Posted: 20 Jan 2014 12:00 AM PST

Kia has rolled out the revised version of its flagship Optima, with the good-looking Peter Schreyer designed sedan getting further cosmetic tweaks, plus extra equipment -- including high-end safety technology for the range-topping Platinum spec -- with small prices rises.

The cosmetic refresh includes restyled grille and front bumpers, new headlight clusters -- with xenon lights, LED daytime running lights and quad LED foglights, according to model -- with the tail getting a new boot lid with integrated spoiler and a redesigned diffuser.

Appearing for the first time on the Platinum as standard will be blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert systems -- making it easier for the driver to avoid unexpected surrounding traffic -- plus modern quad-type LED front foglights. The new features join with hill holder and the array of twin front, side and head airbags to make the five-star ANCAP rated car even safer.

Both the Platinum and the mid-spec SLi also sport redesigned LED tail-lights, while front parking sensors now join the standard rear ones for the entire range, starting with the base model Si. Reshaped bumpers and rear diffuser, plus new alloy wheel designs -- 17-inch for the Si and 18-inch for SLi and Platinum -- complete the exterior updates.

The interiors have been given a makeover, with a fresher layout for the centre stack and new accents and materials, with the SLi getting the biggest upgrades and moving closer to the Premium level with leather upholstery and the top-spec's Infinity audio system.

Under the bonnets, the GDI 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine carries on, delivering 148kW of power at 6300rpm and 250Nm of torque at 4250rpm, getting that to the front wheels via the six-speed sports automatic transmission with F1-style paddle shifters on the steering wheel -- which itself bristles with remote controls for audio, phone and information. Fuel economy remains at 7.9l/100km for the combined cycle.

Kia Australia chief operating officer Tony Barlow said the revision would offer more sophistication while retaining a high-value proposition. "With the latest version of the Optima, Kia continues to advance value to new levels of sophistication without any compromise on safety or core values," Barlow said. "The Optima is the cornerstone of Kia's design evolution and epitomizes the brand's goal of building highly-captivating, value-positioned vehicles. Along with Kia Australia's five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, five-year capped price servicing, roadside assist and Family Like Service commitment, the styling story on Optima paints a compelling picture."

Despite the extra features -- plus currency exchange rates not favouring the Aussie dollar -- price rises on the Optima have been restrained, with the base Si asking just $300 more, the Sli $1000 and the Platinum $1200.

2014 Kia Optima prices

Kia Optima Si	$30,990	(up $300)
Kia Optima SLi	$35,990	(up $1000)
Kia Optima Platinum	$40,490	(up $1200)

This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

A road to lighter <b>cars</b> | The Smoking Tire

Posted: 06 Jun 2014 12:55 PM PDT

By Jonathon Klein

Let's be honest, gas prices are high, vehicle prices are high, vehicle weight is high, and MPG numbers are staying quite level. There are a few exceptions, the VW XL-1 gets 261 MPG but won't be coming to a VW dealer near you, ever. Also, with a starting price of $146,000, it's priced out of where the majority of us could ever afford. The Prius family of cars gets good MPG's but are atrocious to drive, and diesels are just becoming popular but aren't any more efficient than the hybrids. What then can auto manufacturers do to rectify this situation? It comes down to one simple quote from one of the greatest minds in racing, "Simplify, then add lightness."

Those of us that know motorsports know this quote. It comes from the man that created Lotus, Colin Chapman. This quote was his motto; it's how he lived his life and how he made his cars. Although not always safe, he knew the importance of shedding weight. That same principle continues to this day with the Lotus production cars. Or at least, when they are producing cars. But then again it's that simple idea of adding lightness to a car that can propel our ability to meet the need of reducing our gas consumption. However, whereas Mr. Chapman stated that we need to "simplify" the car, I think we should almost do the opposite. We should try to meet our current need for increased safety and introduce the new technology the hybrid hypercars have recently displayed as technically possible. Chapman's saying needs to undergo a 21^st century renovation. Rather than "Simplify, then add lightness." I believe we could change it to "Innovate and add lightness."

