Kia Optima 2005 News

Kia unveiled concept versions of the Grand Carnival and Soul at this week's SEMA show.Most SEMA show cars are modified to go faster, but Kia has taken a marginally different approach with its 2014 concepts. Hyundai's efforts include a Genesis coupe that wouldn't look out of place in the Bathurst 12 Hour race, but Kia has unveiled a pub on wheels, an ice cream truck and a mobile garage based on the practical Grand Carnival and Soul models.Ballast Point SedonaThis Sedona has been transformed from a people carrier to a beer carrier. In our corner of the world, the Sedona is better known as the Grand Carnival, the third-generation of which is due to hit our shores next year.Featuring a redesigned, reinforced, heavy duty roof, plenty of mahogany and storage for up to four kegs of delicious craft beer, the Ballast Point Sedona (Grand Carnival) would be the perfect vehicle to have on the hill at Sydney Motorsport Park while you lap up a sunny afternoon of racing action.The only downside with the mobile pub is that the designated driver is the only one getting home, naturally all the passenger seats have been removed to maximise beer storage space.Smitten Ice Cream Soul EVNeed something to compliment the beer? How about nitrogen-chilled ice cream served from the back of an electric car?While nitrous-oxide is used to fuel high-performance cars, removing the oxygen from the equation means you can use nitrogen to fuel tasty treats.Much like the Ballast Point pub on wheels, the rear section of the all electric Soul has been gutted to make room for the ice cream equipment and storage space.It also has a custom trailer, which is joined to the tailgate of the Soul to make a bench from which the -196 degrees Celsius ice cream can be served.The Smitten Soul also has the traditional waffle-cone speakers on the roof so you can play Greensleeves, or something a bit more contemporary.Ultimate Karting SedonaIf all this sitting around watching racing and indulging in beer and ice cream has you feeling the need for speed, the Ultimate Karting Sedona concept car is what you need.Simply hitch the go-kart trailer, throw another go-kart on the roof, grab a mate and head off to the nearest track.The two of you will have all you need for a day of racing, with the back of the Sedona (Grand Carnival) transformed into a garage complete with tools, race gear and checkerboard rubber floor.You don't even need to bring a marquee, as the custom roof racks contain an awning to keep the sun and rain away while you prepare your machinery for the on-track battle.High-Performance K900The K900 (or Quoris as it's known in some parts) is Kia's equivalent of the Hyundai Genesis, and a car that isn't sold here. It's a bit of a shame, because this high-performance concept - developed by Kia racing drivers Mark Wilkins and Nic Jönsson - looks a bit swish.The 5.0-litre V8 engine has had twin turbochargers added underneath the boot (yup, underneath the boot. It helps reduce heat, they say) to bump the power output from 313kW to 485.The lowered sports suspension, 21-inch gloss black alloys and bright red brake callipers give the K900 a sleek, sporty look.Inside there are tan leather seats with black suede accents and 11-inch seatback monitors for the rear passengers that show footage from iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. Which is grand if videos of motor racing video games are your thing.In the boot, along with a viewing porthole so you can see the turbochargers, are custom compartments to store your racing gear, presumably if you've run out of space in the Ultimate Karting Sedona.Pirelli World Challenge GTS OptimaSo why the focus on motorsport? Well, Kia are celebrating winning the manufacturer championship for the GTS class of the Pirelli World Challenge in the US this year.And joining the concept cars on display at the SEMA show is the No.30 GTS Optima that was driven by Mark Wilkins throughout the season, finishing third in the drivers' standings.Being a production series, the GTS Optima features the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the road-going Optimas available in the US. In Australia, the Optima only comes with the 148kW/250Nm naturally aspirated 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine.However the front-wheel drive Optima has been tuned so it produces 274kW, which is 126kW more than the Australian road-going models.The six-speed sequential transmission helps the 1300kg GTS Optima hit a top speed of 260km/h.

Key clues to the Optima’s update are a restyled front fascia with black inserts, revised headlight clusters with LED strips and LED foglights on some models, plus new rear diffuser and new LED taillights. The Optima cabin gets two new screens: an 8-in touchscreen for nav and entertainment, and a 4.3-in LCD screen in the instrument cluster for trip info. The US top-spec Kia Optima gets HID lights, leather upholstery, red brake callipers and an electronic park brake, while options include dual-exhaust tips, eight-way seat adjustment and a blindspot detection system. The new Optima will continue with the current 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a revised six-speed automatic gerarbox, but there could also be a turbocharged 2.0-litre on offer. A petrol-hybrid engine and a 1.7-litre turbodiesel will be available in overseas markets but we’re unlikely to see them here when the Optima arrives early in 2014.  

