Columbian Autocar Corporation previewed two new production vehicles at the Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS). These are the Kia Optima executive sedan and the updated Sorento mid-sized SUV.

Major improvements for the upgraded Kia Sorento 

This August, the new Sorento will be unveiled for the first time to the overseas market at the 2012 Philippine International Motor Show. Kia’s hugely successful Sorento SUV will receive a host of significant improvements when the new upgraded model goes on sale later this year in most markets. Significant changes include a re-engineered body shell, enhanced powertrains for best-in-class fuel economy with lower emissions; improved ride; handling and refinement; additional convenience and safety features; and a fresh new look for the exterior.

“Since its introduction in 2009, the second-generation Kia Sorento has achieved more than 620,000 sales around the world.  Today, it is manufactured in Korea and the USA, attracting over 130,000 U.S. customers last year to rank as the best-selling Kia model in the States for the second year in a row,” commented Thomas Oh, Kia’s Executive Vice President & COO of the International Business Division.  “We have given very careful attention to feedback from owners, and the upgraded Sorento is not just a cosmetic exercise, but a major step forward for our popular SUV.”

Kia’s designers have created new headlamps with LED positioning lights, a new tailgate with LED rear combination lamps; new bumpers (front and rear) with vertical-axis fog lights and a larger area of body color surface; and an expanded choice of wheels to include larger diameter (19-inch) alloys.
Inside the five or seven-seater cabin, there are more soft-touch surfaces plus a new LCD instrument cluster, new center stack with 8-inch display screen, and a new console featuring a straight-gate selector with a leather-booted lever on automatic transmission models – reinforcing the vehicle’s more luxurious character.  Offered in beige cloth leather, the interior can be bathed in natural light through a larger optional panoramic sunroof with no center cross beam and a powered blind.

Next generation Kia Optima to showcase confident new design direction

The next generation Kia Optima is set to make its premiere in the country at the 2012 Philippine International Motor Show and everyone in attendance will surely be wowed. Preparations for the launch are already underway and CAC is going all out to introduce one of the most sophisticated models in the Kia line-up to date. With its distinctive styling and upscale interior, it’s sure to stand out among the midsize sedans already available in the market.

“The next generation Optima possesses the power to surprise,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer. “It’s a car that people will simply not expect from Kia – and that’s exactly what we set out to achieve.” With the launch of the Kia Optima in 2.4 EX 6-speed A/T variant, this D-segment model will complete the line-up of KIA vehicles in all car segments.

The Optima exudes an athletic confidence from every angle and shut line – its raked roofline, the high and pronounced shoulder line of its sculpted flanks and its extended wheelbase are complemented by boldly flared wheel arches and a shallow glasshouse that create a saloon with a muscular and self-assured stance.

The striking visage of the Optima features a new interpretation of Kia’s bold ‘tiger’ family face that’s edged by piercing projector headlamps.

Longer, wider and lower than before, the Kia’s coupe-like profile is enhanced by the sweeping chrome arc that flows from A to C pillar, a distinctive design motif that visually lowers the car further still and enhances its cab-backwards proportions.

Spacious, and with class-leading levels of safety and luxury equipment, the Optima’s intelligently configured and driver-oriented cabin underlines this newfound poise and presence.

 “The Optima embodies Kia's confident new design direction," says Schreyer. "It's a global car with individual appeal."