Can travel 33 miles purely on electric power.
Kia unveiled the Optima Plug-in Hybrid at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, supporting their mission to make their entire fleet 25% more efficient by 2020.
The 9.8kWh battery sits discretely behind the rear seat causing minimal change to the boot capacity. The power is sent to front wheels via the transmission mounted 50kWh motor which can drive the car for 33 miles on zero-emission electric-only mode.
The 2.0-liter GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine generates 156 PS of power and 189 Nm of torque which is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. A combined output of 205 PS and 375 Nm sprints the car from 0-100 km/h in 9.4 seconds.
The Optima Plug-in Hybrid gets metallic blue chrome trim for rear bumper, grille surround and wheel arches along with the 'EcoPlugin' badging. The charging port is integrated into the driver-side front wing. To improve the efficiency, Kia introduced the active air flap grille which when activated, reduces the drag coefficient to 0.25 Cd as compared to 0.27 Cd before. Reprofiled front and rear bumpers aid to the more efficient air flow around the car.
On the inside, the sedan gets new driver instrument cluster which displays key information like battery's state of charge as well as details on driving style. It also gets a new 8.0 inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The AVN holds the menu to display EV range as well as nearest charging points.
The new Optima also gets key technologies to conserve and regenerate electricity. The third generation Regenerative braking system now generates 11% more energy and the advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system with driver only ventilation system conserves energy.
Being produced in Kia's plant in Hwasung, Korea, the Optima Plug-in Hybrid will go on sale in Europe in Q4 2016 offering the company's unique 7-year 100,000 mile warranty.
