2009 Kia Optima launched in Dubai
Suddenly on sale now in Dubai and the UAE is the refreshed 2009 Kia Optima, with a facelifted exterior, and “a new engine that provides more power and better fuel economy.” The 2009 Optima midsizer is also supposedly larger than its predecessors, but we have doubts about that, along with questions over the engine specs.
The new front and rear ends add three inches in total at both ends, but wheelbase remains the same, so cabin space is the same as before. Engines for the GCC include a 164 hp 2.0-litre 4-cylinder and a 193 hp 2.7-litre V6. The new four-cylinder with variable-valve timing seems unusually powerful, gaining 19 hp over the previous motor, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it is a typo in the press release, and we’ll await confirmation on that front.
The facelifted Optima is available in value-priced LX and luxury-oriented EX trims. The 2.0-litre can be had with a manual or automatic, while the V6 gets a 5-speed automatic with a Sportmatic shifting feature.
The style makeover continues within the cabin with new trims and colour schemes. Features include a CD/MP3 player, new instrument cluster with red illumination, and seat trims in grey or beige, with cloth or leather, power windows and door locks, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat and four-way adjustable front passenger seat as well as 60/40-split folding rear seats. EX models upgrade to a leather-wrapped steering wheel with tilt and telescopic functions, leather seat and door trim, leather-wrapped shift knob, automatic temperature control, and an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat.
Safety features continue to be marginalised here, as only a driver’s airbag is standard, a passenger airbag is optional, and no side airbags available. Other features include front active headrests, side-impact door beams, height-adjustable front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters, three-point seatbelts, brake assist and ABS brakes.
Prices start at a reasonable Dhs 54,000. Kia builds cars that rival the Japanese in build quality, but the brand continues to be plagued in the GCC with low resale values, poorly-targeted dealer marketing and decontenting of safety features.
Comments
assassin
boring car
khalid
nice car,, not so futuristic looking as other cars(which is a great thing 😎 😎 )
Boris(K-sport)
what about the USB and auxilary jack? I wonder why side and curtain airbags are not available here. where’d you get this info from? These pix are clearly not Kia’s. these have been edited by Kia UAE who are masters at making cars look ugly after changing the background. what’d happen if they used pix of the american pix. there arent any differences between them. the last pic looks like kia’s. the pic they used for the ad in the paper looks more desirable and its true that the power has increased.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Every bit of info is from KIA’s UAE press release.
Zao
looks good from front end…even the engine specs looks good…but it might look good only on paper….actual performance might be poor….hope to see Mash take it for a test….
Boris(K-sport)
Mash said he ignores hyundai, kias and mazdas… he has only one kia test drive on this site and thats of the optims itself… BTW, the preivious optima could do 0-100 in 8 secs according to owners and if they used the manual mode they did 7 s!
azz
as usual flop car because of its brand name!
Boris(K-sport)
in uae yes. its hard to sell with this logo. but worldwide Hyundai Kia is the 5th largest auto make. and earning a lot more respect in EUrope and US. more in Europe cuz of the cee’d.
spyke
If those engine specs are true, it beats the Toyota camry 2.4 and dare i say the mazda 6’s 2.0 as well..how good the chassis is at putting this power to the ground i dont know, but not bad at all..As for the looks lets just wait and see, but the front looks kinda nice..
Boris(K-sport)
yeah, the front has got Kia’s new signature grille like the european brands. its called and ‘H-grille’ first seen in the kee concept. EVen the Kia soul and new cerato will have it.
Prado the great
KIA = kcould not Iafford a Accord
maani
its a ok car
Boris(K-sport)
your Prado. You probably like toyota. they dont look any better and have nothing special in them either besides the resale value crap. and thats the only reason people buy them. and its best of Kia’s sales are not as good as toyota cuz Kias are special meant for special people who have eyes and are smarter than the average person. I can look at every other brand but never TOY[ota] cars. what a waste of steel!
spyke
Prado the Great, lol..How old are you?? 😎 You said it Boris!!
Boris(K-sport)
honestly! A waste of steel is the right way to put it.
prado
Boris
that is biggest load of nonsense i have ever read. I guess u have are related to KIA or something.
Prado is a best in class 4×4,that my dear is fact.
