Kia Optima Hybrid 2013 - International

Kia Optima Hybrid and Optima Turbo

What we liked:
>> Easy driveability from both cars
>> Nimble handling, even in US spec
>> Style and presentation of Turbo interior

Not so much:
>> Hybrid too expensive in Oz?
>> No right-hook versions yet
>> Fuel economy is not ground-breaking for a hybrid

We first drove Kia's Optima Hybrid before it even reached production, back in October 2010. A recent trip to California for the global unveiling of the company's newest small car, the 2013 Cerato, handed us the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the American market's version of the Optima Hybrid.

Unlike the 2.0-litre Optima Hybrid developed for the European market and launched in Paris at the end of September, this American model came with the 2.4-litre Theta II engine, albeit running in an Atkinson cycle rather than a conventional Otto cycle. In combination with the 30kW/205Nm electric motor sitting in the transmission bell housing, the total output is 154kW and 265Nm. Kia claims that the Hybrid is 40.7 per cent more efficient than the regular Optima.

It's looking uncertain we'll see the petrol/electric Optima in the local market, for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it's not currently available in right-hand drive – and nor does it look like Kia is making that conversion a priority. Secondly, while there's little doubt that the petrol/electric mid-size sedan has the potential to give Toyota's Camry Hybrid a run for its money, we doubt it match the Toyota for price and value in Australia. The Kia was as quiet and unfussed as we've come to expect of the Optima in Australia. And, as with the Camry Hybrid, the Optima Hybrid shows no shortage of performance at intermediate speeds. But it would be more expensive than the Optima Platinum, which practically places it head-to-head with the Camry Hybrid HL.

The Optima Hybrid rode better – over the jagged surface of LA freeways – than we're used to from the Optima Platinum in Australia. Of course, the downside for the Hybrid was its lower level of cornering competence, relative to the conventional car sold in Australia. There was less feedback through the wheel and both grip and roadholding seemed to take second place to the locally calibrated suspension tune of the Optima Platinum sold here. To its credit, the Optima Hybrid did what was asked of it, returning a fuel consumption figure, according to the trip computer, of 34.5MPG (US gallons, roughly 7.2L/100km) over a mostly open-road run of about 170 miles. That is less than the car's advertised city consumption in the US.

Our long-term Honda Accord Euro here in Australia can achieve sub-7.0L/100km figures in freeway driving – without any hybrid gadgetry. So if the Kia's result doesn't sound astonishingly good – and it's not, really – consider that the car was carrying three hefty blokes and running at speeds of up to 70MPH (112km/h), frequently cutting in and out of traffic on LA freeways, none of which is ever factored into a combined-cycle fuel consumption for any passenger car, let alone hybrids. Furthermore, hybrids certainly give of their best in low-speed, suburban environments, rather than in a cut-and-thrust freeway system.

That said, the Optima Hybrid was lively at speeds that would be considered illegal in Australia, but warrant little scrutiny from the LAPD. It would kick down and crank up the petrol engine to deliver the sort of performance required to keep up and sometimes get ahead of the other road users – an altogether too frequent need on LA freeways. Even when the petrol engine was running the Optima Hybrid was quiet, but naturally it was quieter still when running in electric mode only.

From a packaging standpoint, the Optima Hybrid was very much like the standard car sold in Australia. The petrol/electric model came with the same interior trimmings, including front-seat heating and ventilation. Naturally there were some hybrid-related read-out facilities in the instrument panel, but mostly it operated and drove like the Optima Platinum with its conventional drivetrain. As with other hybrids, boot space is a concession owners must make for the sake of green motoring.

Riding on 18-inch alloys and 225/45 Hankook tyres, the Optima Turbo provided a moderately firmer ride, but it remained an altogether nicer drive than the Hybrid. In fact, barring only slight vagueness in the steering at the straight-ahead, it's also more driveable than the current Aussie-spec car powered by the naturally-aspirated 2.4-litre GDI engine. On a round trip of about 300 miles (480km), the Optima Turbo posted a fuel consumption figure of 24.1MPG, which converts to 9.8L/100km.

The turbocharged engine was highly refined at any point in the rev range, and would pull high gears from low revs without labouring. Performance was available readily, with minimal turbo lag. Unlike the GDI engine, the Turbo powerplant just felt torquier and required less effort to drive in the mid-range. Up a long hill to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (a cable car ride near the affluent resort town), the Optima Turbo happily held fourth gear from just above 1500rpm without any fuss.

On the way back down the car was fairly light on its feet, considering its weight and its footprint. For a vehicle that seems to be softer riding than we recall of the Aussie-spec Optima Platinum, the Turbo remained quite poised and communicative, both through the seat and the steering wheel. It turned in well and felt safe. After a couple of demanding moments on the road down from the cable car station the brakes were smelling pretty hot however.

Inside the Optima Turbo, some bone-coloured leather trim to offset the charcoal vinyl was attractive and imbued the car with a sportier look. Otherwise the packaging was much like the Hybrid and the Aussie-delivered Optima Platinum, although the Hybrid had a foot-operated parking brake and the Turbo came with an electronic parking brake, which we're told will be included in the specification for Australia once the upgraded Optima arrives next year. The seats in the Optima Turbo proved very comfortable for the long open-road journeys we undertook on consecutive days.

Although both cars are worthy in their own distinctive way, if we had to fight the good fight in favour of one over the other, it would be the Turbo every time. And since that's the only car of the two that could conceivably be engineered for right-hand drive in the short term, that's the sensible choice anyway.

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