What It Is/Who It’s For

A niche in the midsize segment has emerged for greenies and eco trumpeters. The Optima Hybrid has come to play.

Best Thing

Buying a mainstream midsizer no longer means compromising between sexy styling, good fuel economy, and the ability to haul five people in comfort.

Worst Thing

The hybrid system makes driving the car feel artificial, and fuel economy was lower than expected.

Snap Judgment

It’s worthy of your attention, but we’d sooner opt for a non-hybrid Optima.

Introduction

Fuel economy matters, and recessions, inflation, and environmental concerns have forced us to stretch our expectations for all vehicles, including midsize sedans. Enter the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. While not the first hybrid midsize sedan, the Optima Hybrid represents a logical first step for the Kia to get into the gas-electric market.
The Optima Hybrid is the third iteration of the Optima to join its lineup since the current model’s debut last year. The Optima is already a fuel economy leader with the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder and 2.0-liter turbocharged models at the top of their class. Similar to the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Kia Optima Hybrid hopes to give a greener hue to Kia’s midsizer. It’s loaded with high-tech features designed to suck energy from each drop of gasoline. But its styling looks sleeker and better thought out than much of its bland or overwrought competition.
We drove the Optima Hybrid for a week to see if the book was as good as its cover. We wanted to see if the Optima Hybrid had the chops for family-sedan duties, and to see how the hybrid powertrain behaved in our relentless stop-and-go Los Angeles traffic. After all, if it pass muster here, it could anywhere.