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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpI699jH6PI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkL1T391j6g
If this follows the pattern of the new Sportage and they do go into full production for August, I would estimate that November would be the earliest we would see the model for North America.
How soon does anyone think we will start to see them being supplied to the media for test drives and reviews?
Really though, according to the official press material, only the Hybrid versions of both cars are coming out in 2011 specifically, but no firm dates on Sonata 2.0T and Optima 2.4 and 2.0T. I still have hope I guess.
Come on Kia Canada...
Still, the G35x is a beautiful car in it's own right, no doubt.
M6: Yeah absolutely on the fuel economy. I had a 2004 G35 coupe, you'd think there was a hole in the gas tank it emptied so fast. Premium no less. Ugh forgot that, makes it easier to resist.
There's my dilemma. If I drive the Optima and it's interior is decent enough as far as quality of materials go, that will be on my very short list. I'm also waiting patiently for the turbo Regal. I drove the I4 recently and it was very, very nice and the quality and drive were there but I would want just a little more oomph which I think the turbo will provide at a very small mpg penalty. Some nice autos out there and coming up in the next few months. G25 is coming too. It will be a hard choice.
I'm hoping the Optima fit and finish and interior quality will be a little better than in past models. I'm not expecting luxury car by any means but if they have improved as much or even more than the Sonata, it may just be a contender.
Here's the quick article on the Kia that had good things to say about the interior:
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2010/04/2010-new-york-auto-show-winners-and-l- osers-cars.html
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/08/first-look-video-2011-kia-optima.h- tml
Please tell me that Autoweek got the dates wrong for the Optima. If you read the article, it says that the Optima is out "next year", and then the Hybrid out "1st quarter of 2011". Aren't they really the same timeframe? This is contrary to what Kia has "officially" put on their website.
Also the Sportage 2.0T date could be wrong as well...this article says "arrives this year" while "officially" it is 2011.
Future products: Kia seeks lively, upscale look
Kia's redesigned Optima sedan and the Cadenza replacement for the Amanti, both due next year, reflect an emphasis on creating a livelier and more upscale look for the once-bland brand.
Indeed, styling has been a crucial element of Kia's new-product push in the past 18 months.
The team at Kia Design Center America near Los Angeles--part of the automaker's global design network led by onetime Audi design chief Peter Schreyer--has helped set the new styling direction.
Designers in California created the Kue crossover concept that was the basis for the Sportage redesign. They also did the exterior styling on the Soul, Forte and Forte Koup and Sorento and the interior of the upcoming Optima. Kia's design center in Frankfurt did the Optima's exterior.
Look for more excitement under the hood, too, as Kia strives to be seen as a brand that delivers moderately priced vehicles that are fun to drive. For example, the new Sportage, which went on sale this month, gets a 270-hp direct- injection turbocharged engine as an option in early 2011.
Here are highlights of Kia's U.S. plans for the 2011-13 model years.
Rio: A redesign of Kia's small car is expected to go on sale in late 2011.
Rondo: The compact minivan may be replaced for the 2013 model year with a new five-door model based on the same platform as the Hyundai i30, which is sold in Europe.
Soul: The first reskin for the quirky, boxy subcompact since its February 2009 debut is planned for the summer of 2011, when the Soul gets a new fascia. A redesign is scheduled for the 2014 model year.
Optima: The mid-sized sedan, which shares a platform with the Hyundai Sonata, will be redesigned early next year. Styling of the 2011 Optima is sporty and streamlined. It gets the “tiger nose” grille seen on all new Kia models since the debut of the Soul. The new version will be launched with a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and an optional turbocharged version that puts out an estimated 270 hp. A hybrid version will be introduced in the first quarter of 2011.
Sorento: The crossover was redesigned in December. A restyling is planned for the 2013 model year.
Sportage: The third generation of Kia's compact SUV debuted this month with styling cues from the 2007 Kue concept done at Kia's California design center. A version powered by a 270-hp, turbocharged direct-injection engine arrives this year. A reskin is scheduled for the 2014 model year.
Forte: A replacement for the compact sedan is planned for the 2013 model year, with a new platform and possibly a new name.
Cadenza: The Amanti replacement--introduced in Korea last year as the K-7--will go on sale in April as a 2012 model. The Cadenza, powered by a 3.5-liter V6, is longer and wider than the Amanti. The wheelbase of the Korean version is about 112 inches, compared with the Amanti's 107.1 inches. The Amanti name will disappear.
Borrego: The body-on-frame SUV will remain in Kia's lineup through the 2013 model year with no changes planned. Kia executives are not convinced that the segment is worth additional investment, so the Borrego may be killed when its current life cycle ends after the 2013 model year.
