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2014 Kia Optima SX Limited 
The 2014 Kia Optima SX Limited made its debut at the New York International Auto Show and offers a sporty package for the mid-sized sedan market. The Kia Optima line is the best-selling line for the Korean automaker and the SX Limited model offers a more upscale feel. The cars styling has subtle details that set it apart from the other cars in the model’s lineup. The SX Limited offers a high performing engine and a lot of tech goodies. The more powerful engine option is given away with styling cues such as larger chrome alloy wheels, red brake calipers and chrome accents. Kia is hoping that this model will help give the car a bit more excitement than the lower level cars in the model’s lineup. The design of the car was out of Frankfurt Germany to help ensure a pleasing European design. The Limited is styled to compete with sporty mid-size sedans from Europe and Japan and looks like it will give them a run for their money. Hit the jump to read more about the 2014 Kia Optima SX Limited. Full story
2012 Kia Optima Hybrid "Superman"
What we can tell you for sure at this point is that Kia is a huge fan of cartoon superheroes. Until now, we have seen models inspired by Batman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg and Green Lantern, and as you can see, there is someone missing on this list. Yes, you are right: Superman! This doesn’t mean that Kia forgot about him. The most likely reason is that the automaker couldn’t find an auto show to unveil the superman-inspired Optima. Well, the wait is over, as the Superman-inspired Optima Hybrid made its debut at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show debut. The car has been designed in cooperation with Super Street magazine, but except an aggressive body kit and the Superman-inspired coloration we see nothing "super" about this Optima. It gets customer fenders that make it a little bit wider, a beveled front grille resembling Superman’s belt and red headlights. The concept is painted in a very cool blue combined with Superman’s unmistakable chest emblem on the hood and red elements added on the trunk. The interior features the same blue and red color combination and gets Superman’s iconic "S" shield integrated into the seats and steering wheel. And that’s pretty much all the super stuffs added in the new Superman-inspired Kia Optima. Was it worth? Most likely not, but is always good to discover your inner-child. 2013 Kia Optima "Batmobile"
Kia has teamed up with DC Entertainment and Rides magazine to create a one-off version of the 2013 Optima that is inspired by the DC Comic “Batman.” This creation is slated to be part of a benefit dubbed the “We Can Be Heroes” campaign, which helps fight hunger in the Horn of Africa. The benefit itself is a great cause, but the car is simply awesome. Kia started off with the range-topping Optima SX, which boasts a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that pops out 274 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and an impressive 269 pound-feet at torque at an ultra-low 1,750 rpm. This is enough to get this sedan to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds, but still turn in a 22 mpg city and 34 mpg highway EPA fuel economy rating. Though there are no engine modifications, sans the performance exhaust system, to this Kia turned Batmobile, it does boast a lowered coil-over suspension to help it in the twist and Ksport performance brakes to grind it to a halt a little quicker. On the exterior, Kia draped the Optima in a matte- and piano-black color combination and tossed in a set of 20-inch black wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber. Kia also modified its trademark grille to look like the batman logo and even placed the batman logo in place of the “Kia” logo in the center of the grille. Wrapping up the exterior are yellow LED lights underneath the vehicle and the bat signal etched into the HID headlights. Inside the Optima, Kia wrapped the interior in custom black leather and suede with yellow accent stitching to maintain the Batman theme. You even get a “Bat suit” in the trunk and a set of throwing stars in the center console. Two video screens on the front headrests cap of the interior and will be playing a video during the campaign that will showcase how people can get involved with the “We Can Be Heroes” project. Our hats go off to Kia for building such an awesome car for just an awesome cause. Click past the jump to read Kia’s press release. 2012 Kia Optima SX Limited
Kia has brought a new range topping Optima to the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The special Optima SX Limited will go on sale in March and will be offered exclusively in three exterior colors: Ebony Black, Snow White Pearl, and Titanium Metallic. The special edition Kia Optima SX Limited will be distinguished by LED daytime running lights, a chrome-accented rear spoiler, lower door sills, wood interior trim, and a new set of uniquely designed chrome 18-inch wheels. The interior has been dressed up in black or white Nappa for the leather seats, door panels, center console armrest, and center fascia trim for a premium feel. All of these elements are combined with wood accents on the steering wheel, interior door trim, and shift knob, and a black tricot fabric lends a premium feel to the headliner, sun visor, and A, B, and C pillars. The Kia Optima SX Limited is powered by the vehicle’s usual 2.0-liter turbo GDI V6 engine that delivers a total of 274 HP and achieves 22/34 mpg city/hwy. Super Bowl Ad: Kia has found "A Dream Car For Real Life"Okay, so at first we thought Kia’s ad for this year’s SuperBowl was going to be the five-hour long video of Victoria’s Secret supermodel Adrianna Lima waving a checkered flag back and forth repeatedly. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, Kia has another way of advertising during the biggest football game of the year. Their true SuperBowl commercial is called "A Dream Car. For Real Life." It features a couple who are visited by a sandman who sprinkles a little special dust on them to make for a couple of fabulous dreams. He accidentally drops the entire man on the gentleman and his dream because Kia’s high-powered ad featuring the Optima. In this ad, the man cruises around in his Optima while getting an eyeful of Adrianna Lima, UFC fighter Chuck Lidell, and American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, among other things. He performs the ultimate task however, when he rides into his wife’s perfect dream and rescues her from her dream man on the white horse. If this commercial isn’t enough for you and you’re looking for a little more of the scantily clad Adrianna Lima, hit the jump. There, you’ll find five hours worth of some bare skin and flag waving. Full story 2012 Kia Optima SX World Challenge GTS Race Car
