Oh, we sure do love the 2012 Kia Optima here at Turner Kia. We're pretty sure it'd be hard not to love, with an available 274 hp and 24 mpg, a hybrid variant, unmatched styling, and handling that goes unmatched. And, when Kia released the all-new Optima last year, they were sure it'd take people by surprise. What they maybe didn't expect is just how very many awards it would earn.

Let's start with safety: both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have given the Optima top safety honors. Consumers Digest honored the recognized the Optima as a "2012 Best Buy." It was also recognized by the EPA with a SmartWay Certification. Those are just a few of the awards: the list is constantly growing. The most recent addition, from industry expert Autobytel, names the Kia Optima as the "2012 Sedan of the Year."

The Optima is competitively priced, beautiful designed, leads the pack in fuel-efficiency, and has undergone an amazing transformation in the last couple of years. Those are just some of the reasons Autobytel chose it as their Sedan of the Year. Editors at Autobytel say they chose it because of its "head-turning design, roomy interior and outstanding fuel economy."¹

Michael Sprague, VP of Marking and Communication at Kia Motor America says, "Since its introduction, the Optima has been attracting new customers to the brand with the right balance of performance, modern amenities and fuel economy that consumers are looking for...The midsize sedan segment is more competitive than ever, and Autobytel's recognition of the Optima continues to keep Kia's momentum going into 2012."²

What does this mean? Well, there's no doubt that you can expect more award-winning designs from the Korean automaker in the future. Many more.

With that in mind, be sure to stay tuned with Turner Kia for more news about the Optima and other upcoming releases from Kia. Or stop by and see all of these changes in person - right here in our showroom at 4201 Chambers Hill Rd Harrisburg, PA 17111. We're always happy to work with you to arrange a time that's convenient for you to test drive a new Kia; simply contact us via our website.

Source:^1,2http://www.autoremarketing.com/trends/kia-optima-receives-autobytel-honors-brand-sets-annual-record