Turbocharging an engine may not result in better fuel economy but it makes the car more driveable with max torque coming in at low rpm. This makes it much more fun to drive and safer for overtaking plus you will feel less tiring driving a car with adequate power over long distances. In Malaysia our road tax structure means that turbo cars are more practical to upkeep than large cc cars.

It isn't new technology as European cars have been using it for so long but the Japs have been slow to adopt it. I think it is only due to Koreans pushing ahead with turbo that the Japs now feel compelled to go turbo too for fear of being left behind. Even then it is only Honda tip-toeing cautiously into this field with lightly boosted turbo and frequent reminders to service in case their engines explode while Toyota, Mazda and Nissan are still locked in the past as far as our market is concerned.

Previously to drive a powerful turbo car you need buy a Conti car with scary reliability and costly maintenance. For non-luxury segment that would be a VW, Peugeot or Ford and for luxury segment a Merc, BMW or Audi. Such cars are not for the faint hearted or the not so deep pocketed. You can drive a powerful Continental car but you drive in fear.

But the game has changed with the Koreans adding turbo to their C and D segment cars. The Optima GT puts the exhilarating power of a 2.0L turbo engine within reach of mere mortals. The beauty of its styling is matched by the beauty of its engine. Korean cars have arrived and they make no apologies for their quality and features. Those still mired in brand snobbery against Korean cars can give way to the Optima GT zooming past while sedately driving their NA Camrys and Accords.

This post has been edited by KennyKB: Jun 22 2017, 09:44 AM

The Camry 2018 will come with NA engine (max 2.5L with a puny output of 206hp) while the 2.4L engine of the 2018 Accord will be replaced with a puny 1.5L turbocharged engine (probably the same unit as Civic). They will match the Optima GT in price but not in power. However this is Honda/Toyota country so expect Malaysians to pay the same for less.

Why need 2.5L engine when 2.0L turbo can generate significantly more power? If you are not driving like a rally driver the FC for 2.0L turbo engine should not lose to 2.5L NA engine.

2.5L car has poor resale value due to our high road tax for large cc cars. So owner had better keep it for long, long time.

New Accord 1.5L will only have power of 2.0L NA engine. Good for uncles and oldies who don't want to go fast.

Speculation that current distributor will dump Kia brand has no basis. There are also Korean specialist workshops outside if you need them but for most maintenance general mechanics will do. Korean cars like Jap cars don't require specialists but don't expect Ah Chong or Ah Meng workshop to repair your Passat.

As an Optima owner for 10 years (pre-K5) let me give you an idea. I exclude tyres as they are consumable items which depends on how much you travel.

Average per year over 10 years: RM2400
Excluding first 3 years as not typical, average from 4th to 10th year: RM2950
Average mileage per year: 22,000 km

I don't think the GT will be different by a lot. Bear in mind that my Optima was using timing belt which required changing every 60,000 km. The new Optima should use timing chain which doesn't need replacement.

Yes, I agree it could be lower. Main items were batteries, timing belts, A/C condenser (2x), engine mountings (2 sets) , lower arms, upper arms, ball joints, brake pads, absorbers, water hoses and radiator repair. I probably got cheated for the first set of engine mountings which lasted less than a year. The lower and upper arm and ball joints seem to give recurring problems so maybe I was given sub-standard parts as well. (There are also China made parts for Korean cars). This is the problem of using too many different mechanics just for convenience sake. In retrospect I should have found a good mechanic and stuck to him.

The longer you keep the car the heavier the maintenance. Most of the major repairs were in the last 4 years. For the first 6 years nothing much except wear and tear items like battery, brake pads, timing belts and regular servicing except for one change of A/C condenser. Engine mountings, absorbers, water hoses, radiator, lower arms, upper arms, ball joints, etc were all in the last 4 years. The 2nd condenser change was just after I sold the car but before hand over. I told the new owner, "Someone up there must be looking after you!"