Kia's growing fleet of alternative powertrain models
is gaining a new recruit in the UK, in the shape of the Optima Sportswagon
PHEV. The Optima SW PHEV joins the Optima saloon PHEV, the all-electric Soul
EV, the Niro hybrid crossover and Niro PHEV, all of which are meant to help Kia
achieve a 25% reduction in fleet average CO2 emissions by the year 2020.
Priced at £ 32,645 after the Government's plug-in car
grant of £ 2,500, the Optima SW PHEV boasts a longer all-electric range, lower
CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy compared to the plug-in hybrid saloon.
This is all thanks to its increased storage capacity of 11.26kWh.
According to Kia, the Sportswagon PHEV can cover 61 km in all-electric mode (saloon 53 km), with a CO2 figure
of just 33g/km. As for combined fuel economy, Kia points to the SW PHEV
averaging 201.8 mpg (1.4l/100km), a slight improvement over the saloon's 176.6
mpg (1.6l/100km).
Powering the Optima SW PHEV is a 154 HP 2.0-liter petrol engine, combined with a 50 kW (67 HP / 68 PS) electric motor.
In total, that makes for 202 horses, together with 375 Nm of
torque.
UK buyers will enjoy the Optima SW PHEV's
comprehensive standard specification, which includes 17" alloys, LED
daytime running lights and headlights (with automatic leveling), welcome and
follow-me-home lighting, black cloth and faux leather seats with 8-way power
adjustment (4-way power lumbar adjustment on the driver's side), front and rear
parking sensors, a reversing camera, dual-zone air conditioning,
leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear shifter, cruise control with speed
limiter, electronic parking brake and a 4.3" color TFT instrument cluster.
Other standard features include the Electronic Stability Control and Vehicle
Stability Management, as well as Hill-start Assist control.
While introducing the Optima Sportswagon PHEV to the
UK public, Kia is also adjusting its color options for the entire Optima range.
Now, Aluminum Silver is replacing Midnight Black as the standard color for both
saloon and SW PHEV models, with Midnight Black becoming a £545 option. Both
PHEVs are also available in White Pearl and Gravity Blue, while Temptation Red
is offered only on the Sportswagon PHEV.
Buying into the Optima SW range means spending
upwards of £ 22,455 on the 1.7 CRDi 2 version, while the 1.7 CRDi 3, CRDi 3
7-DCT and CRDi GT-Line S 7-DCT cost £ 24,655, £ 26,055 and £ 30,755 respectively.
