   2014 Kia Optima Hybrid, headlight. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Greg Wilson
Now in its fourth model year, the 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid mid-sized sedan differs from other ‘full’ hybrid sedans such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion Hybrids in two important respects: it uses a six-speed automatic transmission rather than a continuously variable transmission so as to provide a more natural transmission shift feel; and it has a lighter, more compact lithium-polymer battery pack rather than the more popular lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride batteries used in its competitors.
The former is something you’ll notice, while the latter is something you won’t.
Changes to the Optima Hybrid for 2014 are fairly minor: its re-designed rear bumper, trunk lid and alloy wheels improve aerodynamics slightly, and a new front grille design, new front air vents, new LED tail lights, and optional LED front fog lights help improve visibility and the overall appearance. As well, prominent green and silver Eco-Hybrid badges on the front fenders make it easy to tell the Optima Hybrid from the regular Optima.
The combination of the Optima Hybrid’s 159 hp 2.4L four-cylinder Atkinson Cycle engine and 46 hp electric motor and 270-volt Lithium-polymer (Li-PB) battery pack create a total of 199 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque, which is on par with its major competitors. However, the Optima Hybrid lags behind its competitors in overall fuel efficiency: with an EPA fuel economy rating of 6.5 L/100 km city/5.9 hwy, the Optima Hybrid is about the same as the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (which uses the same hybrid system), but isn’t as fuel-efficient as the Toyota Camry Hybrid with 5.9/6.2, Ford Fusion Hybrid 5.3/5.7, Honda Accord Hybrid 4.7/5.2 and Toyota Prius 4.6/4.9. All of the above use Regular grade gas.
The Optima’s real-world fuel economy is something else again: my observed average fuel economy after a week of mixed highway and city driving in mostly sunny, warm weather was 7.6 L/100 km. And as Autos contributor Haney Louka observed in his Winterpeg test of the Optima Hybrid in January, 2012, sub-zero temperatures take a heavy toll on the Optima Hybrid’s fuel economy. In cold temperatures, Haney observed that the engine was almost always running, even though the Optima Hybrid is capable of running on electric power alone at speeds up to 100 km/h under low load conditions. My own experience in summer weather was that the car could occasionally run in EV mode (as indicated by a green light in the instrument cluster) at speeds under 20 km/h on level or slight uphill grades and at city and highway speeds on level or downhill sections. But the engine starts easily with very little encouragement, and this appears to be the reason why its city fuel consumption is higher than its competitors. Like other hybrids, the Optima’s engine stops and starts automatically while paused at traffic lights, but unlike the Toyota Prius, there is no driver-selectable EV mode activated by a pushbutton.
Another possible reason the Optima Hybrid is not as fuel efficient as it competitors is its conventional six-speed automatic transmission. Continuously variable transmissions have demonstrated superiority in maximizing fuel economy in hybrids and non-hybrids. But as many drivers don’t like the rubber band experience of a CVT, the Optima’s traditional six-speed automatic offers a more conventional stepped gear-changing experience. As well, Kia’s six-speed automatic has a manual shifting mode, something that most CVTs do not have.
  2014 Kia Optima Hybrid engine bay & dashboard. Click image to enlarge |
The traditional sound and feel of the Optima Hybrid’s automatic transmission is certainly appealing, but as there has been a big improvement in CVT technology recently, it’s not the big advantage it used to be. The new Honda Accord Hybrid, for instance, has minimized the droning noise and rubber band effect of its CVT to the point where, if I were in the market for a hybrid, I would tolerate it in return for the superior fuel economy.
Since the Optima Hybrid’s real-world fuel economy doesn’t appear to be much better than the non-hybrid Optima sedan with the standard 192 hp 2.4L four-cylinder engine (the EPA rates it at 10.2/6.9 and Autos contributor Chris Chase achieved about the same fuel consumption (10.5/7.2) in his test of the 2011 Optima EX), it seems difficult to justify the $3,000 price difference (comparably equipped) between the hybrid and non-hybrid versions of the Optima.
