GoAuto | Car Reviews, Car Research, Car News & Car Research

GD Optima

A vast improvement over its ancient Mazda 626-based Credos predecessor, the Optima was built on the EF (third generation) Hyundai Sonata family sedan.Value-for-money V6 power was its motto, and if expectations are reasonably contained then the Optima delivers, thanks to a smooth yet fairly punchy 127kW/229Nm 2.5-litre V6 available with either a five-speed manual or advanced four-speed automatic gearbox.Soft suspension settings don’t help the big front-wheel drive four-door sedan handle with too much alacrity or grace, but it’s a fine open-road cruiser with ample space for a family of five.But equipment levels aren’t too flash – a driver’s airbag, air-conditioning, remote central locking, power steering, power windows, electric windows and cloth trim are included, but a passenger airbag and anti-lock brakes were not available.And sales weren’t too great either, so it came as no surprise when Kia temporarily halted Optima importation in early ’03. But it wasn’t the end of the model’s run here.

Search will attempt to find all articles within the system that contain any or all words you are looking for.

You can include words like "and" + "or" for boolean style searching. Some search examples as follows:

"Ford v8" - Results will contain the text as it appears in the search "Ford v8".
"Ford and v8" - Results will have both "Ford" and "v8" within its contents but may not be sequential as per previous example.
"Ford or Holden and v8" - Results found will contain "v8" and also contain either "Ford" or "Holden".

You may also use wildcards represented by an asterisks. For example:

"Turbo*" - will find all documents that contain words like "Turbocharged", "Turbo-Diesel".
"Ford and v*" - Results will have both "Ford" and any word that has "V", so you may find documents about Volvo that mention Ford.

Please note: Due to the number of articles, searches may take a few moments to respond.

> search

Make / Model Search

Search results for: "hyundai" Page 178 of 182

Hyundai Elantra GL sedan

THE Elantra's front seat cushions are wider and the front seatbacks taller than the Lantra. The

Hyundai Elantra GL sedan

BOTH sedan and hatch variants use 257 x 24mm ventilated front disc brakes but the sedan makes do with

Hyundai Elantra GL sedan

HYUNDAI has improved both the standard five-speed manual transmission and optional four-speed automatic.

Hyundai Elantra GL sedan

HYUNDAI claims the Elantra's stronger body improves its crash performance. The stronger, bigger

Hyundai Elantra GL sedan

THE change to Elantra should be an easy one for Hyundai given the new generation is markedly different

Mazda Tribute V6 Classic 5-dr wagon

JUST when you thought it was safe to make a selection from the vast range of "soft roader" 4WDs on offer,

Suzuki Baleno Cavaliero 3-dr hatch

THE Suzuki Baleno has been a somewhat invisible contender in the small car category since its launch

Suzuki Baleno Cavaliero 3-dr hatch

THE Suzuki Baleno has been a somewhat invisible contender in the small car category since its launch

McRae unstoppable

Colin McRae has gone from zero to hero in the world rally championship, with three wins in a row

Kia catches a wave

Kia puts faith in a flood of new products to continue its sales growth

Proton Satria GL 3-dr hatch

PROTON launched the Mitsubishi-sourced Satria three-door hatchback in Australia in early 1997 as its

Scot hot to trot

McRae wins Cyprus Rally to give Ford series lead, as Makinen crashes out

Ford Ka is cheapest car to run

GST-driven car price cuts have been wiped out by petrol price rises

Ford considers Fiesta

Decisions, decisions. Ford Australia is considering the new Fiesta as its next light car contender

Kia Credos sedan

KIA launched its third model for Australia - the Camry-sized Credos - in May, 1998, slotting above the

Daewoo Matiz 5-dr hatch

DAEWOO'S Matiz puts a new spin on the quirky micro-car concept. Here is a tiny vehicle, not three-and-a-half

Ford Mustang Cobra coupe

THE reintroduction of the Ford Mustang - arguably one of the car industry's most compelling icons

Credos makes way for Optima

Kia has launched a new flagship sedan to replace the slow-selling Credos

McRae hits back with dominant win

Ford closes the gap on Mitsubishi as Colin McRae finally gets some points on the board

Kia Spectra steps up

Kia is gearing up for a renewed assault on the small-car segment with its new Spectra

Kia Spectra

The Spectra was the final version of the 1998 Mentor II that became the Shuma in early 2000 before settling on Spectra from May 2001. Based on an early '90s Mazda 323 platform, the Spectra was put out to pasture when the Hyundai Elantra-based Cerato stepped in from mid-2004.

Kia Optima

The EF Sonata-based Optima replaced the ancient Credos as Kia's Camry competitor. It was also the first Hyundai based model since the latter took over in 1998.

GD Optima

Santa Fe tops US crash test

Hyundai's new compact 4WD goes to the top of the crashworthiness class

Daewoo edges ahead

Daewoo has revealed its future product as it fights to stay afloat

GoAuto Search Words

Research cars by brand

Main site

Researching

GoAutoMedia