal.

But i have a question about the warranty. It states 5 years unlimited mileage. I thought it was the standard 3+2 yrs with the remaining 2 yrs a limited insurance warranty covering major mechanical components. BUt i was told that this is a 5 year manufacturer warranty. Can someone clarify?

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Jan 25 2012, 02:16 PM

got any B&W from SA?

If they have the 2.0 turbo or the 2.4 gdi it would be perfect

Great write up mate! I hav been waiting for someone to test the car instead of pointless bashing.

Take off at tt pace is expected but the mid range power? Comparable to the accord n camry? Can ask where did u test drive it and did they impose any conditions before u can jump in the seat? Sounds like u went to glenmarie.

This post has been edited by SA6YEuro: Jan 25 2012, 03:13 PM

Good write up bro. Is it more sluggish than accord/camry?
I hope not because i will be most probably getting the car delivered by this week/next week.

My guess is that it would be the same 5 years unlimited mileage offered earlier to Forte.

You would get a letter of guarantee from Naza Kia Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. listing the terms & conditions and components covered by this warranty.

14 components & parts covered such as Engine, Transmission, Drive Train, Cooling System, Fuel System, Front & Rear Suspension, Steering System, Brake System, Electrical System, Enhanced Electrical, Air Conditioner, Body Interior, Body Exterior and lastly, Casing.

Each Components & Parts listed will have subdivision of what actual parts that are covered within the scope of this warranty.

Of course, the main condition for this warranty is that the vehicle is to be serviced at Naza Kia Authorized service centres & within the scope of the service time period or mileage interval. Obviously, wear & tear items are not covered by this warranty (& this condition would apply to ANY car manufacturer's warranty).

This letter will be send to the owner AFTER the first service (1 month or 1,000 km service) at Naza Kia Authorized service centre. The letter will include owner's name & address, vehicle registration number, chassis number & engine number.

It would take approx. 3 weeks after the 1st service for this letter of guarantee to reach the owner (via post). This 5 years unlimited mileage warranty is transferable to the new owner of the car should you decide to sell it within the 5 year period.

(Just in case any of you start screaming KIA SALESMAN, I am NOT ONE. I am an owner of a 2011 Forte that has this 5 years unlimited mileage warranty)

This post has been edited by Lanchio: Jan 25 2012, 07:26 PM

Right on bro, you've got your facts right

thanks for the detail explanation
hmm by post? what if it get lost?

should email to car owner instead. they can save cost and also be environmental friendly.

Quite comprehensive cover, good for peace of mind really

Now we're finally getting somewhere with some substantial real life driving experience rather than the earlier biased mindless bashing.

Thanks for the input, cybermaster98

how u rate the comfort and nvh compared to camry or teana?

Luckily we r gettin the updated or actually the sports package version. Handling is improved n steering has more feel.

Those who got a chance to test drive the k5 gav pretty similar feedback. Impressive.

All the 3 japs r too soft. Cannot take hard driving.

This post has been edited by SA6YEuro: Jan 26 2012, 05:17 PM

Power wise i think its as sluggish as the Camry 2.0 but once uve passed midrange, the pickup is quite ok. But i was expecting this as the Optima is heavier than the Camry and Accord.

But i was impressed with the handling and rear suspension feel. I think Kia has done a good job with the additional dampeners on the rear suspension. Soaks up the bumps fairly well despite the 18 inch rims. NVH was quite good with very little cabin intrusion despite hitting 130kmph on Sprint Hw. Not sure how it compares with the Teana. Havent test driven that.

For those who dont know, it wasnt an official test drive. There was a car that was parked outside the TTDI showroom when i arrived for my 6th view. The car was about to be taken for its Puspakom test and i managed to convince the salesman to allow me a free spin. Im now looking to try and test a few more times before i commit.

But ive been told that the 2012 manufactured units are already on the way from Korea and they will start delivering in Feb. ALl the current units being delivered are 2011 units so uve already lost 1 year resale value. I would suggest that those who have placed orders to wait for the 2012 units. 1 year resale value is big mind you since its a Korean.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Jan 26 2012, 05:32 PM

Do let me know if there are any other places to test drive the Optima.

Its highly unlikely the 2012 manufactured units are on the way. As per checking with Naza kia careline, the shipment most probably around March end or early April only. This one aso not confirmed yet. February definitely not.

Most probably the sales guy was using this technique to ensure more customers put in the deposit with the hope that delivery will be in February.
The demand for this car worldwide is strong. Malaysia is not one of the main priority in delivering the newly manufactured cars unless there is substantial booking for this car.

hmm, how many plant does KIA has?
if all their plant in full capacity production, then looks like its really selling like hot cake, literally.

Any rumours that this car will become a CKD in a future...?

The biggest one is in Korea, followed by US then Eastern Europe, China and Japan.
The Korean plant is the one supplying for the whole of Asian Region if i'm not mistaken, previously it was also catering for US, but because the demand in US was so high they had to built one plant in US itself.

wow, then really not enuf to cater malaysia market.

Naza should order more, otherwise some customer won't wait so long for the car.