    2014 Kia Optima Hybrid, tire, taillight, cabin showing sunroof. Click image to enlarge |
Like other full hybrids, the Optima Hybrid can operate on electric power alone, engine and electric power combined, or engine power alone, determined by an electronic controller that makes all the decisions for you. At startup, pressing the ignition button on the dash activates a green Ready light in the instrument cluster; the gas engine may or may not start, depending on the level of battery charge. As you pull away, you’ll hear a whining sound from the electric motor and an EV light will illuminate in the instruments if the car is running on battery power alone. A rumbling sound from the engine compartment indicates that the engine has started automatically to provide more power to the battery and electric motor for increased acceleration.
From rest, acceleration is brisk due in part to the instant torque of the electric motor which provides 150 lb-ft of torque at zero rpm. I found the Optima Hybrid has more than enough power for typical city and highway merging duties. Its 2.4L Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder, dual overhead camshafts, continuously variable valve timing and multi-port fuel injection (not direct injection) develops 159 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 154 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm. The electric motor provides 46 hp and 151 lb-ft torque from 0 to 1,630 rpm. Combined, they pump out 199 hp at 5,500 rpm, just a little more than the non-hybrid 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with 192 horsepower. But the battery-less non-hybrid Optima weighs about 150 kg less, which gives it a better power to weight ratio.
Aside from its fuel economy, the Optima Hybrid is a likeable mid-size sedan with sleek styling, a well-finished interior, plenty of standard equipment, a comfortable ride, and surprisingly competent handling. A four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Brake assist, and Hill assist control to prevent it rolling back on hills, are all standard.
The Optima Hybrid’s electric power assisted rack-and-pinion steering requires very little steering effort and doesn’t offer much feedback, but it makes parallel parking easy; and the car’s 10.8 m turning diameter helps make tight turns without having to back up. A four-wheel independent suspension provides a comfortable freeway ride with good bump absorption, and handling is surprisingly flat and balanced at higher speeds. 16-inch tires are standard on base models while 17-inch tires are offered on higher trim levels. Our test car had Kumho Solus KH25 P215/55/R-17-inch all-season low rolling resistance tires which proved competent if a bit noisy on certain surfaces.
When changing lanes, visibility to the right rear is partly obscured by the high window ledge of the rear door and the c-pillar, but a blind spot warning system issues a warning sound if the driver attempts to move into a lane occupied by another vehicle. When parking, a standard wide-angle rear-view camera with coloured guide lines and rear parking sensors helps the driver back into tight spaces without scraping the bumper. There are no front parking sensors though, and from the driver’s seat it’s difficult to judge where the sloping nose ends.
Our ‘Snow White Pearl’ top-of-the-line EX Premium test car (MSRP $36,195) had all the goodies including leather upholstery with heated and cooled front seats, heated rear (outboard) seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, eight-inch centre touch-screen, voice activated audio, navigation and phone, Infinity premium audio system with eight speakers including a subwoofer, satellite radio, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, dual zone automatic climate control, and dual sunroofs.
   2014 Kia Optima Hybrid seating & trunk. Click image to enlarge |
With the Optima Hybrid’s keyless unlocking system, you can unlock and lock all the doors and trunk just by pressing a button on the driver’s door handle. Once in the driver’s seat, you just press a button on the dash to start the car – no need to take the key out of your pocket.
In the EX Premium sedan, the driver’s seat includes power height, recline, tilt, and lumbar functions and the front passenger seat is also power adjustable. Legroom and headroom in the front seats is generous while legroom at the rear is plentiful and headroom is adequate. The centre rear seat is uncomfortable because of its raised seat cushion and protruding centre console (and there’s no centre head restraint).
    2014 Kia Optima Hybrid driver’s seat, backlit controls, gauges, EV mode gauge. Click image to enlarge |
Behind the steering wheel, the Optima Hybrid’s illuminated instruments are easy to see day or night. On the left is a round gauge with a blue and white “Eco Guide” displaying current charging status, a green Ready light that tells you when the car is ready to go, and a green EV light that lights up when the Optima is running on electric power. There are also illuminated coolant temperature and battery charge levels.
