Thursday, May 25, 2017

Fourth Generation KIA OPTIMA GT debuts in Malaysia

Naza Kia Malaysia, the official distributor of Kia vehicles in Malaysia, today unveiled the all-new fourth-generation Kia Optima for the Malaysian market. The all-new fourth-generation Kia Optima will only be available here in Optima GT trim for the moment and it is locally assembled with a price from RM178,999 with 5 years unlimited mileage warranty.


This gives buyers good value in many ways. Aside from being an all new car, the Optima GT allows the Kia brand to be a niche player in the ever competitive D segment car market. The reason being is its powerplant. It comes with a turbocharged GDI 2.0liter engine which makes an impressive 242hp and 350Nm of torque. This could be one of the most affordable performance sedans sold in Malaysia. 0-100kmh is claimed to be made in 7.5 seconds.

The all-new Kia Optima GT is bigger than its predecessor. It is 10mm longer than the previous model, 30mm wider, 10mm higher and has a 10mm longer wheelbase. Passenger space is therefore improved with a 10mm more headroom, 25mm more legroom and 17mm more shoulder room at the rear and 20mm more shoulder space up front. All of this makes the Optima GT a better car than previously. Yes, it looks similar to the popular third generation, but it is actually a totally different car. 

Equipment levels are in line or higher than most contenders in this segment. The headlights of the all-new Kia Optima GT are all-new and now feature LED technology with Dynamic Bending Light technology that turns the lights according to the angle of the steering wheel. Other notable equipment are the smart trunk opening, an infotainment system with a large 7inch screen, smart phone wireless charger, automatic headlights and wipers, drive modes selection remote window control and electric seats with memory function. 

As for my thought on the car, I must say that certain details like the soft plastics used inside and the aluminium center console area are nicer, premium touches inside the car. Perceived quality is high inside. Outside you get the latest from Peter Schreyer's team of designers. So the overall execution is European rather than Asian. The Koreans definitely benchmark the Europeans in terms of overall feel and quality. This is a very good thing. It also helps them gain in popularity over in Europe.

Kia Malaysia hopes that the Optima GT will add to the current sales momentum that the company is experiencing. Kia is on the upswing in terms of sales as there is a 21% increase in terms of sales performance for this first quarter of 2017. This is also attributed to the launch of the new Kia Grand Carnival, which brings in a dose of character to the current MPV market. 

This Optima GT also brings a nice dose of performance into the D segment. 242hp and so much of usable torque under RM200,000 is usually a very good thing.









PRESS RELEASE
Kia Malaysia introduces All-New Kia Optima GT for Malaysian market

KUALA LUMPUR May 24, 2017 – Naza Kia Malaysia, the official distributor of Kia

vehicles in Malaysia, today unveiled the all-new fourth-generation Kia Optima GT for

the local market. The introduction took place at the Naza Tower, Platinum Park

Kuala Lumpur and was attended by Kia dealer principals, business partners,

members of the media and the management of Kia Motor Corporation and Naza

Corporation Holdings Sdn Bhd.

The all-new Kia Optima GT is the fourth Kia model to be introduced locally this year,

and picks up from the third-generation Optima which was popular among

Malaysians.

“What you are about to witness today from Kia is the ultimate expression of

performance and contemporary styling; a “class above” the rest; a result of many

months of hard work, research and development by our team with the collective

support of Kia Motors Corporation”, said Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group COO,

Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings Sdn Bhd.

The all-new fourth-generation Kia Optima GT will only be available locally in GT trim.

This gives buyers a more aggressive and sporty design that includes a new Dot

Array Mesh Satin Chrome front signature grille, a sporty front bumper as well as a

new rear bumper that incorporates dual exhausts and a diffuser.

The headlights of the all-new Kia Optima GT are all-new and now feature LED

technology with Daytime Running Lights. The headlights are primed with the new

Dynamic Bending Light technology that turns the lights according to the angle of the

steering wheel, illuminating dark corners and thus enhancing overall safety of the

car.

