Joining the hybrid Niro SUV on Kia’s stand at the Chicago Motor Show is the Korean giant’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Optima PHEV.
Due for launch in North America in the fourth quarter of this year, the Kia Optima PHEV is part of Kia’s initiatives aimed at enhancing fuel efficiency across its entire range by 25 per-cent in time for the 2020 model year.
Under the bonnet is Kia’s 2.0-litre ‘Nu’ petrol engine good for 113kW and driving through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Electric power comes from a transmission-mounted 50kW motor.
A 9.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery provides 60 per-cent more energy than the battery in the outgoing Kia Optima hybrid and allows a pure electric range of 45kms.
The plug-in port is mounted in the left-hand front fender and a full charge can be achieved in less than three hours using a 240V charger (nine hours with a 120V).
Numerous styling changes on the outside give the Kia Optima PHEV a distinctive look and also enhance aerodynamics – in fact Kia claims the newcomer’s drag coefficient of 0.24Cd matches Tesla’s Model S.
