Kia reveals new 2007 Opirus flagship model

NEWS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

CONTACT: Michael Choo (mjc@kia.co.kr  ),
International Communications Manager, Kia Motors Corporation, Tel:
+82-2-3464-6574, Fax: +82-2-3464-6722

 

 

Kia reveals new 2007 Opirus flagship model

 

-         Longer, sleeker, lighter four-door sedan with improved performance

-         More powerful and more fuel-efficient larger capacity V6 engine 

-         New suspension, strengthened bodyshell and enhanced safety 

-         Host of new features and wider choice of interior and exterior
colors

 

(SEOUL) August 3, 2006 -- Kia Motors Corporation has issued the first
details of its new global flagship model, the luxurious 2007 Opirus (known
as 'Amanti' in North America). The longer, sleeker, lighter 5-meter long
four-door sedan, which is a big seller in the USA, has a more balanced
appearance, an enhanced interior with new high-tech features, and a larger,
more powerful and more fuel-efficient V6 gasoline engine. Significant
improvements have been made to the ride, handling, safety and refinement,
while Opirus now weighs less and delivers higher performance. Kia's new
D-segment model will be available in left-hand drive only, in a wider choice
of interior and exterior colors.

 

"Our new 2007 Opirus has been significantly upgraded in so many ways, to
deliver the maximum benefits to our customers, that it is virtually an
all-new model," enthused Jung-Moon Park, Senior Executive Vice President and
COO of Kia Motors.  "Kia's new luxury sedan is a truly high quality product,
offering the highest levels of comfort and silence. It looks more
sophisticated, goes faster, consumes less fuel, rides more smoothly, handles
better, is packed with features and is a wonderfully comfortable way to
travel.

 

"In its new form, Opirus is a genuine flagship for the high quality we are
now achieving across our entire model range. New Opirus will be even more
competitive in its market segment and we anticipate a strong growth in
demand, thereby doubling of our global sales of this model by 2010 to more
than 100,000 units annually," added Mr. Park. 

 


Longer, sleeker sedan with 'balanced' appearance  


Kia designers have given the 2007 Opirus a more modern, more balanced look
by lowering the leading edge of the bonnet, fitting a wider and smoother
radiator grille plus revised dual headlamps, raising the trunk lid and
extending the rear overhang by 20 mm, together with new vertical tail lamps
(which do not encroach on the trunk lid or rear wing panels), and dual
chrome exhaust pipes. Larger diameter, 17-inch, multi-spoke alloy wheels
plus much wider front and rear tracks fill the wheel arches more completely.


 

Top quality interior packed with new features 

Inside, the 2007 Opirus has an all-new dashboard, instrument panel, dial
cluster, center stack, floor console, integrated audio system and heating
and ventilation controls. New features include heated and cooled front
seats, power-adjustable pedals, four-way lumbar support for the driver's
seat and a clearer trip computer display.  For the 2007 model, Opirus buyers
will be offered a choice of three interior colors -- two-tone Beige or Gray
and one-tone Black, with contrasting accents in wood grain or aluminum. 

 

To strengthen the refined appearance of the 2007 Opirus, five new, more
sophisticated colors are added to the original range of three exterior paint
finishes. Bright Silver, Light Metal, Pewter Beige, Midnight Gray and Dark
Red Wine join White Pearl, Ebony Black and Cobalt Blue will offer buyers a
choice of eight colors.  

 


More powerful, more efficient, all-aluminum V6 engine 


To make the 2007 Opirus even more competitive in its market sector, Kia has
fitted a new 3.8-liter V6 Lamda engine, in place of the previous 3.5-liter
liter. This all-aluminum engine generates 266 ps (up 66 ps) at 6,000 rpm and
35.7 kg.m (up 5.4 kg.m) at 4,500 rpm. The new engine powers the 122-kg
lighter Opirus to 100 kph in 7.5 seconds (down from 9.2 sec) and propels the
car to a top speed of 230 kph.  

 

The five-speed automatic transmission is carried over, offering fully
automatic operation or sequential manual gear selection. The new engine is
more fuel-efficient and gasoline consumption on the combined cycle is
reduced by 4.4% to 10.9 liters per 100 km. The fuel tank holds 70 liters,
while the trunk has an increased capacity of 450 liters (SAE mode). 

 


Significant improvements beneath the skin 


Kia's top-of-the-range model has benefited from an extensive re-engineering
program under the skin, so the new car's upgrade is much more than a simple
'make-over' -- with significant improvements to the bodyshell structure and
suspension systems.  

 

Occupant safety is enhanced by a revised bodyshell which features
reinforcements to the lower front bulkhead, cross-members in the cabin
floor, the door sills and B-pillars. Added protection against side-impacts
is provided by new, larger side air-bags in the front seats which also
shield the pelvis area as well as the torso and thorax.  

 


New suspension for crisper handling 


The front-wheel drive 2007 Opirus' improved ride and handling is the result
of new front and rear suspension, together with a wider track (up 15 mm in
front and 30 mm at rear) and wider 235/55 R17 tires. The sub-frame mounted
double wishbone front suspension layout is carried over, but the L-shaped
lower arm is reversed, the steering rack is lowered (reducing vibrations)
and the castor angle is increased. At the rear, the transverse sub-frame now
supports separately mounted shock absorbers and coil springs, while the
upper links are now designed to be 'in-wheel' -- Kia's compact system that
positions part of the suspension inside the road wheel, for minimum
intrusion into trunk space. The new suspension systems weigh 34 kg less than
the previous set-up. 

 


Reaching a global market 


Already on sale in Kia's domestic Korean market, where it has been the best
selling luxury car for the past two months, the left-hand drive only new
2007 Kia Opirus will reach European Kia dealer showrooms during January
2007, after making its European premiere at the Mondial de L'Automobile in
Paris, France, on 28 September 2006. 

 

The Kia Opirus luxury sedan was first introduced in 2002 and has sold more
than 144,400 units globally since launch. Its major market is North America
where a total of 51,302 vehicles have been delivered as of the end of June
2006.  

 

 

Kia Motors Corporation (
<http://autoway.kia.co.kr/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kiamotors.com
/> www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com <http://www.kia.com/> ) -- one of the
fastest growing automakers in the world -- was founded in 1944 and is
Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia
Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world's premier automotive
brands. Kia's 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in 7 countries
produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced
through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia
today has over 32,500 employees and annual revenues of almost $16 billion.
It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official
worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an
official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World
Cup. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" --
represents the company's global commitment to surpassing customer
expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

 

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