We all see the need to reduce our carbon footprints and get better gas mileage, if only to save money at the pump. You are witness to this reality every time you go to the gas station and put 50-60+ dollars into the tank. Gas prices are so expensive and damaging to the environment that governments around the world have tasked the global auto industry to come up with solutions to get better mileage to reduce our consumption. In the United States we have our CAFÉ standards which say that by the year 2025 passenger cars must get an average of 54.5mpg. This is already being made by a select few road going cars, but the vast majority of other cars still struggle to reach 25-30mpg. Auto manufacturers are doing whatever they believe they can to bring their fleets into that 2025 goal as fast as possible. They are collaborating with battery makers (such as Tesla), trying new smaller displacement engines, turbo charging, and other hybrid technology. But one area that they have been lacking in is weight reduction.

Now any endurance race car engineer will tell you that if they can save a few pounds or even a few grams, you will get better fuel economy and can stay out longer on the track. The same can be said with lighter passenger cars. You can actually see some of this at work when you look at modern supercars. The P1, the 918, even the Koenigseggs all get pretty great gas mileage for their monster engines that will do above 200mph. They achieve this by using of carbon fiber, aluminum, and other lightweight materials. Auto manufacturers need to invest capital into figuring out how to reduce the cost of these materials. These lightweight resources are just starting to trickle down into regular road cars. BMW's i3, and the new Ford F-150 are excellent examples of the auto industry trying to reduce weight using these. BMW for example actually invested around 2 billion dollars last year alone into new technology including the manufacturing of lower cost carbon fiber and that's the kind of investment that other automakers need to make. Maybe not on that same scale, but an investment nonetheless needs to be made. Whether it be through the use of aluminum throughout the structure of the car or a much greater effort to use more exotic materials like carbon fiber, titanium, and magnesium. Auto manufacturer's no longer have the option to only use lightweight construction in sports cars.

In recent years, cars have become progressively heavier and heavier. This is largely due to increased safety standards, which come down to higher strength steel, larger bumpers, and increased electronic safety systems. What is also happening is the manufacturers are using cheaper heavier materials instead of lighter more costly materials that can provide the same amount of safety. With the additional weight of cars today also comes greater strain on the engine, which drastically reduces the efficiency of the car. Using lighter materials in the construction of the car would thereby take off that strain and in return, the car would give greater gas mileage. In addition to fuel savings, safety must still be a prime priority when it comes to the car's occupants. Advances in these lightweight composites show that the cars they are fitted to are actually safer than their heavier counterparts. Carbon fiber for instance can be immensely strong, allowing the force of an impact to be absorbed into the material rather than the structure of the car. Therefore not only will auto manufacturer's be able to meet the CAFÉ standards faster, but could possibly see a jump in passenger safety throughout their lineup, something that is directly tied to selling more vehicles. Look at the surge in Subaru sales since they have had 5 Star safety ratings over the last few years. They are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. Switching to lighter materials is really a win/win for both the manufacturer and the consumer.

By enhancing research and development in larger automakers such as America's Big Three, Toyota, and Honda, these resources could see a sizeable shift in becoming more cost effective for use in production cars. We have seen this effect in relation to hybrid technology. The early hybrid systems were very expensive to manufacture, but the capital put into the technology by the likes of Toyota, Honda, and Ford have created a more consumer-friendly price for that technology. Investment is key to advancing these composites and with time, those costs will come down.

