Kia To Offer 2017 Optima As A Plug-In Hybrid

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In an effort to keep up with the competition, Kia will be offering it's 2017 Optima as both a conventional and a plug-in hybrid. It will still be the same Sonata-fighter it has always been, but Kia is also looking to take on models like the Chevrolet Spark and Ford Fusion Energi by offering a plug-in.

Yes, the Ford and Chevy models have been around since about 2012, as have the Sonata and Optima hybrids. But Hyundai only began rolling out a pug-in Sonata towards the end of 2015. Kia has long been thought of as playing second fiddle to Hyundai. So, rather than let their South Korean rival best them and corner the market,  they will follow suite and enter their full-size sedan into the plug-in hybrid fight as well.

The updated Optima hybrid will sport a 2.0-liter direct-injected inline-four-cylinder engine that puts out around 154 hp, instead of the previously offered 2.4-liter inline-four. This motor will work in conjunction with a 51-hp electric motor. Altogether, the car should make around 193 hp, according to Car and Driver, and is expected to get around 40-mpg. It will also feature an electric oil pump and the 6-speed automatic transmission will be water-cooled to optimize efficiency.

The all-electric Optima PHEV model will feature the same 2.0 liter inline four as the conventional hybrid, but it will be strapped to a more powerful 67-hp electric motor in this model. The car will feature a 9.8-kWh battery pack that Car and Driver says is projected to allow it to travel around 27 miles on a charge. This gives it a total range of around 600 miles before you need to fill it up again. Recharging will take about nine hours on 120 volts or around 3 hours on 240 volts.

Both hybrids are expected to hit Kia dealerships late this summer.

 

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