Is it me or are Kia onto a winner?

[shaun1706]

I like the look of the new Kia Optima. I have only seen a couple of pics but it looks very nice indeed. I wonder how much they will sell for

[Mash]

It's an aggressive looking brute! Not sure I like the grille shape. The back end has a hint of Mondeo about it.

 

[Father Ted]

I like the look of the new Kia Optima. I have only seen a couple of pics but it looks very nice indeed. I wonder how much they will sell for

 

http://www.kia.co.uk/new-cars/range/mid ... ptima.aspx

£19,995

[shaun1706]

Yeah, that's the one thanks. Nearly 20k! Looks good though

[whiskeyonesix]

Kia/Hyundai have really upped their game recently, I wonder what the depreciation on these things will be like?

[shaun1706]

Kia/Hyundai have really upped their game recently, I wonder what the depreciation on these things will be like?

 

That is what I was thinking Could be a lot of car for little money in the near future

[Cavcraft]

I agree Mash, quite Mondeo-ish. No bad thing really as they (Mundano) seem to sell pretty well. As Shaun has said it's a fine looking car and to be honest I expect Kia have tested the market with an expensive car due to having a pretty good reputation for their other stuff.

Don't know if this will plummet in value as the MG is sure to do but there'll definately be some bargains to be had when they hit a couple of years old or more. If they drive as well as they look I wouldn't kick one out of bed.

[Alexg]

A nice looking car with a hint of Jaguar XF. I wouldn't say KIA were on to a winner as the car is entering a segment of the market that is becoming ever less popular. Badge snobbery will hold others back but as KIA keep producing better cars like this the brand can only get stronger.

[ProgRocker]

I had this very car as my Firefox Persona skin type thingy for quite some time.

 

Great looking car that could do very well in the fleet market. Could steal sales away from the Honda Accord and Toyota Avensis...

[Justin Case]

Never mind the Mundano, It will have to beat this which seems to be the flavour of the month as far as fleet managers are concerned:

 

 

It also looks a lot better, especially from this angle. The first ones are coming to end of their leases and you can get a high mileage low spec one for less than £8k, so I think that in a few years time this is more likely to be the Autoshiters choice, even though the Vectra C doesn't appear to have made its mark here yet.

[cort16]

At least Kia have the good sense to fit these with a decent diesel. Both the MG and that new Suzuki Kazashi, which is a nice looking car only come with petrol engines meaning they'll sell the square root of frig all. The Suzuki's even 4x4, which is even odder.

I did read that mg sales are up 1333% this month from 3 to 36 compared to last year..

[gtd2000]

I sat inside an Optima last year and it felt a lot more compact than the outer dimensions suggested.

 

Very different to the feeling that the 2006 Sonata range gave, that felt huge inside!

 

They are very popular in the US, not that this means anything for our market.

 

I suspect with the 7 year warranty and vastly improved product line, KIA are not going to depreciate as quickly as in years gone by.

[cms206]

Downsides - only available with a 1.7 diesel. Can't really find any other downsides...

 

In fairness Kiundai have really upped their games of late. The i40 tourer is a bloody handsome looking thing, the i30 Tourer is actually doing pretty well as a taxi around these parts at least, and Kia's new Rio, Cee'd, Optima and Sorento all look the dog's bollocks.

 

The new Rio also just beat the Polo Bluemotion in an AutoExpress road test IIRC... about five years ago if I was looking for a new car I doubt I'd have looked at either marque but I daresay I'd go for one over most things nowadays. Certainly an over an Insignia - never got on with the Insignia at all.

[UglyAmerican]

I've logged quite a few miles driving these. A few bits to add:

 

[*]Design is by a man named Peter Schreyer. Kia poached him from Audi just a few years ago.

[*]In the States there's an optional model with a 250bhp turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. It's shockingly quick.

 

Also, definite futureshite status.

[MK5 Escort]

Are Kia onto a winner? Well, the Optima is quite an impressive looking machine, although I don't personally like the alloys on the models we see here (same as the one on TV). I certainly wouldn't mind a test drive in one and the seven year warranty is also a huge plus point. I do hope it is a success.

 

At almost £20k though - no thanks. It’s not that I'm a 'badge snob', but that's a heck of a lot of money for what is supposed to be a budget brand. As I said in another thread recently discussing Hyundai - both brands are now thinking rather too highly of themselves by pricing they're cars effectively at the same level as the mainstream. It defeats the whole object of Hyundai/Kia to me. Maybe my mindset is now out of date but I would expect the equivalent Kia model to be notably cheaper .

[Negative Creep]

At least Kia have the good sense to fit these with a decent diesel. Both the MG and that new Suzuki Kazashi, which is a nice looking car only come with petrol engines meaning they'll sell the square root of frig all.

 

 

Sad sign of the times. Haven't seen the Kia in the flesh but it looks lovely in the pictures. Minus point for a crap range of colours though

[CIH]

Shades of early 80s Nissans, Toyotas and the other Japanese "upstarts" ?

[boobydoo]

I like it. Kia are definately on a roll. Both the Soul and Sportage seem to be selling well. It seems to be just their mid-range hatchbacks that seem to lack any flair. I could think of much worse franchises to have at the moment.

[eddyramrod]

It's an aggressive looking brute! Not sure I like the grille shape. The back end has a hint of Mondeo about it.

 

 

 

I'm seeing a lot of love here for this beastie. Going by the pics shown, which is literally all I know of it: it's going to need that love! Am I really the only person breathing who thinks that's fucking ugly? I wouldn't buy one with your money! Is it really diesel-only? I despair... [/Victor Meldrew]

[Spiny Norman]

I thought those pictures were of that MG thing you can allegedly buy. Are they still not on sale yet or has nobody bought one, because I've yet to see one up here it the wilds of Scotchland.

The MG I mean...

 

Can't say I'd ever consider buying any KIa or Hyundai unless it was sub £500 level.

That one should be affordable by about 2017 then.....

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I read a road test of this Kia in Autocar today in the supermarket, they didnt rate it much, although it looks pretty swish to me

[sporty-shite]

One word. Futureshite.

 

Not at 20 large, though. Although I suspect many will.

[Guest]

One word. Futureshite.

 

Not at 20 large, though. Although I suspect many will.

 

Better one of these than those angry faced Sorentos that are seemingly EVERYWHERE at the moment. I saw one nearly get flattened by a Davidson's truck the other day. A scrap lorry would be an ironically apt place to keep one.