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[Test-Drive]- Newly Facelifted Kia Optima K5, A Luxurious 2.4L Luxury Sports Sedan Car

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Last week, we were given the opportunity to test-drive the newly facelifted 2.4L Kia Optima K5 and we really adore the sleek executive look of the luxury sports sedan car. Yes, it is a luxury sports sedan car and it looks extremely stylish too!

The exterior of the Kia Optima K5 has a coupe-like roofline, flowing smoothly into the high rear deck which merges uninterruptedly with the strong C-pillar. The black high-gloss honeycomb grille and stylish chrome trim of the air intake hole add a touch of distinctiveness to the front view of the Kia Optima K5.

In addition, the Kia Optima K5’s state-of-the-art lighting systems have been upgraded with surface-emitting LED tail lights, jewel-like 4-point LED fog lamps, and LED daytime running lights that are integrated into the headlamp housing for maximum dynamic appeal.

With such an intricately-designed exterior, the Kia Optima K5 is definitely a headturner!

While the exterior design of the Kia Optima K5 has improved significantly, the interior cabin packs a punch too! The driver’s cockpit features a generous use of soft-touch materials and a driver-centric main dash layout. As the center fascia is angled towards the driver; audio, navigation, and air-conditioning systems are intuitively positioned and within easy reach. With that being said, we really do wish that the time display could be positioned at the driver’s dashboard for easy viewing as opposed to it being at the center fascia.

For both the passengers and driver, the Kia Optima K5 offers maximum comfort and space. There is sufficient leg and head room for comfort and coupled with the panoramic sunroof, it expands everything about the Kia Optima K5; visibility, feeling of spaciousness, and sporty appeal!

The ventilated front seats where cool air is blown through the seat and backrest cushions is a feature that we really like because it helps prevent perspiration build up on hot sunny days!

For entertainment, the Kia Optima K5 comes equipped with the premium Infinity audio sound system with 8 speakers and it literally blew our minds away as our driving experience became a headbanging one!

In terms of driving experience, the state-of-the-art 2.4L multi-port injection gasoline engine that is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission offers the perfect blend of on-road performance and penny-pinching savings at the fuel pump.

While fuel consumption is slightly above what we expected, it is definitely not a thirsty oil-drinking beast. Being heavy footed most of the time, we often find ourselves going above the speed limit in a matter of seconds and what we adore about the Kia Optima K5 is the onboard safety features that makes driving even safer.

As all drivers would probably know, one of the most common causes of collision is the failure to see other vehicles in the car’s blind spot. With the Kia Optima K5’s blind spot detection system, it features both lane change assist which elongates the area of detection and the rear cross traffic alert which warns the driver of crossing traffic behind the car when backing out of parking spaces.

Here’s a video of how the Kia blind spot detection system works

On the road, the Kia Optima K5 corners rather smoothly and the acceleration pickup is fast! Our friends have also commented that the Kia Optima K5 was surprisingly spacious and that its quality, design, and finishing is on par with most luxury car sedans. Even then, the only improvement we felt that the Kia Optima K5 could do with is to tighten the grip of the brakes slightly and it would make a perfect luxury sports sedan.

The Kia Optima K5 is currently priced at SGD$165,999 and it is definitely an up-and-coming luxury sports sedan car that will WOW even the seasoned drivers. A game changer, the Kia Optima K5 is definitely a car to consider if you are looking for a sporty, comfortable, and spacious drive!

For more information and updates from Kia, do check out Kia Singapore Facebook Page!

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[Automobile Preview]- Kia Forte K3, Launching in Singapore On 27 July 2013

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We have written a couple of blog posts on hatchback cars and for this current blog post, it will be our first for a sedan car and we are pretty excited about its upcoming launch in Singapore on 27 July 2013.
Want to make a guess which sedan car are we going to write about?

Well, it is none other than the Kia Forte K3!

Two weekends ago, we were invited to preview the Forte K3 at the Singapore Turf Club and we had an enjoyable time driving the sleek-looking car. Given the large spacious environment at the Singapore Turf Club and under the guidance of the driving instructors, we also had the rare opportunity to push the Forte K3 to its limits.

While waiting for the event to commence proper, we went around to shoot some photos of the Singapore Turf Club. Since it was our first time at the Singapore Turf Club, we looked quite “suaku” [mountain tortoise] and were amazed that such a place existed in Singapore.

