2017 Kia Optima Plug In Hybrid Technology – Video

 

The Optima hybrid’s powertrain improvements start with the replacement of the previous hybrid model’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 2.0-liter direct-injected inline-four with 154 horsepower. It’s mated to a 51-hp electric motor for total system output of 193 horsepower at 6000 rpm. While that’s down by six ponies compared with its predecessor, far more important to hybrid buyers is that fuel economy is expected to rise by 10 percent, which should put its EPA combined number somewhere in the low-40-mpg range. Meanwhile, the six-speed automatic transmission is now water-cooled and the oil pump is now electric, helping to optimize engine efficiency by 20 percent, according to Kia.