The fit, finish, cabin quietness, refined engine, excellent AC, the tank like build quality is the real reason why people line up to buy them. Perception is backed by reality
Even it is now in the 5th year of production i cant think of any 4×4 (in it’s class) that comes close to it’s attributes.
KIA on the other hand starts smelling funny after 2 years, after another 2 year the engines starts giving up. think for 2 seconds how many old KIA;s do u see running? er…. hmmm let me see….
KIA = Killed in Action
@spkye
i am old enough not to buy a lemon car backed by even more lousy dealers..
vivek
Well..totally agree with Boris…frankly speaking, I liked the interiors of the optima in pics above than the one of the new Accord! A 100 buttons for jus the A/C and the radio???? And the toyotas..well, their case is complicated…either the cars are too crap; and the only few good ones are pricier than some of the better off europeans, americans & koreans!
Boris(K-sport)
O so you believe that there is no better 4×4 than prodo in its class. Prado is in Kia MOhave’s class. well then why dont I see the ford explorer, pilot and Mohave compared with prado? wheels did a Pilot vs. Explorer vs Kia Mohave comparison drive and mohave was the journalist’s pick of the three for high power yet fuel efficient engine, fit and finish with european style interiors, best off-road capability of the three enhanced by electronically adjustable air suspension, diff lock, hill descent/climb conts etc. not to mention you’re covered with 5 yr 100,000 km factory warranty, 1 yr free service contract and value for money when you buy HYundai-Kia.
Boris(K-sport)
sorry. I meant 5 yr unlimited km warranty…
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
While it is entirely true that the Mohave is better than the Explorer and the Pilot based on specs and value alone, Wheels is a pathetic source to prove your point.
😀
Boris(K-sport)
sorry. dont agree…
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
You would agree if you knew which parts of their reviews are pure bullshit and which parts are totally wrong. Sadly, I cannot dedicate entire posts to pointing out mistakes in Wheels.
Boris(K-sport)
It’s almost 2 yrs that I’ve been a wheels fanatic. Its hard to point mistakes when you’re so used to it.
vivek
for the price of a prado, I can actually go for a full option Pathfinder (which is apparently more powerful than the Prado). Add just a little more to the price of a full-option Prado and I can go for the Patrol or even an Armada, both of which are a class higher than the Prado! Now I am no Nissan warrior here! I do agree about the Prado’s reliability, fit & finish, above-average engine power, very good off-road ability, cabin quietness and everything else; but isn’t it a lot more pricier than what it is supposed to be?? The fortuner costs about 115k, that is fine..The FJ costs about 125k, tatz fine too….but a price tag of 140K+ is too much for the Prado! Especially when there are better alternatives in the market. And about the smelly Kia’s; well, thatz a history I would say. All their vehicles that I’ve seen post 2004, fare well in almost all aspects. I’ve personally checked the Mohave at the showroom and the vehicle’s fit & finish is just awesome..the pricing is very competetive..options are all great..I have not driven the vehicle, but the engine power is very good I’ve heard. All car manufacturers are coming up with better models bro; so it is not just Toyota that is in the field now. Think broader, do a good research, and you shall know!
Boris(K-sport)
I had seen mohave in person even before the launch when I took my sportage for servicing and saw a truck load of them at the service centre. They allowed me to take pix and sit in it too. just fell in love with the interior. turns out that the wood trimming is real. I dont remember what wood species the guy said it was cuz I dont really take interest in wood/tree names. dont worry environment conscious ppl. Kia buys their wood and leather from a farm. 5% of their cars have got real leather from goat skin that they buy from a farm. they dont pay them to kill. they just buy the ones that have died of natural causes.
prado
for the price of a prado, I can actually go for a full option Pathfinder (which is apparently more powerful than the Prado).****
RE: so what
it is an inferior offroader, terrible gas mileage, inferior interior.
