2012 Kia Optima was launched in Europe

The South Korean based carmaker Kia has recently launched its 2012 Optima in Europe, after being a best seller on the over-seas auto market.

The Europeans can now buy the 2012 model year Kia Optima, which is the newest vehicle in the mid-size segment and the car is coming with some interesting updates and an even more interesting price for what it has to offer. A direct competitor to the new Kia Optima and its 1.7 liter CRDI diesel engine is the 2.0 TDI Volkswagen Passat, and to understand more about what the Asian vehicle has to offer, we’ll compare only the torque, which is 325 Nm in the South Korean model while the German vehicle has a peak torque of 320 Nm.

According to the manufacturer, the European Kia Optima is powered, as we said above, by the 1.7 liter CRDI diesel engine which is developing a total output of 136 horsepower and has a peak torque of 325 Nm. Another interesting fact about the model is the automatic transmission, which is also fitted onto the Kia and Hyundai models in the United States, powered by V6 engines which are generating over 300 horsepower. The average fuel consumption for the 2012 Kia Optima is 6.0 liters every 100 km and the vehicle is emitting just 158 g/km of CO2. Prices for the new model in Europe start at 19.999 EUR for the entry-level while the top of the line costs around 25.000 EUR.