The centre display between the gauges has vehicle information that can be accessed using a menu button on the steering wheel. The driver can scroll between average fuel economy, instant fuel economy, range, service info, user settings for vehicle functions such as lighting and sounds, and an Eco Level score based on how efficient the driving has been. A green Eco light indicates when the car is being driven in Eco mode. To the right of the centre display is a large, backlit speedometer and smaller fuel gauge.
   2014 Kia Optima Hybrid centre stack, navigation, shifter. Click image to enlarge |
In the centre of the dash, the large eight-inch touch-screen can display audio, phone, navigation, and hybrid information, but not climate info: the dual-zone automatic climate control is operated by dials and buttons below the screen. To display the audio, phone, navigation or information screens, the driver pushes traditional buttons below the screen, but for specific tasks such as channel changing or phone contact selection, the driver presses the touch-screen or says certain specific voice commands after pressing a button on the steering wheel. The voice activation system doesn’t recognize instructions not in its database so it’s important to review the list of available voice commands. Some functions, such as telephone, audio volume and channel select can be operated by buttons on the steering wheel.
The cabin has an upscale look with a tasteful blend of leather, leatherette, and padded dash surfaces, thin chrome and silver trim, and illuminated controls. A padded armrest between the front seats hides a hidden storage bin, and there’s an open bin at the bottom of the centre stack with two 12-volt chargers, USB and auxiliary ports for smartphones and music players.
Because of the position of the hybrid battery behind the rear seats, the rear seatbacks do not fold down, but there is a small pass-through behind the centre rear armrest. The Optima Hybrid’s 305 litre trunk is smaller than its hybrid competitor’s trunks, but it is fully lined and has a hidden storage tray under the trunk floor. There is no spare tire, just a tire inflation kit.
Like all Kias, the Optima Hybrid comes with one of the best new car warranties available: a 5-year/100,000 km basic warranty and a 5-year/100,000 km powertrain warranty. In the non-luxury class, only Hyundai and Mitsubishi can match Kia’s basic warranty, and only Mitsubishi has a longer powertrain warranty (10-year/160,000 km).
Despite its below average fuel economy in the ‘full’ hybrid class, the Optima Hybrid is still more fuel efficient than ‘mild’ hybrid mid-size sedans like the Buick Regal e-Assist as well as non-hybrid mid-size sedans. And it offers a well-appointed cabin, sleek styling and a comfortable driving experience with the traditional feel of a six-speed automatic transmission. In a way, the Kia Optima Hybrid and its cousin the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid have created a small but meaningful niche between ‘full’ hybrids and ‘mild’ hybrids.
2014 Kia Optima Hybrid pricing and standard features
Standard features in the Optima Hybrid LX ($30,095) include 16-inch low rolling resistance tires and tire inflation kit in the trunk, new design alloys, automatic headlights, front fog lights, LED tail lights, power heated mirrors, heated windshield wiper de-icer, cloth seats with front seat heaters, power driver’s seat with lumbar support, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual zone automatic climate control, pushbutton ignition, remote entry, power windows and door locks, express up/down front windows with obstacle detection, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, steering wheel phone, audio, cruise, trip buttons, CD/satellite radio with 6 speakers, Bluetooth phone and audio, USB & aux ports, rearview camera, rear seat pass-through.
The Optima Hybrid EX trim ($33,695) adds 17-inch low rolling resistance tires and alloy wheels, dual sunroof with power sunshades, HID headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED front fog lights, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, power folding side mirrors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic defogging system, LED interior mood lighting, leatherette dash trim, and illuminated stainless steel door scuff plates.
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The Optima Hybrid EX Premium trim ($36,195) adds leather upholstery, air-cooled front seats, power front passenger seat, memory for driver’s seat, Infinity audio system with 8 speakers including subwoofer, eight-inch touch-screen and voice-activated navigation system, rear parking sensors and blind spot detection system.
Pricing: 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid EX Premium
Base price: $36,195
Options: $200 (pearl white colour)
Freight: $1,485
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $37,980
Competitors:
Buick Regal e-Assist
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Honda Accord Hybrid
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Prius
VW Passat TDI
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