cheaper ya sure, but u pay what u get
***Add just a little more to the price of a full-option Prado and I can go for the Patrol or even an Armada, both of which are a class higher than the Prado!****
RE: so? who goes for full option? people tend to go for the 40 gallon tank and no leather. that is practical. besides patrol is a V8 different class where the land crusier completely owns it
**** it a lot more pricier than what it is supposed to be?? *****
RE: it is called market, demand is always high for preimum quality cars
The fortuner costs about 115k, that is fine..****
RE: thai made vehicle funny interior enough said
The FJ costs about 125k, tatz fine too….****
RE: there is not much in it
but a price tag of 140K+ is too much for the Prado! ****
RE: and yet there is a waiting list for it
;
Especially when there are better alternatives in the market. ****
RE: like what? pathfinder: road noise, poor economy, boxy designed,
ford explorer? hahhaha hahahha
armada – low scorer on JD powell, a boat to drive, cannot park any where
sure .. go buy
** bro; so it is not just Toyota that is in the field now. Think broader,
RE: enjoy your KIA. and it’s high depreciation, boring design, lousy dealers and no road presense, funny name,
do a good research, and you shall know****
RE: looking at yours, i believe i have done a thesis
KIA = krap in action
prado
O so you believe that there is no better 4×4 than prodo in its class. *****
RE: when i see UN armies using KIA 4×4 i will believe u
mention you’re covered with 5 yr 100,000 km factory warranty, 1 yr free service contract and value for money when you buy HYundai-Kia.****
RE: unreliable cars need such such warranties such as jaguar, KIA, ….
Boris(K-sport)
I have answers for the things you said about hyundai Kia an d that bit about the waiting list for prado but if I say anything in reply, we might just end up having a pointless argument. I call a truce.
vivek
the pathfinder and inferior offroader!! So for sure you have not driven one!! And whn u said tat FJ has nothing, u jus confirmed tat u r some Prado meniac who b’lieves the theory “what i have is the best”!! Take an FJ offroad and compare it with your Prado, and you shall knw what the FJ has! And by the way, if you did not knw, there is no V8 engine for the Patrol..All Patrols come with inline 6-cylinder engines..Also, tell me when did a base Prado started to get considered as a Premium vehicle??? If it is the long waiting list which is the reason for your claim, then I’ve nothing to tell you..dont talk 2 me abt al futtaim dealership – i hav had some of the finest experiences wid ’em..everytime i take my friends’ camrys, corollas and land cruisers for servicing, so i knw ’em well! their service & maintenance costs for a corolla is actually more tan wot al tayer charges for a mondeo (apparently a mid-sizer)..some of the best dealer service centers in my experience are arabian automobiles, al tayer motors (i own a ford) & Juma Al Majid (i’ve owned a Hyundai accent till 4 month’s ago, as a second car). And by the way, dear Prado bro had mocked on an Armada. Drive one and see how it handles. I’ve driven both the Armada and the Prado VX. For that matter, even the Ford Explorer, has better on-road handling and comfort than the Prado. If not for poor engine power, I dont see a reason for considering the Prado over the Explorer!
I appreciate Boris’s wisdom of keeping quiet over you. He and many others have seen a lot like u here. So hereafter, I am gon’ do the same too. No more comments to whatever crap you post. Who am I to correct someone with the Prado syndrome? I quit!
vivek
And Boris..if you did not know, UN armies use “PREMIUM QUALITY” (BASE) Prados for warfare these days 😆 😆 😆 😆
Boris(K-sport)
😆
Faisal
Prado owner for the past three years…its a great car….no doubt about it and I would still take it over any of the current competitors just for the amazing power. But this Mohave has interested me. I’ve always been dissapointed with the lack of tech stuff on board the prado especially for the price we paid for it…the music system is also quite terrible. So I won’t say it’s the best car in the market but it’s surely one of the best…
Faisal
Regarding this optima…I like the way it looks…though I’m skeptical over its performance…lets see…
Prado the great
. I call a truce.**********
RE: i accept your surrender..
al futtaim dealership *****
R: they also suck like KIA so?… i never use them, u can service prado at ENOC with ease, besides only fools do an oil change at dealers
Armada. Drive one and see how it handles. I’ve driven both the Armada and the Prado VX. ****
RE: so ? u missed the point. people buy prado for it’s all round features rather than a specifc item, ford explorer has better sound system than prado so what ? i still wont buy it!