A rider and his horse going around the tracks.

Fans of Kia Singapore enjoying some simple refreshments and having a light-hearted moment.

A personalised tag that was specially made by Kia for all event participants.

The preview of the Forte K3 was divided into three different segments.

In the first segment, all event participants were introduced to the Forte K3 and the awesome team members from Kia were there to answer any queries that we may have about the car.

The Forte K3 exudes a brilliant touch of luxury with no detail left unturned. From the distinctive radiator grille to the sporty spoke wheels, every detail of the Forte K3 delivers high-end functionality with high-class style.

With a perfect proportioned profile, the Forte K3’s dynamic silhouette is accentuated by a sweeping roof line, shortened front and rear overhangs, and distinctive side character line.

An aerodynamic spoiler on the rear trunk lid accentuates the sporty exterior design of the Forte K3.

The powerful and refined Gamma 1.6 MPI is the heart of the Forte K3. Featuring Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing [D-CVVT] and electronic fuel injection, its lightweight aluminium construction ensures superb fuel economy. When we drove the car, the engine was responsive and smooth. There was not much jerking effect and even when we pedalled hard on the accelerator, the engine and road noise were kept to a minimal.

Now, what about the interior of the Forte K3?

The interior of the Forte K3 is simply unbelievable. Packed with tons of features to provide maximum driving comfort, the Forte K3 is definitely a worthy contender for its sophistication and class.

Some of the interior features include:

  • A 10-Way Power Assisted and Ventilated Driver’s Seat that also comes with an Integrated Memory System.

– With a seat like this, the driver will not have much to complain about when the weather gets really hot and humid. Even if the weather is cold [which is unlikely the case], the seat also has a seat warmer to provide reassuring comfort. Finding your ideal driving position is also made much more convenient with the power assisted seat and if you have preferred driving positions for different circumstances, memory settings for two different driving positions are available.

  • Rear Air Vents

-It is really rare for a car in a class similar as the Forte K3 to offer a rear air vent and your back seat passengers will rejoice because with the Forte K3, they too can enjoy the air circulation from the rear air vents that are positioned at the back of the center console.

The interior is spacious and it provides sufficient legroom and headroom for both passengers and drivers alike. The soft-touch materials, faux leather trim, and carbon pattern embossing are among the finishing touches that give the entire cabin a high-quality, modern feel.

There are also other really cool interior features that come onboard the Forte K3 and due to time constraints, we did not have the luxury of time to shoot much photographs. If we ever do get the opportunity to bring the Forte K3 out for a weekend drive, we will definitely publish a more detailed blog post about the car for all you readers to check out.

The second segment of the preview was the handling of the Forte K3 and this was where we pushed the car to its limits.

In this segment, we were tasked to navigate through the slalom course with both the Forte K3 and it’s competitor’s car, and we must say, we felt more confident handling the slalom course with the Forte K3 than it’s competitor’s car.

An instructor showing us the correct driving posture.

The professional driving instructor whom was guiding us through the slalom course. He looks quite fierce but seriously, he is quite an approachable guy.

The Forte K3 comes with a Flex Steer System that provides three different steering modes [Comfort, Normal, and Sport] and it delivers the appropriate level of steering assistance and feedback for different driving conditions and preferences. Personally, we prefer the Sport Mode because the feedback was pretty realistic. As such, we felt very confident handling the Forte K3 even at high speeds. For the ladies, they might prefer the comfort mode but for us, we found the steering too light for our liking.

The last segment for the preview was where we brought the Forte K3 out for an urban drive.

In this final segment, we took quite a while because we were comparing the driving experience of the different brands of cars with the Forte K3 and we must say, the Forte K3 wins hands-down.

Overall, having compared and driven three different cars on the same day, we must say that the Forte K3 is simply unrivalled. Apart from the beauty of its external façade and its luxurious and spacious interior, the driving performance of the Forte K3 is also powerful and smooth. Packed with so much features that most of its competitors do not offer, the Forte K3 offers a driving experience like no other.

If you’re looking for a spacious, comfortable, and an affordable car that sports an executive look, you might just want to consider Kia’s All-New Forte K3!

For more information and updates about the Forte K3, don’t forget to “like” Kia Singapore’s Facebook Page!

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