Kia Optima News

Autoblog long-term garage update, Fisker, Mini possibly dropping models, Detroit Electric, BMW X4 Episode #328 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Steven Ewing talk about the Autoblog Long-Term Garage, Fisker's troubles, Mini possibly shrinking its future product line, the reveal of the Detroit Electric SP:01, and ...

In what is likely the largest recall campaign for Hyundai and Kia, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of more than 1.6 million models due to a faulty brake switch. This is in addition to almost 700,000 Hyundai and Kia models recalled for the same problem back in 2009. In more than 620,000 Kia models and 1 million ...

Kia is showing off a slew of vehicles here in New York, including the ever-so-slightly refreshed 2014 Optima sedan you see here. The brunt of the changes surround the new front fascia, with repositioned LED lighting above the headlamp units and some new quad-LED fogs rounding of a touched-up front bumper. At the rear, Kia has reworked the taillamps, and ...

After a slight delay, we now bring you your regularly scheduled refresh of the 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid. As with the Hybrid Sonata Hybrid update, the reworked Optima gas-electric gets more power – a 40 pound-feet increase in torque, up to 235 lb-ft – from a bigger 47-horsepower electric traction motor and a more powerful 47-kW lithium-polymer ...

Given the recent debacle regarding overstated fuel-economy estimates from Hyundai and Kia, we wouldn't blame the companies for being a little gun-shy about new vehicle releases. That just might be the case for the 2013 Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima Hybrids. With the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not including those two models under its 2013 ...

Kia, DC Entertainment and Super Street magazine worked as a team to develop this one-of-a-kind Superman-themed Optima Hybrid that made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show today. The joint effort is designed to raise awareness for DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" campaign, a charitable relief effort to bring help and hope to people affected by drought ...

The Justice League of America's garage is filling up quickly, with Kia and DC Entertainment unveiling its sixth of eight super hero-inspired vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show today. The vehicles are being used to raise awareness for DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" giving campaign. The latest Kia to get the super hero treatment is the Optima Hybrid, ...

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of ...

Following up on the dark and sinister Batman Optima that we saw revealed in New York City a while back, Kia has come to SEMA with a selection of super hero-inspired cars for your viewing pleasure. DC Entertainment has offered up its well known Justice League cast of characters for Kia-fication. Flash has lent his livery to a Kia Forte Koup, Green Lantern ...

Despite the fact that it just went on sale, I've been seeing the 2013 Ford Fusion on the road for quite some time now. I live less than 10 miles from Ford's world headquarters, and thus, seeing prototypes and pre-production cars on the street isn't an uncommon occurrence. It's pretty, the new Fusion. But while some folks are quick to say that the Ford ...

DC Entertainment is leading a charity campaign called "We Can Be Heroes" to raise awareness of hunger in The Horn of Africa. With help from artist Jim Lee and Rides magazine, Kia has joined the Justice League with a Batman-themed Optima SX apparently inspired by the Dark Knight's darkest nights. Looking like Batman went to SEMA, a set of coilovers gets ...

Kia is shortly expected to launch a new rear-wheel drive flagship sedan, but for now, the model seen here is the Korean automaker's new range topper. First introduced at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show in February, Kia has just announced that its 2013 Optima SX Limited will wear a $35,275 MSRP (*including delivery) price tag. Carspotters will note the SX ...

If we had a dollar for every time we read a headline that said, "[insert automaker here] considering a diesel for U.S. market," we'd have a pretty sizable stack of Washingtons. So why, then, is this story of particular interest? After the website Efficient Automobile wrote about the possibility of Kia offering a diesel-powered Optima here in the United ...

If we had a dollar for every time we read a headline that said, "[insert automaker here] considering a diesel for U.S. market," we'd have a pretty sizable stack of Washingtons. So why, then, is this story of particular interest? After the website Efficient Automobile wrote about the possibility of Kia offering a diesel-powered Optima here in the United ...

Kia had a bright start to the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge season, capturing its first podium in the series earlier this month with a solid third place finish at the Streets of Long Beach. It looked like Kia was going to build on that momentum this past weekend when its two Optima race cars found themselves in a 1-2 position with just a few laps left in ...

Kia is shutting down the lines at its West Point, GA, factory today, after a fire struck a nearby parts supplier. According to Reuters, the Kia plant will be closed for two days, with production scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning. Kia builds its Optima sedan and Sorento crossover at the Georgia facility, and it also provides its corporate cousin ...

NBA basketball fans who watched last year's slam dunk contest on All-Star Weekend saw a spectacular dunk by Blake Griffin over a Kia Optima, with an assist from former teammate Baron Davis, who passed Griffin the ball through the sedan's moonroof. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the dunk, Kia commissioned a spoof to run on Funny or Die. The spot ...

We love SEMA. There's simply no better place to see the aftermarket go wild. Unfortunately, most of the cars, trucks, vans and other heathens that occupy the Las Vegas Convention Center each November are built to do little more than look pretty under the lights. We've always wanted to see the best of the best throw down on a track. Fortunately for us, ...

Kia has taken home the first ever Kelley Blue Book award for Total Cost of Ownership among consumer brands. As you might expect, the award goes to brands and vehicles with the lowest projected ownership costs. KBB examines depreciation, fuel costs, fees associated with finance and insurance, maintenance costs and state fees. Both the Optima sedan and ...

While Chrysler got the most attention for its Super Bowl ad starring Clint Eastwood, many found Kia's spot starring Mr. Sandman, Adriana Lima and Motley Crue to be the most entertaining. The car featured in the ad was the new Optima SX Limited, which made its debut today at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The SX Limited is the new range-topping trim for the ...