2014 Kia Optima Hybrid - Car and Driver
The current Kia Optima sedan has been a runaway success for the brand, changing hearts and minds from Oregon to Orlando with its sleek styling, spacious and well-made interior, and, of course, killer warranty since the model first appeared in... It also added some much needed power (up to 199 total horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque) and one or two more mpg in fuel efficiency. That was followed by a mild face lift for 2014 that gave it new LED running lights and taillamps, unique grille and fog-lamp treatments, and, according to Kia, slightly improved aerodynamics. So we figured we’d give the Optima hybrid a second chance to make a first impression and see if the enhancements would bring the driving experience up to the level of proficiency that characterizes most of the rest of the car. On the track, the Optibrid’s 0-to-60 run of 8. 1 seconds and quarter-mile time of 16. 3 seconds at 88 mph are exactly the same as those posted by the mechanically identical 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. (Compared with the 2011 Sonata hybrid , the twin to the 2011 Optima hybrid, they are 1. 4 seconds and 0. 8 second faster. Our 32-mpg observed fuel economy over many hundreds of miles driven is also respectable, considering our collective lead foot, if a few pegs shy of the EPA-rated 35 mpg city and 39 mpg highway. —the Optima’s around-town drivability issues persist. Source: www.caranddriver.com