But a group of luck Kia owners were recently allowed to visit their car's birthplace -- and get an insider's view of production. Kia ran a competition on Facebook that had 50 Kia owners from around the globe headed to the home of the brand - South Korea. The group enjoyed a tour of the Hwaseong Plant and Kia's head office, the steel-making side of the business -- and some South Korean food and culture. Among the lucky winners was Leanne Moore, 47, from Moorooka in Queensland, who has just bought her second Kia and was already a huge fan of the brand. And then an even bigger fan when she got the news of her prize. "I've had a Carnival and recently traded it in for a Sorento," she said. "I won the Facebook competition after I had the Sorento serviced. I didn't believe it when they rang to tell me I'd won," she says. Ms Moore says Kia hosted four busloads of winners from North America, South America and Russia, as well as the Australians. And they all got a good look behind the scenes of carmaking. "The factory tour was amazing," she says. "I was surprised how everything runs so smoothly, and how enormous it is -- both the size of the factory and the number of cars they produce. "The steelmaking plant was incredible ... it was like a whole big city with apartment blocks and transport systems for the workers." Ms Moore says she had never given any thought to the processes that landed a car in her garage. "I picked my car because I liked the look of it and liked it when I drove it, but I never thought too much about what goes into building a car," she says. "Going through the factory you get a picture of the huge effort that goes into each car. We really got a behind the scenes look -- I suppose we got to see where our car was born." Kia Australia national service manager Darren Carver says the Hwaseong Plant the group toured builds around 2500 cars per day -- including Cerato, Optima and Sorento. "We got some excellent feedback from the customers, the Korean people really look after you when you go over there," he says. "They went to the steel pressing plant, then the bodyshop where the panels are welded together, then they followed right down the line to see the finished car," he says. Mr Carver says tours of this nature for owners are rare, as this sort of event is normally restricted to dealers for the brand and automotive media. "This is not something customers get to do very often, dealers, media and fleet customers do but the public don't - it's pretty rare. "We're pushing for it to be an annual event, it's not cheap but it's a good thing, the customers really enjoyed it," he says The company's positive feedback is reflected in global brand value research, which had Kia debut at number 87 on the list of the Top 100 Best Global Brands study by Interbrand, the world's largest brand consultancy agency. Kia Australia chief operating officer Tony Barlow says Kia has emerged as a truly global brand.  "We've been here for about 15 years, the last third has seen the most exciting changes have occurred - since Sportage it has been a humbling experience to see how well-received Kia has been with customers, voting with their purchases," he says. Globally, the company continues to beat its own sales records - global figures for September 2012 totalled 246,733 units, a year-on-year increase of 13.3 per cent. For the first nine months of this year, Kia's global sales have increased by 11.3 per cent year-on-year to reach 2,034,787 units. The Australian arm of the company has more than doubled that improvement so far this year - 23,456 Kias were sold to the end of September, up by 4431 vehicles, a 23.3 per cent increase.  

Kia has joined forces with DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine to create a brooding, Batman-inspired Optima that goes on display this week at the Time Warner Centre in New York. The project kicks off a 10-month partnership that will spawn other concepts based on the iconic characters that make up the Justice League. Influenced by the artistry of comic book icon, Jim Lee, the Kia super hero vehicles will become a force for good in the world by raising awareness of DC Entertainment's “We Can Be Heroes'' campaign, a relief effort to fight famine in Africa. Fitting for the caped crusader's dark and mysterious personality, Kia's range-topping Optima SX Limited wraps cutting-edge technology and premium amenities in a sleek, aggressive design customised with several unique Batman elements. Working together, Kia, DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine designed and built the Batman-themed Optima, transforming the exterior with a matte- and piano-black paint scheme, a dramatically lowered coilover suspension and muscular ground effects kit, huge Ksport performance brakes for extreme stopping power, custom-designed 20-inch black wheels and a performance exhaust system. Other exterior modifications include a custom front grille shaped like a batwing that took over 40 hours to create, yellow LED lighting accents throughout the vehicle and the iconic bat signal etched into the HID headlights. Moving beneath the cape, the Optima's seating surfaces are costumed in custom black leather and suede with bold yellow accent stitching. Gotham City's streets are full of villains and the Batman-themed Optima is ready for action at a moment's notice with a Bat suit and cowl mounted in the trunk and utility throwing stars installed in the center console.  

