IA OPTIMA PHEV OFFERS 176.6MPG

The Kia Optima PHEV, the company’s first plug-in hybrid model, has an official economy figure of 176.6mpg and emissions of 37g/km CO2. It’s priced at £31,495 after taking into account the Government’s £2,500 plug-in car grant.

Kia Optima PHEV

With a range of up to 33 miles in all-electric mode, the Optima PHEV is able to complete many regular urban commuter runs with no tailpipe emissions, while its CO2 figure of just 37g/km means company car users pay just 7 per cent benefit-in-kind taxation in 2016-17.

The Optima PHEV combines a 154bhp 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine with a 50kW (67bhp) electric motor powered by a 9.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. The electric motor replaces the torque converter in the six-speed automatic transmission. When working together, the combustion engine and motor generate 202bhp and 375Nm of torque.

A package of aerodynamic, styling and technology features contributes towards the Optima PHEV’s low CO2 emissions and potential fuel economy of up to 176.6mpg.

The most significant aerodynamic change is an active air flap grille which lowers the car’s drag co-efficient (Cd) to 0.25 when closed. The integration of the batteries behind the rear seat and in the spare wheel well, along with a 15-litre reduction in the car’s petrol tank, means the Kia Optima PHEV is still able to offer a generous 307 litres of luggage space.

The core feature of the hybrid system is the next-generation 9.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, which produces significantly more energy than that in previous Optima hybrids. Meanwhile, the simplicity of the hybrid system allows compact packaging of the petrol engine, electric motor and automatic transmission on the front axle, with minimal energy transfer and conversion losses. This results in excellent performance and range for a D-segment car: up to 33 miles of pure-electric driving at speeds as high as 75mph, with 0-60mph acceleration in 9.1 seconds in hybrid mode. The switch between electric and hybrid driving is seamless, while the electric motor’s 205Nm of torque from standstill ensures rapid acceleration and instantaneous response to the throttle pedal.

The Kia Optima PHEV is equipped with a number of technological innovations to help it use the power in its battery pack in the most efficient way and top up its batteries on the move.

The car’s technologies include regenerative braking, a driving style guide, an ECO-DAS (ECOnomy Driver Assistance System) featuring Coasting Guide Control, a Drive Mode Select button so that drivers can personalise the powertrain’s dynamics, and an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) Select switch. It also has an intelligent heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to save battery power.

HEV Select gives access to two driving modes via a button in the centre console. In EV (charge depletion) mode the car runs as a purely electric vehicle when the energy stored in the batteries is adequate, and is able to regenerate electrical power on the move to recharge the batteries. The Optima PHEV has an all-electric driving range of up to 33 miles. HEV (charge sustaining) mode allows the powertrain to balance the use of motor and petrol engine for a seamless combination of electric and internal combustion power. In this mode, a greater proportion of propulsion comes from the petrol engine and the charge level of the batteries is constantly being topped up for later use.

The Drive Mode Select gives the driver the choice of Eco and Normal settings to obtain maximum energy efficiency or greater performance. This switch is also located in the centre console. A driving style guide delivers information through the instrument panel about how efficiently the car is being driven so that drivers can adapt their driving style as necessary.

Kia’s regenerative braking system, now in third generation guise in the Optima PHEV, allows the car to harvest kinetic energy – energy created by motion – to top up the batteries when coasting or braking.

The advanced HVAC system has been adapted from that in the Soul EV, and permits only the driver’s side of the car to be cooled when the other seats are unoccupied to minimise energy usage. It does this through a smart air intake, in contrast to rival systems which merely divert the airflow towards the driver when other vents are closed and consequently do not reduce energy consumption.