After some time spent with the Kia Optima Hybrid we have come to realize that the company who first started selling us bargain basement cars not quite twenty years ago has really become a top player in the auto market today. This is to say, we drive a lot of cars from a lot of brands and this Kia competes strongly in all categories of quality, design, performance, aesthetics and driving dynamics. There wasn’t a single area of our experience where we said, “Oh, well that’s because it’s a Kia”.
The third generation Kia Optima arrived here on our shores as a 2011 model. Available in standard gas and turbocharged models in addition to the Hybrid, it’s in the same competitive arena as cars like the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. The Optima Hybrid model of course goes head to head with Camry and Fusion Hybrids.
Our first impression of our Light Graphite Optima Hybrid was of course its rakish and stylish design language. Its angles and creases are a step up in fashion and excitement from its competitors from across town. A deep front fascia and grille make a bold statement with a strong chrome roof line that extends back into the rear deck. The car has many subtle yet unexpected design elements like the little kick the windshield makes at it meets the roof. The wheels are specific to the Optima Hybrid and give a modern space age feel, available both in 16” and 17” sizes depending on the package.
Inside, the Optima Hybrid impresses with a well designed cockpit that offers up as much style as the exterior. A wrap-around dash with soft touch materials and top notch switchgear gives you the feel of a much more premium brand. The cabin has a buttoned down brief case feel that is often associated with cars we test from Germany. On power up, you are greeted with a Zen like chime that is always cute and welcome.
Our test car was equipped with the Premium Technology Package which includes navigation, back up camera, panoramic sunroof, leather trimmed interior with heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel and memory settings for the driver’s chair.
The leather seats were very firm and supportive, comfortable to no end. The memory features is always a Godsend in our offices as we have drivers both short and tall. We were a bit disappointed that the memory did not include power mirror adjustments however. The panoramic sunroof was a nice touch and unlike some vehicles with same we have tested lately, it actually opens too. Nice.
Rear seat passengers as mentioned also get the benefit of heated seating as well as their own HVAC vents at the rear of the center console. The rear cabin is a lot roomier than we expected. Head room is plentiful despite what appears top be a low sloped low roof line. There is a pass through in the rear seat for the trunk, but not a full fold down because of packaging for the HEV battery.
The Infinity Audio System which is part of the aforementioned Tech Package is one of the best sounding stereos we have head in any test car. With 8 speakers and full capability for MP3, SiriusXM, CD and Aux media the sound quality never let us down. It’s sound you can feel, crisp sound you can hear, and very little distortion was heard during our week. It was a pure joy.
Driving the Optima Hybrid is more like a traditional car than any other Hybrid we have tested. This is because Kia uses a parallel Hybrid power train that mates a 2.4 liter Atkinson Cycle gasoline engine to a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission. Between the two is a powerful 40hp electric motor. An electric clutch allows for the gasoline engine to be disconnected from the transmission and turned off at any time, or combined with the electric motor for a total of 200 system horsepower.
The system is so robust that it can drive in pure electric vehicle (EV) mode up to 62 mph. Several times on the freeway during our week, we noticed the EV light was on, the gas engine off and our instant MPG average on the grow. And when you coast even at higher speeds the Optima Hybrid will go into EV mode for surprisingly long periods of time. This bias toward EV mode is one of the reasons this car actually has a higher highway mpg than the city mpg, rated at 35 city and 40 highway. In our week of driving both mixed city and highway we averaged 37.2 mpg on a tank of gas.
Power delivery in all driving situations was smooth and refined. The switch off between gas and electric is so well done, you really often don’t even notice it unless you prod the throttle hard from a stop. And because this car uses a conventional automatic transmission you don’t have the droning numbness to the driver’s inputs that cars with continuously variable transmissions (CVT) have. It even has a manual shift mode so you can row gears yourself if the mood strikes.
As our car had the Tech Package, it also came equipped with the larger 17” wheels and wider 215/55R/17 tires and HID headlights with auto leveling. The ride and around town handling was distinctly upscale in feel. So many Hybrid cars don’t much reward the driver with a premium driving experience, so it was refreshing to have a car that gives back to the owner a little in the fun department.
The suspension is firm and tight, but still has a supple ride. We took the Optima Hybrid up to our local windy road for some sports-car like flogging to see what it was made of. Cornering in tight curves was flat and predictable, the suspension remaining planted and poised more than expected from an economy sedan. Pure grip was a few ticks higher than its Hybrid nameplate might suggest. The only complaint was that the speed of the steering was a little slower off center than we’d like. It just didn’t feel well matched to the quicker reflexes of the chassis.
The Kia Optima Hybrid is priced at a base MSRP of $26,500 which makes it $600 more than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, and some $2,200 less than the Ford Fusion Hybrid. Our test car of course had the Premium Technology Package which itself is $5,000. Combined with a $750 destination charge the total came to $32,250.
Price wise that puts the Optima Hybrid well in the center of its competition when similarly equipped. It’s set apart in styling and character in ways the other two cannot match as of today. The newly introduced 2012 Camry Hybrid is rated at 43 mpg city, 39 highway, for a combined 41 mpg. The Fusion Hybrid is rated at 41 mpg city, 36 highway for a combined rating of of 39 mpg, but it is being replaced later this year by an all new car. So if you are comparing mileage with the Optima Hybrid you really have to look at how your own driving loop each day shakes out to see where they land.
The Optima Hybrid’s MPG ratings are reversed, lower in the city at 35 and higher on the highway at 40, with an combined rating of 37 – exactly what our week of testing fleshed out. So if your commute is heavy toward freeway driving the advantage really sways to the Optima Hybrid. And if your taste in cars leans more toward having some fun and enjoyment over an appliance like device to get you from point A to point B, the Optima Hybrid may just be your car.
