Kia Optima Hybrid

The Optima Hybrid may be destined for Europe, but the high specification makes the cost of a right-hand-drive conversion high, so it has yet to be confirmed for the UK. However, there are plenty of positives for when the standard car arrives in January, with its good looks and spacious, classy interior counting in its favour. But the noisy petrol engine feels dated compared to the rest of the technology on board.

While Kia’s sleek Mondeo rival isn’t due in the UK until January, Auto Express grabbed the chance to drive the hybrid version of the Optima at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week.

It’s been engineered primarily with the US market in mind, so power comes from a 2.4-litre petrol engine which is mated to a 34kW electric motor and a set of lithium-ion batteries stored in the boot. Unassisted, the engine produces 164bhp and 225Nm of torque, but with the whole system working together, those figures increase to a healthy 205bhp and 265Nm.

The electric powertrain adds around 45kg to the Optima’s overall weight, but performance is still brisk, with 0-62mph taking 9.2 seconds. Combined fuel consumption is a competitive 48.7mpg, although a CO2 figure of 136g/km is some way off the best hybrids on the market: a Toyota Prius returns as low as 89g/km. In theory, the batteries are capable of powering the Optima up to 60mph, but in practice it’s only at lower speeds and in traffic that you can rely on the power of the motor alone.

Press too hard on the throttle, or get above 25mph, and the petrol engine noisily announces its arrival, and its unrefined note is a stark contrast to the hushed refinement of full EV mode. The noise only starts to intrude at higher revs, but the six-speed auto is unusually eager to hold on to lower gears, making overtaking a raucous affair.

The sequential manual mode is better, and although it doesn’t always respond instantly, the changes are smooth, but the lack of steering wheel-mounted paddles will annoy keen drivers. The steering is surprisingly heavy and vague around the straight ahead, and there’s a slightly inconsistent quality to the ride too, which absorbs larger bumps well, but is jittery on rougher roads.

Inside there’s plenty of room, which bodes well for the standard car, although boot space is compromised by the battery pack. The attractive cabin is well built, with the kind of soft-touch plastics we’ve come to expect from Korean brands.

The kit count is impressive too, with leather, a panoramic sunroof and heated and air-conditioned seats all included. However as the hybrid is yet to be confirmed for the UK, we’ll have to wait to see what the standard car has to offer.