Kia Niro Hybrid Crossover Sets Guiness Fuel Economy Record In US

The Kia Niro Hybrid is a crossover SUV that looks terrific, drives like a conventional car, gets fantastic gas mileage, and starts at about $22,000. With a resumé like that, it is right in the sweet spot of the American new car market. Demand for crossover SUVs is even greater than it its for pickup trucks.

How fuel efficient is the Kia Niro Hybrid? In FE trim, it is rated at more than 50 mpg combined, which is very frugal indeed. Put it in the hands of a dedicated team of hypermiling champions, and it is a true superstar. That’s exactly what Kia did.

Wayne Gerdes and co-driver Robert Winger recently crossed the United States from city hall in Los Angeles to city hall in New York — a distance of 3,715.4 miles — in a completely stock Kia Niro Hybrid. They consumed only 48.5 gallons of gasoline the entire trip. That’s an average of 76.6 mpg, a new world’s record for a hybrid vehicle as certified by the professionals at Guinness Book of World Records.

This isn’t the first time Kia and Gerdes have put their talents to work for the folks at Kia. In 2011, the pair set a Guinness record by driving through the lower 48 states in a Kia Optima Hybrid while averaging 64.55 mpg. The Optima is a significantly larger and heavier car than the Niro. A Honda Insight now holds that record at 74.34 mpg.  The difference is the Kia Optima Hybrid is still sold at your local Kia dealer. Good luck finding a Honda Insight for sale.

“We’re extremely pleased with the Niro’s record-breaking performance,” says Orth Hedrick, vice president for product planning at Kia. “We set out to build a vehicle that offers real world utility, great looks, and fantastic mileage, and setting the Guinness World Record title confirms our achievement.”

Even in an era of record low gas prices (although they may be headed back up), people still consider fuel economy numbers when they decide on what car they want to spend their hard earned money to own. Crossovers are the hottest segment of the new car market, but the number of crossovers that get over 50 mpg? That is a very short list and Kia is right at the very top of it. It looks like Kia will be selling boatloads of these handsome, highly fuel efficient crossovers.

Source and photo credit: Kia press release

2017 Kia Optima Hybrids: Details On 27-Mile Plug-In Hybrid: Live Photos And Video

Kia aims for a 25-percent increase in its U.S. fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 2020; and the new 2017 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), introduced today at the Chicago Auto Show and due later this year, are key additions to the brand’s lineup to achieve that.

Although the new Optima Hybrid and Optima PHEV are new models, they’re not mechanically unique. They have the same 27-mile all-electric EPA rating, the same 154-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the same six-speed automatic transmission packaged with a 38-kW (or 50-kW for the PHEV) single electric motor, and the same 1.62-kWh (or 9.8-kWh) lithium-ion battery pack, as the Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid.

Multiple modes—including a charge-restoring one

Compared to the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid, the Optima Plug-In Hybrid offers the same choice between an all-electric mode, a hybrid mode that saves electric charge, and a charging mode, which charges the battery pack—at some expense of fuel economy and tailpipe emissions, of course.

What’s different, of course, is the rest of the package. These new hybrid and plug-in hybrid models are both indistinguishable from the mainstream Optima sedans in some respects—although they get active grille shutters plus a series of aerodynamic improvements that lower the coefficient of drag to a phenomenal 0.24.

2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid

That should be a good thing, as we’ve found the latest 2016 Kia Optima sedans to be far more comfortable and refined than their predecessors. Their supremely quiet ride, well-balanced ride-and-handling traits, and warmer, finely detailed interiors make the Optima lineup one of the best entries in its class.

And based on our first drive experience, and follow-ups, with the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid, these models benefit from tremendous improvement in the hybrid system’s electronic controls that allow it to accelerate far more smoothly yet have heightened responses.

No real sacrifice in space or versatility

These two models sacrifice very little to accommodate the hybrid system. Optima Hybrid models have a battery pack that stows effectively in the place where a spare tire would otherwise be, while the Optima PHEV has its battery under (and just behind) the back seat, cutting slightly into cargo space.

