Kia Optima Hybrid, Plug-in Unveiled at 2016 Chicago Auto Show

The South Korean automaker introduced the new Niro hybrid at this year’s Chicago auto show-and also showed off the brand’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle, the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid.

Kia is on a mission to make hybrids stylish and fun while still delivering vehicle with a fuel efficiency rating of about 50 miles per gallon.

Looking a lot like a subcompact version of the new Sportage, the Niro looks like a regular crossover, and Kia takes pride in the fact that its design doesn’t shout its hybrid status to the world.

Kia describes the Niro as a crossover with wide and low proportions, a long roofline and short overhangs and an aerodynamic shape. The latest UVO3 telematics system supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to exponentially increase the number of apps and services you can access on the 7-inch touch screen control panel.

Kia Niro owners won’t lose the attractive design that most hybrid models lack.

The gasoline engine is a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that generates 103 horsepower that works in tandem with a 43 horsepower electric motor. 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.

Performance and economy figures have yet to be released, but given the Niro’s lightweight underpinnings, hybrid powertrain and low drag co-efficient, it’s expected frugality will be a given.

The new Optima Hybrid pushes out the old version by providing what Kia says is a 10% improvement in fuel efficiency. They claim the result is a crossover that is better designed, and better driving than anything else in the segment. That power is transmitted through a newly developed, second-generation six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). To that end, they minimized system noise and vibration at the source with specially designed engine mounts, equal-length driveshafts, and even added a damper inside the steering wheel hub to minimize vibrations felt in the steering wheel. There’s also a regenerative braking system, which captures energy normally lost during braking.

The battery itself is situated underneath the rear seats to maximise cabin and cargo space and allow for a flat floor in the load bay. No component went unexamined, Kia says, including the brake pedal, which is made from fiber-reinforced plastic. Because the high-voltage battery is both power and energy dense, Kia said it could use a smaller petrol engine to keep fuel consumption and emissions in check. Kia also eliminated the traditional 12-volt battery found in conventional cars to reduce weight, instead, utilising the 1.56kWh lithium ion polymer battery. It has two main features – a Coasting Guide telling drivers when to coast versus when to brake, and Predictive Energy Control, which uses a combination of the navigation system and cruise control to anticipate the upcoming topography of the road and adjust energy use accordingly. Autonomous emergency braking joins a suite of other active and passive systems including forward collision warning, blind-spot monitor, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning.