KIA launches Optima K5 flagship

• Naza Kia confident of doubling sales in 2012
• At RM143,888, the Optima K5 closes price gap between Korean and Japanese D-Segment to nearly zero

Kia Optima K5 Launch: (From left to right) Mr Thomas Oh,
Senior Executive Vice President & COO of Kia Motors
Corporation, Mr SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group
Executive Chairman of the Naza Group of Companies,
Mr S P Choi, President for Asian Operations for Kia 
Motors Corporation, and Datuk Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar, 
COO of Naza Kia Malaysia at the launch 
of the all-new Optima K5.

2011 will be remembered by Naza Kia as a year of many achievements which saw them launch three key models that has brought the brand to within earshot of mainstream Japanese marques in terms of mindscape presence and value.

The all-new Kia Optima K5 was priced smack in the heart of Japanese D-Segment  territory, forcing motorists to consider the car in the same light as segment leaders, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Compared to the Camry, which is priced from RM144,990, the price differentiation with the Optima is 0.06 per cent and when compared with the Accord which is priced from RM142,800, the OPtima is actually RM1,088 (0.07 per cent) more pricey than the base model Japanese.

Naza Kia COO, Datuk Syed Hafiz Abu Bakar says it is not hard to sell the striking new Optima K5 at that price because the car is highly equipped and easily matches the Japanese in terms of the technical specifications.

"Our goal for this year is to reduce the price gap between Kia and Japanese models to between five and 10 per cent and from next year onwards we want to reduce the gap further to between zero and five per cent." he said.

The second step in Kia's move up the value chain has happened with the Optima K5 which is clearly selling on specifications rather than outright price advantage against the more established players in the segment.