Kia Optima is Esquire's "Most Gorgeous Car Under $20K" 09/06/2011
Esquire, the men's lifestyle magazine, recently chose the Kia Optima as the "Most Gorgeous Car Under $20K." The new car is also one of the nine finalists for the magazine's 2011 design and technology awards. Esquire is not the first media outlet to recognize the quality of the Optima. It was chosen as the best new model by Kiplinger's Personal Finance as well as making the top ten list of Ward's best interiors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave it a five-star safety rating and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety named the new car a top safety pick of 2011.
"Esquire defines and shapes men's style and fashion in today's contemporary culture, and this recognition further validates the Optima's tremendous value proposition with its unmatched combination of world-class design, advanced technology, and fun-to-drive performance," said Michael Sprague, the vice president of marketing & communication at Kia Motors America. "The stunning design and value of the Optima has significantly increased awareness, perception and consideration for the Kia brand and with demand continuing to outpace supply we are looking forward to the first U.S.-built Optimas arriving in showrooms in the coming weeks."
The 2011 Optima includes a slew of safety and other technology features, such as hill assist control, so your car won't roll away while it is parked on an incline. It also comes standard with Bluetooth connectivity so you can hook your phone up to your car, and then you can use voice-recognition to control your phone and other technology without taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road.
With the standard four-cylinder GDI (gasoline direct injection) engine, the base Optima generates 200 horsepower. Kia also offers a turbo and a hybrid edition of the engine that can create 274 and 206 horsepower, respectively. The baseline model starts around $19,200.