Charge times for the battery pack in the Plug-In Hybrid range from just under nine hours on normal 120V household AC, down to less than three hours on 240V (Level 2).

Optima PHEV models will offer an EV Services package that allows you to check the state of charge remotely, among other things. These models are Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible—to control smartphone apps via the infotainment system—and the interface has been updated with Google Voice Recognition Local Search.

A ten-speaker, 630-watt Harman/Kardon surround-sound audio system is available, as is a suite of active-safety and driver-assistance systems—including Autonomous Emergency Braking, which can bring the vehicle to a full stop to avoid a crash or reduce damage.

Around 42 mpg for the Hybrid

Kia targets a ten-percent improvement to the fuel economy ratings of the 2017 Optima Hybrid, versus the outgoing model. Given the current model’s combined figure of 38 mpg, that would put the 2017 model in the range of 42 mpg—better on the highway than the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, as well as just ahead of the Sonata Hybrid.

As for the rest of the details, like features and pricing, we’ll just have to wait and see; look for them later in the spring, with both of these models expected by fall.

Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid, Fuel Cell Part Of 5 Year Plan

Kia has embarked on an ambitious 5 year plan that will add 11 new low and zero emissions cars to its model lineup and increase the average efficiency of Kia’s complete model range 25% by 2020. The program calls for an investment of $10 billion between now and 2020. The company says that investment will create 1000 new domestic jobs. Part of the program includes the all new Kia Niro hybrid SUV that seeks to set new fuel economy records in the compact SUV segment of the market. The Niro is said to emit only 90 grams of carbon per kilometer — 10% less than the maximum regulators in Europe will require of all auto makers within a few years.

Next on the Kia “to do” list is the Optima plug-in hybrid, which will supplement the existing Optima hybrid. It has a 2.0-liter four cylinder engine paired with a 50 kW electric motor and a six speed automatic gearbox. It should be capable of an 80% charge in three hours or less and will have 27 miles of electric only range. Overall fuel economy of 119 MPGe is expected.

Britain’s Auto Express has sampled the Optima PHEV in Korea and reports it is “remarkably quiet when running in full electric mode at speeds of 50 mph.” It says the passenger compartment is “a big step up from its predecessor in terms of quality and layout.”

Kia says it is also working on a fuel cell sedan for the year 2020. It expects the fuel stack will have about the same power as a conventional 2 liter gasoline engine. A range of 500 miles on a tank of hydrogen is expected, with a top speed greater than 100 mph. Kia says it will build 1000 FCEVs in the first year of production.

Ki-Sang Lee, senior vice president at Kia’s Eco Friendly Vehicle R&D Center, says in a press release, “The electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle market will grow rapidly in the coming years, and this investment will enable Kia to meet the growing demand with a range of advanced new products and technologies. We don’t believe that there is any one ‘silver bullet’ that can satisfy the demand for low emission technology within the car industry, so we foresee a wide range of eco-friendly powertrains co-existing for an extended period of time. The plans we’ve announced today represent Kia’s ambition to become a worldwide leader in advanced propulsion technology.”

Let’s hope that Kia stylists, who are some of the best in the world, will not follow in Toyota’s footsteps when it comes time to design its new fuel cell cars. The world already has enough ugly cars.

Source | Photos: AutoExpress UK.

Lower gas prices mean there are excellent deals on green cars right now

The phenomenon was big enough to make news in 2006, then in 2008, in 2011, in 2012, in 2013, andagain last year: a big move in gas prices means a big move in alternative-fuel-vehicle sales. True Car's TrueSavings report, which averages transaction prices across the country to figure out what people are paying compared to MSRP, shows that electric cars and hybrids are ripe for excellent savings right now.

