Kia Optima K5 – leaked brochure pages reveal more!

DECEMBER 31, 2011 AT 5:46 PM BY ANTHONY LIM FILED UNDER CARS, KIA, LOCAL NEWS

More on the soon to be launched Kia Optima K5, which will be officially introduced on December 27 – some leaked pages of the product manual or brochure for the Malaysian-spec’d 2.0 litre model have come about, courtesy of reader Billy, and while they don’t really tell us that much more about the car that we already don’t know, there are still some tidbits to be had.

The most interesting is the mention of HPD (high performance dampers) as part of the car’s suspension setup. The configuration is similar to the Sachs high performance dampers – with floating pistons – found on the Australian 2.4 GDI variant we drove earlier in the year, and that particular suspension tune was quite the standout, so there’s a lot of handling promise being hinted here with the inclusion of HPD in the Malaysian version.

As mentioned in our earlier story, the D-segment K5 will be available here in a single engine variant form, this being the Theta II 2.0 litre MPI mill with 165 PS and 198 Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed transmission.

We do already know that the handsome, muscular Optima – styled by Peter Schreyer and his team at Kia’s studios in Frankfurt, Germany and Irvine, California – destined for Malaysia will come with the same machine-finished 18-inch, 10-spoke flush-faced alloy wheel as that of the Aussie car, and it’ll also feature leather seats.

Externally, with the exception of the dual tailpipes of the 2.4 GDI (the car here features a single tailpipe), the list of external cues looks pretty much identical too – same black chrome two-tone front mesh Tiger Nose grille, rear lip type spoiler, LED daytime running lights (located above the fog lamps, and set into the front bumper) and LED rear combination lamps. The K5 here will also feature auto-levelling HID xenon headlamps.

The scan of the interior features shows the same four-spoke leather steering wheel, replete with paddle shifters and function controls, and items include a foot parking brake and an Active ECO function. This optimally adjusts the ECU, TCU and air-conditioner compressor for the best fuel efficiency performance – Kia says it can result in up to 9.1% in fuel savings.

Other items on the known features list are dual-zone auto air-conditioning, full-width three-piece panoramic glass sunroof, cruise control, six airbags (dual front, front side and full length-curtain) and USB/Bluetooth connectivity.

Given the way it shapes up, I’d hazard a guess that the list for the local K5 should contain pretty much the whole shebang found in the Oz car, which should mean that push-button engine start/stop, LED side repeaters, a tailgate-mounted reversing safety camera with interior mirror LCD display monitor as well as illuminated door scuff plates and Supervision cluster – with a 3.5-inch TFT-colour LCD screen – are in.

Another bit on the list should be the six-CD changer, seven-speaker Infinity Premium Sound System, incorporating a centre speaker, subwoofer and an external amplifier. And safety-wise, ABS, EBD, TCS, brake assist, hill-start assist control and ESP should be part of the parcel. All in all, this should be a very comprehensively-equipped vehicle. No indicative pricing as of yet, but we’ll know come December 27.