Thursday, 25 August 2016

Kia launches Optima PHEV

Kia's mission to lower the average CO2 emissions of its range by 25% before the end of the decade is given a boost with the launch today of the company's first plug-in hybrid model, the Optima PHEV. It is priced at £31,495 after taking into account the Government's £2,500 plug-in car grant.

With a range of up to 33 miles in all-electric mode, the Optima PHEV is able to complete many regular urban commuter runs with no tailpipe emissions, while its CO2 figure of just 37g/km means company car users pay just 7 per cent benefit-in-kind taxation in 2016-17.

The Optima PHEV combines a 154bhp 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine with a 50kW (67bhp) electric motor powered by a 9.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. The electric motor replaces the torque converter in the smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission. When working together, the combustion engine and motor generate 202bhp and 375Nm of torque.

Hybrids are not new to Kia, but they have never previously been brought to the UK because diesels offered greater tax advantages in the all-important company car market. The all-new Optima PHEV, with its extended all-electric driving range, low CO2 emissions and ultra-low company car tax rating, redress this balance and will be an important fleet car for Kia in the UK.

The core feature of the hybrid system is the next-generation 9.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, which produces significantly more energy than that in previous Optima hybrids. Meanwhile, the simplicity of the hybrid system allows compact packaging of the petrol engine, electric motor and automatic transmission on the front axle, with minimal energy transfer and conversion losses. This results in excellent performance and range for a D-segment car: up to 33 miles of pure-electric driving at speeds as high as 75mph, with 0-60mph acceleration in 9.1 seconds in hybrid mode. The switch between electric and hybrid driving is seamless, while the electric motor's 205Nm of torque from standstill ensures rapid acceleration and instantaneous response to the throttle pedal.

The car's sophisticated technologies include regenerative braking, a driving style guide, an ECO-DAS (ECOnomy Driver Assistance System) featuring Coasting Guide Control, a Drive Mode Select button so that drivers can personalise the powertrain's dynamics, and an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) Select switch. It also has an intelligent heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to save battery power.

HEV Select gives access to two driving modes via a button in the centre console. In EV (charge depletion) mode the car runs as a purely electric vehicle when the energy stored in the batteries is adequate, and is able to regenerate electrical power on the move to recharge the batteries. The Optima PHEV has an all-electric driving range of up to 33 miles. HEV (charge sustaining) mode allows the powertrain to balance the use of motor and petrol engine for a seamless combination of electric and internal combustion power. In this mode, a greater proportion of propulsion comes from the petrol engine and the charge level of the batteries is constantly being topped up for later use.