However, innovation and cooperation need to happen in addition to those weight saving plans. There is a need to look into how to bring technologies from racing programs into cost effective solutions for the road. For example, the Toyota Prototype TS040 has the combined power of both its naturally aspirated V8 and hybrid motor of close to 1000hp. However, the horsepower isn't the real trick of this car; How the hybrid motor works conjunctively is. Conventional (a.k.a. "parallel") hybrids you see on the road (Prius and Insight, for example) work by essentially having the power sent through the wheels from the electric motor, in order to conserve gas during slower operation and having the gas motor turn off. The TS040 rather sends electric power in combination with the gas engine to the wheels thereby reducing the gap between usable power and the lag in the combustion engine. To borrow a phrase from McLaren, it "torque fills" the gap of power to decrease the strain on the gasoline motor. This essentially gives the driver more MP, and more time out on the track, because the engine isn't working as hard.

Now, this isn't saying that we should just drop that TS040 motor in a Prius and be done with it, although that would be pretty cool, but rather to illustrate that the technology and innovation of racing can greatly help with the problems we are seeing with our road cars. The hybrid systems that are being developed right now are truly innovative and no two systems are the same. That type of competition and rivalry pushes the boundaries of invention and can lead us into a new era of cars and technology. However, the cost of those systems is still hugely expensive and the current Audi hybrid racer costs upwards of $4 million per car. That kind of cost severely limits the production value of some of those technologies. Nevertheless, by having more manufacturers racing hybrids this year, some of that technology is starting to trickle down. Porsche's 918, which is still hugely expensive, could donate its battery technology to the next Panamera. Like the lightweight materials above, the key to bringing them to a more palatable consumer price level requires foresight by the automakers in the form of an investment into the future.

Car manufacturers can no longer sit idly by and wait for the next invention to come around in order for them to achieve those 2025 goals. They need to look inwards and invest in themselves by researching how to cut the costs of lightweight composites and explore better hybrid technology. Right now, more research and development is going into hybrid powertrains, which helps reduce their costs and improves their efficiency. We are just starting to see some investment into lightweight materials. In order to truly achieve the objectives, the two need to work hand in hand. Otherwise, those manufacturers are not fully exploiting the available technology and are likely to be passed by as others both "innovate, and add lightness."

Is <b>Car</b> Shopping Fun? | Uncommon Wisdom Daily

Posted: 06 Jun 2014 02:50 PM PDT

Admit it: You're driving a used car. You don't have any other choice, unless your job is offloading cars from the big trucks that deliver them to dealers. Every car on the road turns "used" as soon as someone buys it.

I noted this week in Subprime Car Business Booming that my wife and I both drive well used and (more important) no-debt cars … so of course, her old Lexus decided to act up the next day. We shouldn't have been surprised. At age 15, it's almost old enough to drive itself.

tow truck

We have the Lexus running again now, but decided it's time to start researching replacement cars.

Since we're all in this situation eventually, let's see how our other readers approach the chore.

***

Reader Caine O. says: "While I have had many cars in my life (nearly 40) only five have been new cars. In May, I bought a new Ford Escape with all the trimmings. I plan to keep it 5+ years so I don't care that much about the depreciation. The deal was about $2K under sticker, another $1K in rebate, and I financed with Ford Credit for 0% interest. I could have paid cash for it, but figured with the cost of money at 0% on a a well-regarded vehicle, I'd be nuts not to borrow.

"As for gas costs, this twin turbo 4 cylinder gets 30 MPG on the highway, and it will tow 3500 pounds, but not at the same time! I enjoy your posts- keep up the good work!"

Brad: Thanks, Caine. I hope you love your new car. I've had good luck buying 2-3 year old used cars, but every situation is different. Yours sounds like a good deal.

***

Reader John L. says: "I drive a 2004 Ford Explorer with 156K and use this vehicle in my business. I looked into new and used vehicles as a potential replacement. A new Ford Explorer tips the scales at around $45,000 while a 2-3 year old can easily run $30,000 with under 40K miles.

"At best, my vehicle is worth $4500 which makes yearly cost of ownership very low. Maintenance does not even come close to making up that difference in annual cost. Years ago the accepted standard of useful life for a vehicle was 100K. Today, with attentive care, 200K is the new 100K."