like i said keep buying KIA and the second rate options u listed, cos the vast majority of the buying public use thier heads
some of the best dealer service centers in my experience are arabian automobiles, al tayer motors (i own a ford) & Juma Al Majid ***
RE: u own a ford? u have my sympathy.. beware of flame out, electric issues etc etc
i do agree arabian auto is better at least the infinity service,
Boris(K-sport)
lets see the stats. the prado if I know correctly starts at 110k Dhs and tops at around 130k dhs.what special stuff do you get? 4.oL engine 262hp, 395Nm and some other common options. MOhave starts at around 95k and tops at 135k. ahd you get navigation, electronically adjustable seats, real birchwood trimmings, heated/cooled seats, reversing cam, 274hp, 365Nm engine, 11l/100km. for off-road you get locking cenral diff lock, selectable high range/low range geraing, hill descent/hill start assist feature and also electronically adjustable air suspension. And 5yr warranty is Kia’s bet that their cars’ quality has improved enough. hmm, you do get a lot for your money
vivek
Dear prado…91K kms in under 2 years time; and inspite of extreme rash driving under harshest of conditions, and my car has nevr let me down..meanwhile my frnd’s toyotas and hondas hav already visited garages twice or thrice while havin lesser numbers on their odo and also them being drivers who dont drive rash!!…so dont talk 2 me abt the reliability of a Ford..I knw it better!!..As I had told u, I am not going to tell u nythin..some ppl jus dont move on in life! so forget it!! The fact tat u insult other cars itself is the statement frm u tat u cannot think any further than wot u can now! I never insulted the Prado..Prado is a really good vehicle..in fact, one of the best; ONE of the best!..moreover, you must understand the fact tat, no vehicle on earth is perfect..every car has itz own pros and cons..what makes a car suitable to an individual is the way the individual weighs the pros and cons of it..if the pros are exactly wht he is lookin for while the cons doesnt really matter 2 him, thn he goes for it..otherwise, he goes for the next option..if the Prado suits your preferences more than the Pathfinder, then go for the Prado; but tat does not make the Pathfinder inferior in any respect. Every car is good in it’s own distinct way; the deciding factor is, how good is it going to be for you..However, no point in talking to you, Prado bro..So I say, YES..Prado is the besttttt!!!!!!!! happy? …have a good day!
vivek
and Boris…when did Prados become sooo cheap????… 😯 😯 ..or are you talking abt the 2.7L versions?
thatsit(mohamad)
you know guys why i didnt join you in this???…the guy is saying a partol is V8 and he even dont know how to write “infiniti” i bet you guys he didnt visit a dealer since at least more than 3 years…just guys leave him…i faced the same thing with another guy in this website”i think he knows himself”
..i was always saying that kia cars are very bad cars and their qualities are the worst…but please…i think this automaker started to work harder to prove that he is able to join the others..the new models are very good…and this 2.7 engine is really strong’you can notice that from the HP it gives’…good luck mr prado…waiting for the reply…BTW: i liked the way you reply to others comments…
Boris(K-sport)
. I call a truce.**********
RE: i accept your surrender..
.
haha. I remember one of my friends say that when I was TEN YEARS OLD!!!
.
I mean it dude! – I have answers for all your mis-understandings! but I dont want to argue like a kid.
sorry I had to put it this way…
vivek
ohhhh..i never noticed the “Infinity” part!! 😆 😆 😆
vivek
forget the 6 pot..the 4 cylinder 2.0L, going according to the specs, is actually more powerful tan the 2.4 Camry, 2.4L Galant, 2.3L Mondeo, and only a few horses less than the 2.5L Mazda 6!!!
Boris(K-sport)
neither did I. I’ll clear it out for you dear Prado. Infinity is the the audio system that Kia uses for their ,uxury cars and for optima EX. Infinti is Nissans luxury division.
vivek
no Boris..we were wrong! Infinity (not Infiniti), is Nissan’s luxury divisions..Only fools go to dealers for servicing their cars..Prado is currently being used by UN forces for warfare..and the Patrol comes with a V8 engine (thank God, not V12 😆 )..And ppl buy prado because they use their heads 😆 😆 😆
Boris(K-sport)
*** ..or are you talking abt the 2.7L versions?***
yeah. 2.7L
vivek
U were comparing a 2.7L Prado with a Mohave??!!! no way!! 😆 😆 😆 ..
Prado the great
ahhh abuseed children…lool
Dear prado…91K kms in under 2 years time; and inspite of extreme rash driving under harshest of conditions, and my car has nevr let me down..****
RE: u a cab driver?
