Shanghai December 8 (Gasgoo.com) Kia Motors, South Korea's second largest automobile manufacturer, will debut its all-new 2011 Kia Optima midsize sedan at the Guangzhou Auto Show, and will then launch the car in China in March 2011, Che168 reported, citing a source inside Dongfeng Yueda Kia Motors Co Ltd.
The all-new Optima, named the Kia K5 in the South Korean market, is positioned between the domestically-made Kia Forte and the imported Kia Cadenza, and measures (LxWxH) 4800mm x 1805mm x 1480mm with a wheelbase of 2720mm.
The new Optima, made by Kia's Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp and Jiangsu Yueda Investment, will be available with two engine options. One is a 2.4L D-CVVT engine, used in the imported Kia Cadenza, which delivers maximum power of 132kw at 6000rpm and peak torque of 230Nm at 4000rmp.
The other is a 2.0L engine, used in the Hyundai Sonata Lingxiang (Sonata NFC), which produces maximum power of 121kw/6200rpm and peak torque of 197Nm/4600rpm, and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and an automated manual transmission (AMT).
With an edgy and sporty look, the new car is codenamed TFc during development in China and will be sold for around 200,000 yuan ($30,000).
