playa3uhh

Why does the brand new Kia Optima have headlights almost identical to the ones on the 01-04 Lexus LS430? I just went to motortrend.com to see the Detroit Auto show pictures and saw the Kia looking like a Lexus. This is almost when they mimicked the RX300 look with their Sorento. I can't believe this. Any thoughts??

--John

PS. DAM the new LS460 is nice!!!!

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

everybody wants to resemble the king,but seriously all themanufactures do it in one way or another. just chech the other threads in the forum about the LS looking like the 7

LexusChris

iTrader: (1)

Kia is #1 in copying...

GX 470

Sportage

They just stole the rim design off the GX 470.

TheRupp

Photo's courtesy of 1SICKLEX on this first one...




And then...



Get your own freakin designs, Kia!

Edit:
I don't see it. I could maybe see the S-Class, but not the 7 series. There isn't much out there that looks like a 7 series.

GFerg

LOL...I remember the commericals they had for that Kia Amanti where they bragged about taking design cues from Jaguar, MB, BMW, and Lexus. It was pretty hilarious. Well, atleast they know they are copying successful designs.

caffeine

Don't forget Hyundai! What's the new car that looks exactly like an Accord Sedan? And they had the Jaguar knock off too, the XG300..even the name was a knock off of the XJ sedan. But Koreans are definetely the reverse engineers of the world, they wouldn't be able to compete otherwise without copying.

mmarshall

Get your own 25K price tags, Jaguar!

Gojirra99

The Kia & the Jaguar S-type are not in the same class of cars at all . . .

Sup

silversprucesc3

Its funny how on a Lexus site most comment about other brands copying..... I think Lexus STOLE the 7 series design ..lol

Look at the pics above.... Lexus needs a can of whip azz for that....

jracerlmn

LOL i remember when lexus was copying MB....

but still...KIA makes me MAD ARGH! I think the rear of that sportage looks more like a MDX than the GX

mmarshall

Thanks, Amethy...that was my point.

Actually, though, they are closer then you would think. I have reviewed and test-driven both cars ( though I didn't write them up ) The main difference is the Kia's body roll and sloppier handling...and the fact that the Kia has fake wood trim while the Jag, of course, has the real stuff.

If somebody wants to criticize the Kia for copying the Jag's front end, it can be noted that the Kia also copies the Lincoln Town Car's rear end....but I don't see that as a problem....so what?

TwiBlueG35

The side proportion of the new LS460 does resemble that of the 7-series. And the new S-class has a very similar interior design as 7-series's also. Come on I think 7-series looks only average inside and out, why is everyone copying it?

2ndchance

With the reliability of Jaguars that cost 2-3 times that, I shudder to think what would happen if they produced a car for that price.