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Apparently Kia has decided to shelf our beloved "Optima" as the name for its new mid-sized car that is due out early next year for the U.S. Market. Korea news reported this today:
Old brands slapped on new autos
October 31, 2005 ¤Ñ Korean automobile manufacturers are placing old brand names on new models. Consumers, they say, trust the more familiar brands.
Hyundai Motor Co., Korea's leading automobile company, said yesterday that it would continue to use the brand name Santa Fe on a sport utility vehicle to be introduced late next month. The new model looks completely different from the Santa Fe currently being manufactured.
"Hyundai Motor brand is already known in the global market, and therefore it would be more advantageous in marketing with an old brand name rather than creating a new brand," a Hyundai Motor spokesman said.
Kia Motors Corp. and GM Daewoo have also adopted the same brand name of its new models ¡ª the Sportage and Matiz ¡ª released earlier this year, in hope of capitalizing on the popularity of the brand name. Kia Motors, however, will change the name of a follow-up to its passenger vehicle, the Optima, but only because consumers never developed a bond with the old brand name.
Originally posted by Schnauzer@Oct 31 2005, 03:13 AM Apparently Kia has decided to shelf our beloved "Optima" as the name for its new mid-sized car that is due out early next year for the U.S. Market. Korea news reported this today:
Old brands slapped on new autos
October 31, 2005 ¤Ñ Korean automobile manufacturers are placing old brand names on new models. Consumers, they say, trust the more familiar brands.
Hyundai Motor Co., Korea's leading automobile company, said yesterday that it would continue to use the brand name Santa Fe on a sport utility vehicle to be introduced late next month. The new model looks completely different from the Santa Fe currently being manufactured.
"Hyundai Motor brand is already known in the global market, and therefore it would be more advantageous in marketing with an old brand name rather than creating a new brand," a Hyundai Motor spokesman said.
Kia Motors Corp. and GM Daewoo have also adopted the same brand name of its new models ¡ª the Sportage and Matiz ¡ª released earlier this year, in hope of capitalizing on the popularity of the brand name. Kia Motors, however, will change the name of a follow-up to its passenger vehicle, the Optima, but only because consumers never developed a bond with the old brand name.
BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! Geezz.. who cares about those who didn't "BOND" with the name.. I like the name "OPTIMA" kinda reminds me of Optumus Prime! AWW YEAH.. LMAO! :P
I wonder what the new name will be.. it better not be stupid like "Pinto" or "Nova" LMAO!
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