The debuts are coming fast and furious at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show so we’re going to be on our toes to stay on top of the action as more cars are unveiled. One that got our attention was the Kia Optima SX World Challenge GTS Race Car. Given the fact that Kia is a relative neophyte in the world of auto racing, we’ve been pleasantly surprised in the company’s aggressive stance in building race cars. Last month at SEMA, they even introduced their new Rio B-Spec Racer and an Optima USTCC Pace Car. Now, it’s the Optima’s turn to be tuned to racing specifications, this time for the Pirelli World Challenge Championships. One possible explanation behind Kia’s sudden enthusiasm in auto racing was born out of the success they’ve had in the sport, despite only being active in competitive racing for the past two years. "As a brand with no previous racing experience in America, for Kia to win two motorsports championships in just its second year is an incredible accomplishment, and expanding our motorsports footprint with the turbocharged Optima entering World Challenge will continue to build passion and enthusiasm for the brand with an entirely new fan base at different race tracks across the country," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. The cars were built as a collaborative project between Kia Motors America and Kinetic Motorsports where they will be competing in a racing series that features race-prepped versions of production vehicles from many of the world’s most popular manufacturers. The pair of Optimas that were unveiled at the LA Auto Show have been tuned with aerodynamic styling and outstanding driving dynamics that should make them well suited to handle the high-octane, steel-scraping world of World Challenge racing. 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid USTCC Pace Car
If we weren’t looking at this car with our very own eyes, we would have never believed that a Kia Optima Hybridcould look this good! Kia has pulled out all of the stops at this year’s SEMA Show with two very impressive update packages based on the hybrid sedan. First, was the Optima Hybrid Griffin and now, the USTCC Kia Optima Hybrid Pace Car. The new USTCC Optima Hybrid Pace Car will replace the current Kia Soul as the official Safety Car of the USTCC. The car was developed in cooperation with GoGoGear.com and includes a free-flow air intake system, a Magnaflow exhaust system, a coil-over suspension kit to lower the ride height, a front splitter and rear wing, and lightweight wheels wrapped around performance tires. All of those accessories are amazing in their own right, but the first thing we noticed on the car was the stunning custom color scheme, series graphics, and array of lighting. The Optima now benefits from a crisp black exterior with neon green graphics and a plethora of lighting, including LED auxiliary lights and HID headlight. The Optima Pace Car also has strobe lights and an LED light bar on the roof to help direct traffic while on duty. The interior was also transformed to make the job easier with a 2,400-watt audio and video system and a DVD system with dual seven-inch monitors in the front-seat headrests and wireless headphones. The Optima was also given custom leather seats with green stitching to match the exterior trim color. The USTCC Kia Optima Hybrid Pace Car will make its first USTCC appearance in March 2012. Updated 11/09/2011: We have added real life images of the Kia Optima Hybrid USTCC Pace Car from its official debut on the SEMA floor. Find them in the picture gallery. 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Griffin
Everyone knows that hybrid cars are firstly being built for being environmental friendly and second for great look or performance. But this special Kia Optima Hybrid Griffin is the perfect proof that absolutely any car in the world can look great if you know the changes it needs. The car has been developed by Kia in cooperation with West Coast Customs as a tribute to Blake Griffin - the company’s official spokesperson. And as you might have expected the car features a a basketball-themed, with custom orange paint scheme combined with 20"matte black wheels and Griffin’s personal logo on the hood. The interior gets basketball-court flooring in the front and rear seating areas, custom leather seats with Griffin’s autograph embroidered in the front headrests, leather and suede door panel inserts and headliner, and a booming audio system. And if you wanted even more the car also gets two flat-screen TVs mounted in the back of the front headrests connect to a Microsoft®(2) X-Box video game console and a "Pop-A-Shot" basketball hoop mounted in the trunk. Updated 11/09/2011: We have added new images of the Kia Optima Hybrid Griffin from its official debut on the SEMA floor. Check the picture gallery to see them. Super Bowl Ad: Even the Mayans love the Kia OptimaJust how far would you go to drive the Kia Optima? To give an idea just how criminally desirable Kia’s new mid-size sedan is, the Korean automaker’s new Super Bowl commercial features the car getting jacked multiple times by the most unlikely of people. Or in one case, the Greek God of the Sea. From a policeman, to a terrorist, to Poseidon, to aliens, and finally the Mayan empire, the Kia Optima exchanges hands more times than a day spent in East L.A. Apparently, everybody loves the Optima so much that they’d resort to underhanded tactics to have a chance to get behind the wheel of it. In the end, the Optima ends up in the hands of the Mayan empire, which would have been cool except that we seriously doubt if those people knew how to drive it. 2011 Kia Optima HybridKia has unveiled the company’s first ever hybrid model at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Optima Hybrid will go on sale early next year and targets models like the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The 2011 Optima Hybrid features a Transmission-Mounted-Electric-Drive (TMED) layout with the electric motor separated from the transmission gear-set. The new model will also be among the first full hybrid systems on the market to use a typical step-ratio automatic transmission. The Optima can be driven in zero emission, full-electric drive mode at speeds up to 62 mph or in blended gas-electric mode at any speed. As for the look of the vehicle, the hybrid model will have many features that the standard Optima lacks. For starters, the front of the car will get a new front grille with a completely new design, as well as a new front lower bumper and new headlamps. There will also be new fog lamps, heated outside mirrors, chrome accents on the exterior door handles, and side sills. The back of the car will see a new rear lower bumper, LED tail lamp design, and a rear lip spoiler. The wheels will be a 16-inch alloy wheel design. Customers will also have the option for a Premium Technology Package that will add extra features to their model. Press release after the jump. Full story | Kia Optima latest reviews:Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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