Kia Optima Hybrid is in the Guinness Book of World Records

Great news from our plant in West Point, Georgia! The Kia Optima Hybrid has recently set a world record in the Guinness Book of World Records, for "Lowest fuel consumption driving through all 48 contiguous states in a gasoline hybrid car".

The trip consisted of two drivers, Wayne Gerdes and Chris Bernius and their luggage, as they travelled across all 48 states in the continental United States. The record breaking trip was over 7800 miles and took 14 days to complete. The Kia Optima Hybrid used only 5.5 tanks of gas during the trip. In order to break the World Record, the Optima Hybrid had to achieve and average fuel consumption of 52.27 mpg. The Optima Hybrid went above and beyond, getting over 64 mpg which beat the car's estimated mpg by over 61%.

Senior Executive Vice President and COO of KIA Motors Corporation, Thomas Oh, had this to say about the Optima Hybrid's amazing feat, "While travelling across the United States the Optima Hybrid experienced temperatures ranging from more than 118 degrees Fahrenheit to less than freezing point. The team climbed through the formidable Rocky mountain chain and negotiated rush hour traffic in Chicago, New York City and Las Vegas – which makes the Optima Hybrid’s fuel consumption figure all the more impressive"

One of the drivers, Wayne Gerdes, said this about the record-breaking car, “The remarkable economy figure we achieved included driving in all kinds of conditions, from straight open highway and deserts to gridlocked city traffic, so this really was the ultimate demonstration of the real-world fuel economy that any Optima Hybrid owner can achieve with attention to the details of their driving style.”






We are so excited to share this news with you and our community. We have a huge selection of Kia Optimas and some Optima Hybrids! We wanna see ya in a Guinness Book of World Records Kia! To schedule a test drive, give us a call at 850-576-2116, or stop by Kia Autosport of Tallahassee 2755 W Tennessee Street.

Kia Recall

Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted a recall on certain 2007-08 Kia Optima’s and 2007-08 Rondos. The problem is with the clock spring assembly in the driver's side airbag, which may become damaged over time. If it is damage, it places high resistance on the electrical circuit, can prompt an airbag warning light on the instrument panel and compromise the airbag's ability to deploy. This could put drivers at risk for injury.

Although the recall has not been formally sent out to dealers and customers by KIA Motors, we are aware of the problem and are prepared to assist customers who are affected by this recall. KIA will provide a lifetime warranty for the driver's airbag clock spring contact assembly for vehicles covered under this recall, and Kia Autosport of Tallahassee will replace the vehicle's airbag clock spring as necessary, free of charge.

We haven't seen any vehicles in our dealership with this issue as of yet and not all vehicles in the 07-08 Optima and Rondo production are effected. To find out if your vehicle is included please contact our Service Manager, Jonathan Mullins, 850-576-2116. Jonathan and our staff are always available to answer any questions you may have about this recall or any other service related issues.

We appreciate your business.

We have the Hybrid!

We just got the brand new Optima Hybrid! It gets an estimated 35/40mpg and has a 5 Star Crash Test Rating. It has the beautiful styling of the original Optima, and the gas mileage of a hybrid. We've got it open in our showroom, so come check it out!

10 Steps to Buying a New Car

We found this great article from Edmunds about 10 steps you should take when buying a new car. The article discusses starting out, using incentives, pricing, how to find the exact car you want, trade-ins, negotiating price, closing and how to properly review your paperwork. We think its a great way to help you be as informed as possible before you make a big purchase, like a car.

Check it out here! http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/10-steps-to-buying-a-new-car.html

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Kia Autosport! We had such a great year last year, added some great people to our family and to our staff. We cannot believe that it is already January! 2011 flew by so fast! We hope that you and your families had a great holiday and have a happy new year!