KIA Optima PHEV Video Review 2017

KIA Optima PHEV Video Review 2017

Welcome to another OSV Car Review. Today we’re reviewing the Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid. It’s in the form of blue lines. [inaudible 00:00:17] the Optima, and we think the South Korean brand should be praised for making a hybrid that doesn’t shout, “I’m a hybrid,” at every passerby. Whereas the Prius has become a bit of a symbol for green thinking celebs, the Optima PHEV looks like a normal Kia Optima, give or take some subtle hints in the form of blue lines. The Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, or PHEV for short, uses a combination of a petrol engine and an electric motor to propel it down the road.

The engine and the batteries work together to provide a smooth experience from behind the wheel. While it may feel like a typical saloon, it is a disappointingly numb car to drive. This isn’t exclusive to the Kia Optima, though, as it’s a trait that many hybrids possess. The economy figures are exciting, though. Thirty-seven grams per kilometer of C02 means free road tax for now. And Kia says the Optima PHEV is also capable of 176mpg. This is, of course, a dream for the likes of you and me. A hundred and seventy-six MPG was scored in a lab using the 33 miles of pure electric range that the batteries provide.

While this is Kia’s first ever plug-in hybrid model, you can get up to 33 miles on pure electric, and I’m not convinced I’ve managed to get that, to be fair. I think probably more like 25 miles I’ve managed to get on pure electric so far. But the beauty of hybrid is in the word, petrol and electric. The two are combined. And you know what? At the moment, I’ve got a range of 412 miles, according to this. And that’s pretty much to do with just the fuel in the tank. But if I was to be really, really cautious, drive this slowly and use electric mode only, where possible, then you’re looking at economical motoring, aren’t you?

I feel like the steering wheel, an important part to any car, is lovely to touch. It’s bounded leather. Let’s face it, this is the thing you’re touching the whole time when you’re in a car, so it’s important to talk about what might seem like a petty point. It’s comfortable to grip, and there are lots of controls on the wheel, anything from the radio all the way through to pressing switches here to see what is on the display on the driver’s pinnacle. The screen in front of me is a bright, very clear satnav. All controls are laid out in a very, almost old-fashioned, but logical way, and I think it’s better that way. Some cars are too complicated to work out.

Radio, media, map, information, [inaudible 00:03:06] in settings. It shows you all there when you do it. Right, well this is the Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid, a rather handsome 4-door saloon car. Very obvious eco plug-in badge there. A little flap you can plug in your lead. This boot’s got a reasonable amount of room in it. You’ve got this bag here. You’ve got this little…very handy kit eco plug-in bag here, and this charging cable. There isn’t really that much room. You’ve got this big area here, and you’ve only got small amounts of room for, say, a little bag like this here and a few extra odds and ends.

I’m six foot tall, okay? And I’ve just been sitting in the driver’s seat. So, as you can see, a six-foot-tall rear seat passenger can sit very, very happily behind a six-foot-tall driver. My knees have got acres of room. The handy pocket here to keep maps in. Look at that, loads of room for my head as well. Got lots of elbow room, lots of shoulder room. Nice headrests here to chill out in. A very handy place here to rest my arm on and to divide myself up from the other passenger, but also very simple but nice, deep cup holders there. So, I can stick my fizzy drink can in there or whatever and just relax, or you can pop that up, and if you really wanna squeeze in, you’ve got room for another passenger.

And you’ve got one seat-belt, two, three, so it is a proper three-occupant rear bench, and I think that’s probably okay for somebody that’s not huge. They could sit there okay, no problem. You’ve got your own little vents here to keep yourself warm, and also you’ve got your own little USB point and your own little 12-volt socket, which I think is fantastic for a passenger to have.

There you go, another OSV Car Review. This was the Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid.

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