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.

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

DOes anybody know the weight of the Kia Optima? Its 0-100kmph is quite slow at 10.6 secs despite is 165PS and 198Nm torque.