Brad: I agree, John. Like I said, our Lexus is 15 and ran very well until just recently. Cars can run much longer than many people think if you maintain them well.

***

Reader Rick J. says: "I work for an automotive company and I fight the urge to buy a new car so I don't get wrapped up in the debt game. Car prices are only going to increase as consumers ask for more comfort and entertainment content and the government requires safety measures.

"These two points do not even scratch the surface of the cost involved to meet CAFÉ standards. How the consumer can continue to buy cars is beyond me."

Brad: Good points, Rick. Consumers may not buy cars if Uber keeps gaining popularity. The ride-sharing company's latest venture capital round values it at $17 billion.

***

Reader Rod S. says: "I just purchased a new car because a new job and a much longer commute. It took about 2 months of research, but I found a dealer with left over 2013s discounted $6k off MSRP on the exact model I desired.

For fun, I let the dealer offer me various crappy loans at 6-7 years at 5% before pulling out my pre-approval letter. The dealer magically was able to match my bank on a 3.8% loan for 4 years.

"I can't blame them for trying to make a buck. My payments are under $400. Any car loan over 3-4 years is just crazy for a depreciating asset."

Brad: The loans you get from dealers may or may not be the best, as Rod found. If you can't pay cash, at least check with your bank before you go car shopping.

How does he do it?

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***

Reader T.J. says: "My husband and I bought a new 2007 Lexus ES350 in 2008. We put half down and paid the balance in 2 years. You are quite correct to say that having no car payment is a wonderful thing.

"Fortunately, my husband is an auto mechanic and has the opportunity to buy cars from time to time that require very little money for him to fix up, but due to the labor intensity of the repairs are not economical for his customers to have repaired."

Brad: You're in an ideal situation, T.J. I bet you and your husband see many good deals.

***

Reader Kaiser W. says: "I too drive an older car, a 1998 Volvo. I maintain it in excellent condition and it has over 250k miles on it. It is cheaper to drive than a new car.

My plan is to never purchase a new car on credit ever again…between the payments, the full coverage insurance required with a car loan and the stress of making payments in an uncertain economic climate, it is simply not worth it. Yet everywhere I look, I see people driving their brand new cars!

I am also old enough to remember when a $423 a month payment could buy one a starter home!"

Brad: I've always heard good reviews on Volvos. Kaiser also brings up a good point about insurance. The rates can go way up when you buy a new or almost-new car, so be sure to check. Always consider the full "cost of ownership."

***

I'll let everyone know how my car shopping goes. We're not in a huge hurry, but might do some browsing this weekend. Click here if you have any tips for me.

***

Stock benchmarks rose again today after the May jobs report showed another month of 200,000+ jobs created. Here are the headlines as we head into the weekend…

The jobs report came out roughly in line with expectations. Nonfarm payrolls rose 217,000 in May and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.3%.

Both the participation rate and employment-population ratio were unchanged, which makes the job gains look a little more impressive.

News coverage is dwelling on the fact that the economy has now replaced all the jobs lost in the last recession, but many don't point out that the population has grown considerably since then, too. That's one reason unemployment is still a problem.

The Dow and S&P 500 again scored record closing highs. The Nasdaq Composite is still slightly below the 14-year high it touched in March — and nowhere near its year 2000 all-time high.

Obama and Putin talked privately for about 15 minutes at a D-Day event in France today. The White House said the meeting was cordial and both leaders hope to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis.

Global telecom leader Vodafone (VOD) said in a privacy report that governments in certain countries can tap into its network and monitor phone calls without any warrants or other authority. It would not identify the countries — so watch what you say, wherever you are.

Brad Hoppmann is the publisher of Uncommon Wisdom Daily.

Car Prices Blog

Saturday, 7 June 2014

2014 Kia Optima | new car sales price: Car News- CarsGuide

2014 Kia Optima | new <b>car</b> sales <b>price</b>: <b>Car</b> News- CarsGuide

By Jonathon Klein

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