Supplies to Australia were originally capped at just 1000 cars when  the Optima Platinum hit local showrooms early in 2011 with a $36,990 pricetag, but now the gates have been opened and a second model joins the lineup.  The Optima Si has the same mechanical package but less equipment, allowing it to sell from $30,490. It's a mark that continues to undercut the Hyundai i45 and similar mid-sized rivals including the all-new Toyota Camry.  Kia Australia is also not ruling out a third Optima model to fill the $6000 gap between its two cars. The big breakthrough comes with extra supplies from Korea, after delivery restrictions throughout the past year.  "We are confident of getting more supply. From now," says Kia spokesman, Kevin Hepworth. "The launch of the Si will be January 20 and we have an assurance that there will be improved supply of that car. Around the world there are  some sales falling off, so they are placing the cars and that is  giving us a better bite." The Optima has not hit its original Australian target but Hepworth says supply is the biggest problem. "To the end of November it was 775. It's probably going to be 800 or 850 sales for 2011, says Hepworth. "For next year, we're not giving numbers."  The Optima Si still has a 148 kiloWatt, 2.4-litre petrol engine but the cabin has been downgraded with cloth trim, manual seats, and less punch in the stereo. But it continues with the reversing camera, Bluetooth, auto aircon and six airbags of the Platinum. Mechanically, it gets smaller 17-inch alloys and front discs, while the LED running lights, sunroof and rear spoiler from the Platinum have also been dropped.Into the future, Kia says there won't be an Optima wagon but the Australian operation is still pushing hard for a performance model.  "There isn't a station wagon variant of that car. Hybrid is still not a high priority car," says Hepworth. "The Optima Turbo is one we continue to ask for, but there still isn't a right-hand drive program." There will be a small tweak to the Platinum model by March with the introduction of satnav, which will also be migrated into Kia's Sorento and Sportage SUVs. "It will be sooner rather than later. It's not decided yet if it will be standard or optional," says Hepworth. "The Platiunum will also get satnav availabiity from the first quarter this ear. Probably earlier rather than later. It's not decided if it  will be standard, and the same applies to Sorento and Sportage."

The fuel-saving hybrid sedan from Korea could take on the Camry on Australian streets within two years. Kia is pushing hard for the Optima Hybrid - available in the US - to be built in right-hand drive and take on the successful Camry in Australia. The location of the steering wheel is the only stumbling block, says Kia Australia’s CEO MK Lee. “I’d like to bring it in now but it may take two years for it to be made as a right-hand drive,’’ he says. It’s certainly in our plans to have it join our range.’’ Lee says it is “frustrating’‘ that the Hybrid is unavailable. It’s not Kia Australia’s only annoyance - supply issues have slashed the true potential of the diesel Sportage and the new Rio. It was also impact on the three-door Rio, just launched at the Frankfurt motor show. Lee says he expects Kia to sell about 25,000 units this calendar year, though indicates that a more reliable flow of supply could push that to 30,000. Kia’s Powertrain Engineering manager, Dr Joachim Hahn, says hybrid development was ongoing and parallel to research on fuel cells and plug-in electric cars.

They are caught in a vice that is changing the rules in showrooms across the world, but especially in Australia. Korean brands are rising fast and European prestige companies are drilling down, creating massive pressures in the middle ground that has been a happy place for the Japanese for more than 30 years. It's good news for buyers, who will get more choice and better value at both ends, but the new rules will change the game for the Japanese. Far too many Japanese carmakers - Toyota and Honda for sure - are also about to feel the impact of their cost cutting decisions through the global financial crisis. All of the major Japanese brands cut spending and several cancelled new-model programs and urgent update work to save money, leaving them without anything new to draw buyers. Honda has the new Civic coming but not much else, Toyota has the (yawn) new Camry this year but the vital FT-86 sports car is still more than a year away, and even Suzuki is running out of ammunition after the Kizashi and upcoming Swift. In the opposition camps, Hyundai and Kia are getting better and better with every new model - the Kia Optima is a Camry rival with more style and value from just $36,990 - and BMW, Audi and even Mercedes are coming down with a sub-1 Series, the A1 and upcoming B-Class hero. The Europeans are chasing more sales at every level and know there is demand they can tap with smaller cars that suit people downsizing around the world. In Australia, they could even jump from a Commodore or Falcon into an A1 for city-first work. But the real challenge is coming from the Koreans, as Kia highlights again this week with the Optima. It's doing a great job in tweaking solid shared Hyundai mechanical parts into vehicles that people really want, including the classy Sportage that was runner-up in last year's Carsguide Car of the Year contest. The things that once made Japanese cars so desirable - cabin quality, reliability and great air-conditioning - are now available in Korean models that cost less and have the big advantage of five-year warranty backup. And they keep on coming. In short, Korean companies now make better-value Japanese-style cars than the Japanese do. That means the Japanese brands need to find a point of different, and a reason for people to buy, and fast. Lots of people still wonder about the long-term benefit of buying Korean, or remember the days of a Hyundai Excel that was basically a disposable car, but things are changing and changing fast. Korea has already put a sword through Japan's electronics business and the cars are next.