Speaking about the all-new Kia Optima GT, Dato’ Samson Anand George said, “The

GT spec gives the Optima a number of impressive features like the LED headlights

that bend to illuminate dark corners. Customers will also appreciate the

spaciousness of the GT, which is complemented by the electronically operated

panoramic roof. There are other conveniences too like the smart trunk , smart phone

wireless charger, automatic headlights and wipers, drive modes selection remote

window control and electric seats with memory function, just to name a few.”

The all-new Kia Optima GT is bigger than its predecessor. In total, Kia Optima GT is

10mm longer than the previous model, 30mm wider, 10mm higher and has a 10mm

longer wheelbase. The increase in height also gives the interior more passenger

space with a 10mm more headroom, 25mm more legroom and 17mm more shoulder

room at the rear and 20mm more shoulder space up front.

Inside the all-new Kia Optima GT is a pleasant balance of comfort and sportiness.

The real aluminum trim around the centre console and the pedals gives the car a

sporty ambiance. The centre fascia too has been angled towards the driver by 8.5

degrees, and the flat-bottom D-Shaped steering wheel also complements the sports

character of the car.

Interior trim is made of leather and high quality polymer. The door panels are lined

with soft leather, as are the seats, which are said to be amongst the most

comfortable in its class and have been further improved for the all-new Kia Optima

GT.

The driver seat come with memory function (Intelligent Memory Seat – IMS) and

adjustable in 12 different ways while the front passenger is a 10 ways adjustable

seat. The seats are also ventilated and blow cool air to the back of the driver and

passenger.

Making its debut in the all-new Kia Optima GT is the new smart phone wireless

charger, which uses an electromagnetic field to charge a phone. The charger also

has an overheat protection that detects the temperature of the thermistor in the

wireless charger module and turns it off automatically should the temperature get too

high.

Other interior features include a 7-inch TFT LCD screen for the entertainment

system that also features MP3, MP4, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity and a MirrorLink

feature that mirrors the screen of the phone on to the centre-mounted display

screen.

The all-new Kia Optima GT is powered by the new Theta II 2.0 T-GDI turbocharged

petrol engine, which is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain

produces 242hp at 6,000rpm and an impressive 350Nm of torque from just

1,400rpm. This makes the all-new Kia Optima GT one of the most powerful in its

class and on par with some of the more powerful European sedans.

Performance figures too are impressive with the 0-100km/h acceleration seen off in

just 7.4 seconds while fuel consumption is rated at 8.5-litres for every 100 kilometers

travelled on the combined cycle.

Also contributing to the overall performance and efficiency of the car are 3 driving

modes - Sport, Normal and Eco. Sport adjusts the sensitivity of the throttle for

maximum performance and also the steering wheel feels heavier for precise control

of the car at high speed. Normal takes the throttle and steering wheel back to its

usual factory settings while Eco reduces throttle sensitivity, lightens the steering

wheel and also slows down the air-conditioning system to reduce fuel consumption.

On the safety front, the all-new Kia Optima GT is fitted with 6 airbags – two for the

front passengers, two side airbags as well as curtain airbags. There is also an

arsenal of electronic safety nets such as the anti-lock braking system (ABS),

Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSM), Hill-start Assist

Control (HAC) and an Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) which flashes the hazard

automatically when emergency brakes are applied.

The all-new Kia Optima GT scored 5 stars at the EuroNCAP crash test rating, 5 stars

in the Asian NCAP, 5.1 stars in the US NCAP and achieved a 1st grade rating in the

Korean NCAP crash test.

Concluding his speech during the launch of the all-new Kia Optima GT, Dato’

Samson Anand George said, “We are constantly finding ways to improve the

presence of the Kia brand in Malaysia, and it is my sincere belief that the all-new

fourth-generation Kia Optima will surprise the market”.

The all-new Kia Optima GT offers the ideal balance of power, comfort, spaciousness

and more importantly, safety for the entire family. It is a rare breed that has all the

modern features that are expected of a modern car, and buyers can rest easy in a

car which also comes with a five year warranty.

The all-new Kia Optima GT will be offered in three different colors: Gravity Blue,

Aurora Black and Snow White Pearl. It will be available in showrooms nationwide.

***END***

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