Infinity is the the audio system that Kia uses for their ,uxury cars and for optima EX. Infinti is Nissans luxury division.*****
RE: are u a clerk for a living? cant u tell from a typo error? but thanks for the concern anyway my bro has a g35
you know guys why i didnt join you in this???…**
RE: u did not get invited… must happen alot.
Prado the great
***. And 5yr warranty is Kia’s bet that their cars’ quality has improved enough. hmm, you do get a lot for your money*******************
RE: yet we do not see KIA bowho….err.. i mean mohave flying of the showrooms… ?? why is that
about UN armies having prado… it is a testiment for 4×4 engineering they buy them for a reason. PS it is actually known as a landcrusier II in some corners
Prado the great
nissan patrol doesnt have V8 engine??? really…??? oh dam nissan sucks now 🙄
have answers for all your mis-understandings! but I dont want to argue like a kid.
sorry I had to put it this way**********
RE: u dont have an answer that is whole problem. your kia sales pitch doesnt work … no body is buying it
assassin
thatsit, who did you mean? mash or cb??
prado is a great mid-size suv, but the problem is the prado started to be outdated (7 years with the same shape and performance). thats why nowadays other companys build something better.
toyota has to refresh the prado soon and that for sure will turn it to be on top again..
thatsit(mohamad)
loooooooool 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
Boris(K-sport)
U were comparing a 2.7L Prado with a Mohave??!!! no way!!
.
no. I was comparing the 4.0L with the mohave. I just mentioned the price of the 2.7. And to everyone else. just leave prado alone. he’s not gonna understand that a new kid on the block can sometimes be better than the old and experienced.
Prado the great
he’s not gonna understand that a new kid on the block can sometimes be better than the old and experienced.******
RE: let the buyers decide… and time will tell how the mohave performs..
spyke
I’m sorry i just all these comments recently. My dear prado friend. I own a pathfinder and let me tell you
“it is an inferior offroader, terrible gas mileage, inferior interior..”
Re. It was voted by Top gear as “the vehicle most likely to be painted white and used in the next war torn country”, im not saying the prado is a bad off roader, but the pathfinder is just as good.
Re. Terrible gas mileage, yeh the i pay AED 66 for a full tank from almost quarter tank and i get a whopping 370km.
Re. Inferior interior. Have you seen the interior on the 08 pathy onwards?? If you have then i dont think you’ll be saying this. Its got a new nav system, rear view camera, 10 speaker bose sound system ( dual cone subwoffers), rear seat DVD entertainment system, a completely redesigned centre stack facia.
And last but not least, it has the most powerful 4.0 engine in its class. Horsepower backed with loads of torque.
The prado a better 4×4 in its class, your certainly not compared other vehicles or driven others to comment on that.
I actually looked in to the prado VX as well as the pajero 3.8 before purchsing this one. And if you still think the pathys is an inferior offroader, jsut check you tube..pls.. 😎
spyke
Sorry but im not done yet..
“road noise, poor economy, boxy designed”
Re.The NVH (Noise vibration harshness) for the 08 models have been improved over the 05-07 models and i can tell you while doing 100kmph, i only rev at 1800RPMs and can barely hear the engine, except when i step on the gas beating Prados.. 😎
Re. As far as economy i also have to mention 370 is not the total mileage i can do with one tank, i traveled to Oman where i averaged 9.1-10.0 L/100km doing an average of 130kmph and covered 420 km. The retrun journey fill up only cost me 55dhs. So yeh its very economical.
Re. Boxy shape, lol..beauty is in the eye of the beholder. i cant comment on that since its ones opinion.
The prado still retains its top heavy handling, it feels like its gonna topple every time it goes around the corner.
Ive driven vehicles with in the same class as well as well as vehicles within my budget.The reason i didnt go with the prado is simple because the pathy was a much better decission to make. Their aftersales service is also very good.
One more thing, i also own a santa fe, one that has been with me for 5 years tomorrow, its got over 125k kms now and is still running fine, so like i have said before dear prado friend dont undermine vehicles just because you think they’re bad.
