2011 Kia Optima Hybrid
Kia has entered the green game for the first time with the all-new 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid. Details are still forthcoming, but we expect the Optima Hybrid to have a 169-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and a 40-hp electric motor. The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is expected to go on sale in the fall of 2010.
The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid—the brand’s first hybrid—borrows the drivetrain found on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: a 2.4-liter engine combined with six-speed automatic transmission, a 30kW electric motor and lightweight lithium polymer batteries to provide total 206 horsepower and 36 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway.
Kia unveiled the 2011" Kia Optima Hybrid" at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. The hybrid version of the Optima features unique exterior aerodynamic refinements—the rear fascia exhaust is hidden—a lower ride height, an active air flap system, lower drag wheels, underbody aero tuning to reduce drag, and low rolling resistance tires. The Optima Hybrid's drag coefficient is an exceptionally low at 0.26, although not quite as slippery as the Sonata. (Hyundai did not mention this feature at its press event for the Sonata Hybrid.) Based on a sharp design, appealing amenities, convincing hybrid powertrain, and a competitive price, hybrid shoppers looking for a fuel-efficient mid-size sedan should put the Kia Optima Hybrid in the running with the Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the upcoming redesigned Nissan Altima Hybrid.
Kia has officially entered the hybrid market, as the Korean automaker revealed the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid yesterday at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Edmunds says, “Kia intends to do battle with Toyota over the hybrid sedan fuel economy crown.” And it may well have an advantage, “the Optima Hybrid weighs 3,490 pounds, making it lighter than the Camry Hybrid and the [Ford] Fusion Hybrid. The Camry Hybrid has a 3,680-pound curb weight, while the Fusion Hybrid has a curb weight of 3,720 pounds,” says Kia.
According to Daily Tech, “The Kia Optima Hybrid uses the same powertrain as its platform-mate, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. If Kia stays in line with their reputation for offering consumers tremendous value, the "Kia Optima Hybrid" could be serious competition in the expanding market of hybrid cars.