The Ford Focus Electric presents the greatest disparity, with the average transaction price of $25,168 representing a 16.1-percent saving off its $29,995 MSRP. The Kia Optima Hybrid and Toyota Prius also snagged spots in the top five, with the Kia offering a 10.7-percent discount and the Toyota a 10.1-percent discount. One hybrid managed to show up among the top five lease offers, too: the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is just $315 a month for 36 months after $3,875 down in some markets.

Alt-energy vehicles got bumped out of the top five finance deals, however. That was dominated by light trucks and, oddly, two subcompacts. The press release below has more details.

TrueCar finds hybrids, EVs top list of best savings in January Gasoline price plunge = savings for consumers on alternative fuel vehicles

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford's Focus Electric hatchback, which sells at an average of 16 percent off MSRP, tops January's list of best savings on new vehicles, according to TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. The "TrueSavings" monthly report analyzes current transaction prices and identifies opportunities for consumer savings.

"Fuel savings are not top of mind to many consumers right now, and that makes this a great time to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle," said John Krafcik, president of TrueCar. "With gasoline prices now averaging just $2.10 per gallon, and vehicle preferences tied so closely to short-term gasoline prices, automakers are heavily discounting their most fuel-efficient cars to clear inventories."

Toyota's Prius, the world's best-selling alternative fuel vehicle for more than a decade, also makes January's list of best savings. Customers who purchase a Prius Two model this month can save 10 percent off the hybrid car's $25,025 MSRP.

"Gasoline prices and vehicle type preferences are strongly related, and this relationship is cyclical in nature," said Krafcik. "Fuel is relatively inexpensive right now, but when the pendulum swings the other way it will make future alternative fuel vehicles more appealing."

Below is a snapshot of some of the best savings (compared to MSRP) on new vehicles in January 2015:

Year/Make/ Model/Trim	Segment	MSRP	Market Average	$ Savings / % Savings	Est. Monthly Payment*	City / Hwy / Comb MPG
2015 Ford Focus Electric	Small Car	$29,995	$25,168	$4,827/ 16.1%	$362	110/99/105.0
2015 Ram 1500, Tradesman, Reg. Cab, 4x2 Std. Bed	Large Truck	$26,605	$23,635	$2,970/ 11.2%	$340	17/25/20.6
2015 Toyota Venza, XLE, 4-Cyl, FWD	Midsize CUV	$32,845	$29,216	$3,629/ 11.0%	$420	20/26/22.9
2015 Kia Optima Hybrid	Midsize Car	$32,950	$29,411	$3,539/ 10.7%	$423	35/39/37.1
2015 Toyota Prius Two	Small Car	$25,025	$22,498	$2,527/ 10.1%	$323	51/48/49.3

*Estimated monthly payments are based on a 3% APR for 60 months with 20% down on the current market average price, and excludes sales tax and other fees and charges that may vary by region or state. These examples are for informational purposes only, and are not offers to lend. See dealer/lender for details, including actual available offers.

"Market Average" is based on the national average of recent vehicle transactions, including destination and delivery charges after incentives that are subject to change. This does not include tax, title, licensing, documentation or processing fees, other state and governmental charges and/or fees or any other charges or fees allowed by law.

Below is a snapshot of some of the best manufacturer lease and finance deals currently available in certain regions:

Lease:
2015 Acura TLX: $299/month for 39 months with $2,599 down, 10,000 miles/year, Exp: 3/2/15
2015 Honda CR-V: $239/month for 39 months, $2,199 down, 12,000 miles/year, Exp: 3/2/15
2015 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: $315/month for 36 months, $3,875 down, 31,500 miles, Exp: 3/31/15
2015 Nissan Altima: $189/month for 36 months, $1,999 down, 12,000 miles/year, Exp: 2/2/15
2015 Volkswagen Tiguan: $199/month for 36 months, $2,999 down, 36,000 miles, Exp: 2/2/15