Boris(K-sport)
dont try spyke. he doesnt get it. I’ll second that prado was the best in its class when it was launched but. how long has it been since then? how many SUVs have come or been refreshed since that time? And Prado still says LC Prado the best in in calss. 🙄 leave him alone.
spyke
Ohh and in regard to the specific engine specs of the three if you wanna go there, since ive adressed most of your comments regarding the pathfinder,
Prado: 240bhp and 377Nm (Net)
Pathfinder: 270Bhp 394Nm (Net)
Pajero: 250 Bhp 330Nm (Net)
spyke
Yeh i know Boris, ive seen our Prado friend commenting only on things he thinks he knows.Nissan Sucks, yeh ok..
vivek
Buddy spyke….i really dont understand y u wasted a lot of ur energy when our Prado bro already proved himself by mentioning that Pathy is an inferior offroader; and everything else arnd is not even worth talking abt!..Poor chap has not seen anythin beyond the Prado’s window!…And what more?? According to the Prado boy’s theory, if you clock more tan a 90K on the odo of ur car in less tan a couple of years, then you are a CAB DRIVER!!! 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 …guyz, giv the crying boy a lollipop; if he still yells, leave him, the lollipop and the Prado alone!
spyke
Sorry Vivek had to say something, our buddy was going on and on and on..besides had to prove a point as well and had couple o mins to kill before i went out lol.. 😆
vivek
remember spyke..the child..the lollipop! 😆 😆
Boris(K-sport)
the 2009 optima has optional push button start, standard LED tail lamps and I think it also got USB and AUX jack compatible with iPod.
Prado the great
According to the Prado boy’s theory, if you clock more tan a 90K on the odo of ur car in less tan a couple of years, then you are a CAB DRIVER!!!*****
RE: it was a question not a theory
said before dear prado friend dont undermine vehicles just because you think they’re bad.*****
RE: are they bad? NO. Just an inferior choice
about nissian pathfinder fuel figures i dead sure they r inaccurate , i pletty of collegues who bought pathfinder only to regret it
spyke
“are they bad? NO. Just an inferior choice.”
Ahh yeh and you would know their inferior because??? You certainly dont seem to listen to testament from other owners. If i didnt like my vehicle i’d gladly voice out my dislike towards it. Who are you to judge the inferiority of a vehicle, do you have years of automotive experience or years of experience listen to other people who know nothing either??..
Ive never met anyone who doesnt like to accept progress, progress an automaker will go to make inorder to make their vehicles better. Ohh and btw, once upon a time, people thought toyota and other japanese automakers wre inferior, and look where they are now..
“about nissian pathfinder fuel figures i dead sure they r inaccurate”
Re. Ok so since you seem to know more about my own vehicle than i do, what do you think the ‘an accurate’ value would be then..?? Which one is more harder to believe, the litres per km, or the amount i spend on fuel??
Granted i dont always tend to do 370 but more likely to do 300 due to traffic. My trip going to oman (one way) cost me a total of 75 Dhs, yeh and i still had close to 30-35 litres left in the tank.
As for your collegues you should have told them to buy you a prado then huh..
Boris(K-sport)
it takes time for an engine to ‘break in’. It means when the car is new, the engine usually gives rubish mileage but as the kms stack up, the engine is said to ‘break in’ and mileage improves. at the moment, we in the Mid east dont have to worry about mileage cuz our petrol isn’t so expensive.
W.A.
This is my first comment on this site. So Hello everyone. 🙂 I couldnt stop smiling when I saw how long you guys argued about prado. I think both parties are right and that the decision between KIA or Toyota would depend on what an individual needs/wants. Please end this argument here. It would be more sensible if we all talked about the benefits and drawbacks of the new KIA Optima on this page. I am sure there would be many like me who would be interested in the talk. I am thinking of getting the new Optima, simply because it offers more than its competitors for less (ignoring resale price). I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mash for creating this site (great job !!) and ask him if hes thinking of testing the new Optima.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Hey W.A., most likely not, but it is probably very similar to the old one. The old one is already the only front-wheel-drive midsizer on my Editor’s Choice list, so no one can really accuse me of bias.
Boris(K-sport)
No, you get somewhat more than the competition. confirmed features include push button start, LED tail lights, and there’s probably more like USB and AUX. now since the next launch from Kia will be at the begininning of next year, I might as well have a look at the optima at the showroom this week although I dont intend to buy long sedans I just want to confirm what features its got cuz the press release isnt very informative and since a facelifted sedan isnt as important as an entry level mid-size SUV, Al Majid probably didnt feel the need to invite journs to test drive it.
Boris(K-sport)
And W.A. Mash doesnt test drive VW [and what ever comes under it], Mazdas, Hyundais and Kias. you might have to wait for another site or mag to do that or go to the showroom yourself and do that although I’d advice you to go to the Sheikh Zayed Road showroom if you want to test drive cuz the Ithihad road showroom has a lot of construction activity going on ’round it with no place to do a proper test drive.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
*cough* Bentley *cough*
Boris(K-sport)
I didnt know bently also… 😳
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Actually, I meant VW owns Bentley, but I get those easily. By the way, Boris, if you happen to collect Wheels for some reason, drop me an email and I will point out mistakes in the few issues that I got.
spyke
Lol..W.A, this is not the first time an argument has gone totally off topic. But yes the new optima does look very nice and offers great options. If it was me i’d gladly go for the full treatment 😀 , nyways just my two cents..Cheers..
MAHINDRA PRADO KILLER
😈
vivek
why mash why?? why not the hyundais, kias and the mazdas?? 😐
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Hey man, ask them, not me.
Prado the great
MAHINDRA PRADO KILLER, 8****
RE: does any body in thier right mind even buy a mahindra?
so how is it a killer? it is engineering transport joke.. please explain 🙄
Boris(K-sport)
hmm, 2.0L petrol engine. hehe. kills prado! 🙄
prado
hmm, 2.0L petrol engine. hehe. kills prado!***
RE : how ?? by annoying it to death
assassin
i saw mohave today. But i found it’s much smaller than prado. Its a rav4 size.
Boris(K-sport)
how ?? by annoying it to death
I was teasing the mahindra not your prado. se the ‘hehe’ and the roll-eyes smiley? And assasin. I’ve seen the mohave personally and even sat in it before its launch here and its definately bigger than a rav4 unless the udjustable suspension is lowered or if its not a moahve in the first place.
spyke
True, ive seen a mohave as well, and its quite a midsizer, but for sure bigger than a rav4.
Boris(K-sport)
its lower than prado cuz of prado’s bigger springs and Kia could afford to keep mohave low cuz of the adj suspension. its more or less the size of pathfinder. a bit smaller than explorer but more spacious than both.
Fo0oRd
0nLy fo0o0o0o0o0o0o0oRrRrRrD MuStAnG 👿 is a great car for young people NoT kia or prado or anything els 🙂
BJD (Boris)
well, for D-seg sedans, i still favour d maz6
Dimietr Dakov
Well reading the arguments about the Prado i will just say one thing. Here in Kuwait the Prado Base model costs 9500KD. The Full option Kia Mohave V6 costs 9000KD. The price difference is not from the quality because we own a Kia mohave and i have to say the quality is shockingly good. Not saying Prado’s bad but it looks like crap in terms of features and Modernism compared to the Mohave. The mohave comes with LED Taillamps, Infinity Stereo Leather, Navigation, We also have Rear View Camera and Rear DVD entertainment system. Dual Zone Climate control. Hill Descent assist, Beautiful LED instrument cluster and Smart key engine start, HID headlights, Automatic Headlight washer, Auto dimming rear view mirror, DTS surround sound 5.1 supported, Air adjustable suspension and those sexy 18″ chrome wheels. I have a friend with a prado and the only thing he has what i have is the Leather. And this for a price higher than the Mohave. It’s all Brand Image. Not quality, and people who still think kia is crap are complete Lamers because they have so narrow knowledge about cars. All they know is Toyota, BMW and Mercedes. And as for the big warranty… Its not because KIA is crap. With big warranty they show you that they are sure their car is High Quality. Because if they were really crap everyone was gonna go to kia to repair their car for free and KIA was going to lose a lot of money. So the big Warranty is to show you how much KIA trust their vehicles. No 5 biggest automaker together with Hyundai people. KIA invasion
marwan
very good car
dody
من اين استطيع الحصول على الكتلوج الخاص ب اوبتيما 2009 lx باللغة العربية رجاء” . مع الشكر شباب ارجو مساعدتي