Just to share that limited units of Kia Optima K5 Snow White pearl 2014 stocks will be released to the market soon. Feel free to PM me if anyone is keen in this particular color, which was previously out of stock for a few months.

Responded to your request over PM. Thanks and Cheers.

What year make / specs is your Elantra? Do PM me and see how I can help. Regards.

New retail prices for KIA models, effective 1st April 2015


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Yes, there is. Prices after official discount is more or less the same as that before GST implementation for year make 2014.

I guess, a lot of people still don't know how to appreciate value nor have the courage to take the road less travelled, even though it is a clear winner in terms of price and specs. For D segment, many buyers are usually successful corporate executives or even businessmen who are more brand conscious, than value.

Perhaps what is lacking is branding. Naza still need to do more on the marketing front and being a franchise holder, rather than the parent company, there is always some reservation in splashing out high budget for marketing. There has been some effort from Kia Korea in advertising the brand such as through the Australian Open and Kia X Games in our local media but more needs to be done.

Kia cars ranked Top 3 in 2015 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study!

We are thrilled to announce that Kia Motors ranked second among 33 automotive brands in J.D. Power’s 2015 Initial Quality Study (IQS). Only Porsche, a premium brand, outranked Kia, meaning that Kia is now ranked #1 among mass market brands.

Now in its 29th year, the annual J.D. Power IQS measures the quality of vehicles based on the number of problems reported by vehicle owners within the first 90 days. This is by far the finest performance Kia has achieved in this study to date. Honored were the Kia Soul and Sorento, which received the highest scores in the compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and midsize SUV segments, while the Rio, Optima, Cadenza, Sportage and Sedona (Grand Carnival) ranked among the top three in their respective categories.

“We believe the J.D. Power report leaves no doubt that Kia builds world-class vehicles, and the results are especially gratifying as the IQS study truly reflects the voice of our customers,” said Michael Sprague, Chief Operating Officer and EVP, Kia Motors America. “Kia’s rise is one of the industry’s greatest success stories and is driven by the hard work of thousands of team members around the world, as well as our long-term strategy to concentrate on quality, strengthen the brand and elevate the ownership experience.”

See the chart below for the full J.D. Power 2015 IQS rankings.




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Hi Erickoh,

You can register at this link in FB. Cheers.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/myk5club/

J.D POWER 2015 CUSTOMER SERVICE INDEX Survey

Findings from the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2015 Malaysia Customer Service Index (CSI) Study show a trend – Malaysian vehicles owners are expecting more out of their dealer service experience, but authorised service centres are struggling to keep pace with their rising demands.

The study, now in its 13th year, measures overall service satisfaction among owners who took their vehicle to an authorised service centre for service maintenance and/or repair work during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. Service satisfaction is rated for mass market brands, so the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus are not included.
The study evaluates new-vehicle owner satisfaction with the service experience by examining dealership performance in five factors (in order of importance): service quality (32%); service initiation (22%); vehicle pick-up (18%); service advisor (15%); and service facility (13%).

Satisfaction among mass market brands averages 749 index points (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2015, which is a five-point decline from 2014. Customers are expecting to receive a higher level of service, overall satisfaction averaging 815 among the 12% of customers who indicate they had a “better-than-expected” service experience, compared with 842 in 2014.

The greatest drop in satisfaction is in service facility, where satisfaction has declined to 773 in 2015 from 785 in 2014. Ease of approach to and convenience of service centres contribute to the decline in satisfaction in the service facility factor. Among the 3% of customers who indicate having a “worse-than-expected” service experience, overall satisfaction is 558, down from 590 in 2014.

“Clearly, customer expectations are on the rise; hence, it is critical for service centres to provide a positive experience throughout, from service initiation, which is gaining importance, to delivering the vehicle back to customers, while remaining focused on delivering service quality,” said Rajaswaran Tharmalingam, Malaysia country head at J.D. Power Asia Pacific.

The study also demonstrates the importance of satisfying customers to improve loyalty and repeat visits. Among mass market brand owners who are highly satisfied with their service experience (815 points up), 42% say they “definitely would” revisit their dealer for post-warranty service, compared with 12% of those who are highly disappointed (698 or lower).