Finance:
2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 0.0% financing for 60 months, Exp: 2/2/15
2015 Ford Explorer: 0.0% financing for 60 months, Exp: 2/2/15
2015 Mercedes Benz ML350: 2.99% financing for 24-72 months, Exp: 2/2/15
2014 Nissan Sentra: 0.0% financing for 72 months, Exp: 2/2/15
2015 Toyota Corolla: 0.0% financing for 48 months, Exp: 2/2/15

Customer Cash Offers:
2015 Chevrolet Malibu LT: $3,000 customer cash, Exp: 2/2/15
2014 Chrysler 300 RWD: $4,250 customer cash, Exp: 2/2/15
2015 Dodge Journey: $2,250 customer cash, Exp: 2/2/15
2014 Hyundai Genesis: $3,500 customer cash, Exp: 2/2/15
2014 Mazda CX-9: $4,000 customer cash, Exp: 3/2/15

The deal information summarized above is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not an offer to lend. Results may vary depending on your individual circumstances, including credit approval by dealer/manufacturer. Deals are subject to change and are limited to inventory on hand. See your dealer/manufacturer for details, including actual offers available in your region.

For more information about TrueCar, please visit www.truecar.com, follow @TrueCar on Twitter or become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook and Google+.

About TrueCar
TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) is the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. TrueCar enables a negotiation-free car buying experience by giving buyers transparent insight into what others actually paid (price confidence), upfront pricing information (price discovery), and access to a network of trusted TrueCar Certified Dealers who provide guaranteed savings certificates and seamlessly complete the car purchase. The reality is that buying a car is painful and buyers fear they are going to overpay or be surprised with hidden fees. TrueCar's transparent upfront pricing information makes the car buying process simple so there are no surprises and buyers never overpay. TrueCar's mission is to make car buying simple, fair and fun. Its national network of more than 9,000 TrueCar Certified Dealers, including both new car franchise dealers and non-franchise dealers, is committed to providing negotiation-free savings off MSRP and upfront pricing information for all car-buyers, including members of some of the country's largest membership and service organizations such as AARP, American Express, AAA, and USAA. Note: Not all program features are available in all states. Go to www.truecar.com for program details. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., with offices in Santa Barbara, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., and Austin, Texas.

Quick Take: 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid

If you were to ask me what I thought of Kia, I’d have said that Kias were the “Target” versions of Audis and BMWs. I’d have said that the Kia Stinger concept is a Target-brand version of the Audi Sport Quattro concept from the year before, for example, and that the brand aspired to be little more than a cheaper, more obtainable alternative to those “aspirational” German offerings. After a week behind the wheel of a 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid, however, I came away with a new-found respect for the brand- and a real appreciation for what the Kia Optima Hybrid is, rather than what it wants to be.

Which is good, because this car desperately wants to be an Audi or BMW, and has fallen well short of those marks in the ways that stereotypical gear head/auto journalists think matters. The thing is, though, that the 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid has, arguably, done a much better job than either Audi or BMW in ways that matter to, you know, ACTUAL car buyers. That’s my story, anyway – follow along, below, and see if you agree.

2014 Kia Optima Hybrid | Outside

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“Does it go as good as it looks?” asked my next-door neighbor, Frank, as I parked the Kia next to his van.

“Too soon to tell,” I answered. The car had only just been delivered a few minutes earlier, and I’d driven it around the block to adjust seats, mirrors, and (because it’s 2014) pair my phone and try out the sound system. “But, maybe.”

That would be a big ask, because this car is really, really good-looking- especially in the metallic, shimmery “Aluminum Silver” color that my tester came in. In a bid to “go as good as it looks”, Kia gave its latest Optima Hybrid 199 (combined) HP and some 235 lb-ft of torque. More than enough power, in other words, to get out of its own way while easily delivering on its 36/40 MPG EPA ratings, thanks to an EV mode that’s all you need in downtown Chicago traffic.