Sedona: The minivan segment is shrinking, so Kia may not replace the Sedona after production is scheduled to end after the 2013 model year.
Hybrid: Kia is kicking around the idea of a dedicated hybrid, likely a compact car, but it is struggling with the business case in a segment dominated by the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight.
Given Kia's marketing history, I hope to hell that they don't bring out an old model '11 Optima and then follow it up with the new one, also '11. Those days are, hopefully, past.
I go off production figures which is a more accurate gauge and as of the end of July they had produced no Optima's for export. Won't know about August production till about mid September.
Enough said. I think I want a red 2.0T.
Wow a lot of big news there:
"Both machines are due in KIA dealerships before the end of the year. Though official pricing will be released shortly before the Q4 on-sale date, we were told that the Optima will come in under its Hyundai Sonata stablemate"
"General consensus is that in the flesh, the Optima is a notch up from the already handsome Sonata, and will come loaded with content for the price point. Highlights include the new nav system (with Kia's (UVO) take on the Microsoft/ Sync multi-media setup due later in the model year)"
"later in the model year" is bumming me out. I wonder how long of a wait that would be. I really was looking forward to the UVO.
Quoted from the article: "...It will launch with a four-cylinder engine making 200 hp, paired with either a six-speed automatic or manual transmission. A turbo four pumping out 274 hp will join later this year, followed by Kia's first U.S. hybrid in early 2011."
OK, these dates are more in line with what we know so far. However, It is now August 31 with 4 months left in 2010. Worse case scenario should put the 2.0T date to be late December 2010, right?
"The 2011 model features dramatic new styling with a sweeping chrome arch, Kia's Tiger front grille design and a choice of four wheel sets, including two 18-inch options.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100831/CARREVIEWS/100839976#ixzz0yDQruUPi"
I'm guessing the turbo Sonata and Optima will hit around the same time late this year. So yeah Nov/Dec.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/02/2011-kia-optima-first-drive-review-road-test/-
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/02/2011-kia-optima-first-drive-review-road-test/-
http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1048913_2011-kia-optima-quick-drive
I realize that the new Optima is outselling the Sonata in Korea but I believe the Kia name in Korea has a lot better rep than they have established here....to this point. The Sorento, Sportage, Forte and now the Optima are going to change that perception fairly quickly I think. It really only took one car, the 2011 Sonata, to really put Hyundai on the map here. So many people would now consider Hyundai because of that one car it's quite amazing really.
We don't agree here.
My next visit to a Hyundai dealer was almost a decade later in late 2003. A co-worker wanted to test drive a new Elantra and asked me to tag along for support/protection. My expectations of the dealership experience were pretty low, but I was pleasantly surprised. The building was only a few years old and the appearance of the showroom and sales area was nicer than a lot of Nissan and Mazda dealers in the area (Atlanta). The sales guy was friendly, neatly dressed and he knew his product very well. I negotiated the price and we closed the deal within 90 minutes, without any undue hassle. She is still driving her red 2004 Hyundai Elantra GT 5-door and I've referred several folks to that salesman since then.
I visited a KIA dealer for the first time in Dec 2005 when I was car shopping. This particular dealership was originally a restaurant and then a Budget Rental location before it became a KIA franchise. I wanted to check out the Spectra5 and they only have one on the lot. It was parked on the grass in front of the lot and blocked in by two other cars. When I asked to test drive it, the sales guy he complained about the hassle of moving those cars! He said he didn't want to "go thru all that" unless I was a serious buyer! I won't repeat what I said, but about 20 seconds later I learned just how good of a smoky burnout you can do in a 2WD Jeep Grand Cherokee (borrowed from my dad)...he got the message, needless to say.
I went to another KIA dealer last year when the Forte was introduced. It was in an ancient building that had been a Ford dealership for decades. The lot had potholes, the windows looked cloudy and the sales area wreaked of cigarette smoke! The salesman who greeted me and showed me the car was very friendly, but he looked too young to even have a driver's license. I asked for brochure when we got back to the lot and he told me they didn't have any (adding that his boss was "too cheap" to order them). Then he handed me a business card with another salesman's name crossed out and his scribbled below it...kinda sad.
I'd love to see KIA upgrade their dealer facilities along with their product lines. With products like the Soul, Forte, Sorento and now the new Optima, they have some great cars to help build a strong brand identity. It would be a shame to let the a crappy retail network hold them back.
Looks like they are ramping up the press for this car. Article confirms a turbo "60 days" after the initial release, and confirms you can get an EX- Turbo as well as the SX model.