“Service centres must strive to always enhance their service standards, specifically in offering the value-added standards to their customers. This is precisely what delights customers with their service experience,” Rajaswaran added.

Now, how did each brand do? Top of the league is Mazda at 774 points, just one point ahead of Mitsubishi at 773. J.D. Power says that Mazda performs particularly well in the service initiation and service quality factors. Honda completes the podium with 760 points, ahead of fellow Japanese big boys Nissan (758) and Toyota (756). As for national brands, Perodua is above the 749-point mass market average at 753, while Proton is far behind with 726.
The 2015 Malaysia CSI Study is based on responses from 2,812 new owners who purchased their mass market brand vehicle between February 2013 and May 2014 and took their vehicle for service to an authorised service centre between August 2014 and May 2015. The study was fielded between February and May 2015. Agree with what you see?



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Frankfurt 2015: Kia Optima GT to debut in 2016, 245 PS

The Europe-spec 2016 Kia Optima is slated to come in a more sporty outfit along with new physical enhancements. Dubbed the Kia Optima GT and unveiled in Frankfurt, the “high-powered” sedan will join the Korean brand’s other GT models such as the cee’d GT and the pro_cee’d GT.

Outside, the Optima GT receives cosmetic extras including a refashioned “tiger nose” grille, a sportier bumper with triangle-shaped side intakes and a chrome strip. In the back, the sedan gets a rear diffuser attached to it along with two oval exhaust tips and a different set of 18-inch alloys.

Under the bonnet, the GT is given a more spirited 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbocharged T-GDI petrol engine, paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. As used in the US, the T-GDI makes 245 PS at 6,000 rpm and 353 Nm of torque from 1,350 to 4,000 rpm. From 0-100 km/h, the Optima GT takes 7.4 seconds while top speed is 240 km/h.

To match its more powerful setup, the Optima GT receives unique suspension settings and an “electronically-controlled suspension” system that provides individualised damping force to each wheel.

The suspension, alongside bigger brake discs and a retuned rack-mounted motor-driven power steering (R-MPDS), will help the Optima GT “match the dynamic expectations of European drivers” without compromising the refinement and ride comfort of the standard car, Kia says.

The 2016 Kia Optima will be in European markets by the end of the year. This sportier GT variant – a collaborative effort between Kia’s global R&D centre in Korea and the company’s European R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany – will only be arriving in 2016. Kia says that a new body style for the Optima based on the Kia Sportspace is also in the pipeline



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I don't think many would agree with your claim that the Optima engine is rough and unrefined. Owners of Optima, do share your experience, if you find it so.

Those higher tech engines may not be availble here for now probably due to the high cost and the final pricing may not be a viable in our current market. However, there is plan to introduce the 1.6 Turbo engine for Cerato Koup sometime next year, and hopefully in other models as well.

I think Kia Malaysia does not want to incorporate the 8 Inch Touch screen for all CBU units as that will increase the cost significantly and secondly, it will be very difficult to provide after-sales support (ie repair, warranty, software upgrade etc) for the head unit that originate from Korea.

That is why, Kia Malaysia provides OEM head unit for Cerato K3/KX, which has more sales volume compared to K5 and they are able to keep some stock of parts required for repair and warranty.

Feedback from an existing K5 user from other forum
"I have an a year old 2.0 Camry at home and my k5 is 15 months now. I would say NVH in k5 is still way better with the stock tyre. Just changed rubber and that's a different story then."

You can consider some after-market sound proofing options, if you find the NVH is not up to your expection.

I have a potential buyer for your K5. Can you PM me your asking price? Thanks

Just to share the anticipated increase in KIA prices for various models effective 1st Jan 2016. Price increase is quite consistent with that announced by other auto makers as well, no thanks to the depreciation of our national currency.



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I might be getting in one used K5 year make 2013 from trade-in within 2 weeks. Wonder if you'd like to consider.
Feel free to PM me. Cheers.

Sorry, that unit has been sold. Rgds

Something like this one in the picture?


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Is it a used unit ? What year make is it? Graphite color is now extinct...

No more facelift after this, it will be an ALL NEW model.