All the same, the Kia Optima Hybrid could have an extra 100 HP and 2 or 3 MPG thrown into the mix and the driving experience still might not equal the car’s looks. To give you an example of what I mean, all the photos you see here were taken in the late afternoon in a CarMax parking lot alongside I-290 with an older iPhone, and the car still looks fantastic.

2014 Kia Optima Hybrid | Inside

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The interior styling of the new Kia Optima is where you can really see the brand’s sporting ambitions. The two-tone interior looks like a million bucks, and- on looks- could easily be installed in a sporty luxo-go-fast coupe without raising any eyebrows. The car’s stylists did an excellent job, here, and everything worked. Controls were well-placed, functioned intuitively, and felt decent enough to operate. There is, though, the small matter of the material choices.

“This car is giving me cancer,” said my wife. “If I get cancer later in life, it’s because I sat in this car.”

What Dr. Maggie was referring to in that hyperbolic (?) diatribe was the fact that whatever chemical cocktail of fish oil, formaldehyde, and Armor All worked to keep the Kia Optima’s leather, vinyl, and rubber interior bits from cracking and drying out had a distinct odor to it. A “stink”, if you will, that drew attention to the fact that the “piano black” plastics were really just cheap and shiny. To me, the stink was forgivable (it will dissipate over the course of the car’s ownership, surely), especially considering that the Optima Hybrid’s tech-heavy interior looked a step above the BMW 328 I also drove that week … and the BMW’s price tag was some $20,000 higher than the fully-loaded Kia’s.

2014 Kia Optima Hybrid | Final Thoughts

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Earlier in this post, I mentioned that Kia had ticked all the boxes that mattered to people who buy new cars? I feel like, with the Optima’s low-ish price, solid performance, outstanding fuel economy, and 10 year, 100,000 warranty, it would be hard to call it anything but a solid buy. Besides that, it looks like a million bucks, and no one I shared the car’s $35,000 price tag with balked (although, it must be said, that the most common response was, “What do you think it leases for?”).

Still that reasonable price comes with a few drawbacks, in addition to the stink, that may not be so reasonable. The trunk, for one example, displays some of the old “afterthought” engineering that early hybrids displayed. It was forgivable, maybe, in my 2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid, but in 2014 it probably shouldn’t be. For another example, the Kia’s key fob kept falling off the key – something that happened enough times over the course of the week that, by the end, I’d begun to check my pockets in a panicked state several times an hour.

That’s not good.

All that said, though, I’d definitely recommend a car like the Kia Optima Hybrid to anyone looking for a sharp-looking commuter car. It is, maybe, ever so slightly putting style over substance in a lot of ways, but I know a more than a few people that do that every day, and I get the sense that the Kia Optima Hybrid would suit them quite well.

Source: Kia

Kia updates Optima hybrid for MY2013; more power, better fuel efficiency

Kia Motors America (KMA) has introduced the updated 2013 Optima Hybrid, featuring a more performance-driven and fuel-efficient powertrain as well as more cargo space and premium features. Kia first introduced the hybrid in 2011.

For 2013, the Optima Hybrid features numerous powertrain refinements including a more robust 35 kW (47 hp) electric traction motor; a stronger Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG); and a more powerful 47 kW Lithium Polymer battery. The MY2012 hybrid uses a 30 kW (40.2 hp) electric motor.

With a combined 199 hp (148 kW) and 235 lb-ft (319 N·m) of torque—an increase of 40 lb-ft—the Optima Hybrid is noticeably more responsive.

The Optima Hybrid is now available in two trim levels, LX and EX. The base model achieves an EPA estimated 36 mpg US city, 40 mpg highway and 38 mpg combined (6.5, 5.9 and 6.2 l/100 km, respectively), making the Optima Hybrid more efficient than the MY2012 hybrid (EPA estimated 34/39/36 mpg US city/highway/comb). The EX model delivers an EPA estimated 35 mpg city, 39 mpg highway and 37 mpg combined.

The LX starts at an MSRP of $25,900 and the fully loaded EX at an MSRP of $31,9501.

Source: Green Car Congress