Kia Optima recently underwent a small facelift
and got a new range of engines – now its hybrid version is also improved. While
the updated hybrid is only available in South Korea, where it is sold under the
local K5 Hybrid index. The hybrid is equipped with a two-liter
petrol engine of 156 hp. The electromotor, which develops 51 strengths,
has not changed in the six-step automatic transmission.
But the capacity of the battery located under the
trunk floor increased from 1.62 to 1.76 kilowatt-hours – by 8.6 percent. This
made it possible to use the electric motor more often, and thereby increase the
economy: the fuel consumption in the mixed cycle was reduced from 5.71 to 5.56
liters per 100 kilometers.
Slightly changed the appearance of the model: the
other was the shape of the bumpers, the rear optics and the design of the alloy
wheels changed. All optics – headlights of head light, “fog lights” and tail
lights – is made on light-emitting diodes.
In South Korea, the car is already sold. It is
offered in three trim levels, starting at 30,330,000 won – about as much as a
well-equipped K5 with a two-liter engine. Soon the car will appear in foreign
markets. In the future, the rechargeable version of the hybrid, which is
characterized by an even more capacious battery, will also be updated.
