2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review
Cars

2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review

2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review

We had the opportunity to spend a few days driving the 2012 Kia Pptima hybrid sedan 4d and I have to say it was pretty fun. The 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid is the only hybrid vehicle available from Kia. We hope that this 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review post inspires you. 

Kia Optima Hybrid

2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review

The 2012 Optima Hybrid has front-wheel drive and a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine along with an electric motor and six-speed automatic transmission. The gasoline engine and the electric motor together produce 206 horsepower. According to the automotive information website Edmunds.com, the Optima Hybrid can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the Optima Hybrid gets 35 miles per gallon (MPG) in the city and 40 MPG on the highway with a combined 37 MPG.

Features

Standard exterior features on the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid include 16-inch tires with alloy wheels, chrome door handles, an eye-catching front grille design, clear-lens projection headlights with front fog lights and LED turn signal indicators in the side mirrors which are heated and power-adjusted.

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The Optima Hybrid has a sophisticated interior technology package that comes with many standard features. These include a six-speaker audio system with AM/FM and SiriusXM satellite radios along with an MP3 player, USB/auxiliary input jacks, and BLUETOOTH wireless technology. Other convenient interior features that are standard in the Optima Hybrid include a smart key and push button start along with audio controls that are mounted on the steering wheel.

Safety

In terms of safety, the 2012 kia optima hybrid sedan 4d left no stone unturned. The front seats have active headrests which help prevent injury to passengers in the event of a rear-end collision. There are also dual front airbags, and side airbags in the front and side curtain airbags, and all airbags are controlled by a state-of-the-art sensor system. In addition, all doors on the Optima Hybrid have steel reinforcement beams to divert some of the force of a side collision. All of these safety features are standard equipment. Traction and stability control, four-wheel antilock brakes, and a tire pressure monitoring system are also standard safety equipment.

Interior Kia Optima Hybrid Side View

NHTSA 5-Star Crash Safety Rating

The 2012 Kia Optima hybrid sedan 4d received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 5-Star Crash Safety Rating. This is the administration's highest crash safety rating. In addition, the Optima Hybrid was a 2012 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick. This means that the Optima Hybrid got the highest possible rating in all four IIHS crash test categories–front offset, side, rear, and roof strength.

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Driving the 2011 Optima Hybrid

When we first got the car, I wasn't sure it would fit my family of five for a road trip. I was optimistic but I figured we might need to take a little less luggage with us. However, this was not the case at all. All five rolling suitcases fit in the trunk and there was plenty of room inside the cabin of the car for my entire family. We did not at all feel like we had less room than in the SUV that I typically drive.

Kia Optima HybridKia Optima Hybrid

The sleek styling of the car caught our attention as well. It looks great and drives well. The handling was wonderful and in fact, my husband and I fought over who was going to drive although we both drove the car quite a bit. The 2012 Kia Optima hybrid sedan 4d has a high-end feel with leather and a great trim level with many standard Now the hybrid part of the car was probably my husband's favorite thing about the car. We didn't have to fill the tank once and we drove from Atlanta to Charlotte and then back again. We drove the car a little under 500 miles in total. This was impressive.

My husband also liked watching his Eco Level while driving (see picture above). The more eco-friendly his driving was, the more flowers the tree had. If he wasn't driving in an eco-friendly manner, the tree lost leaves and flowers. He hated not having leaves and flowers so he made certain that he drove in the most eco-friendly way possible.

2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review

We hope that this 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid Review post inspires you. Happy driving!

We we provided with the Kia Optima Hybrid to drive to the Reviewers Retreat Conference.

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11 Comments Leave a Comment »

  1. Kate Brooks

    My family would love this car for a roadtrip and for every day driving.

  2. Jen B

    Thanks for the ride at the Reviewers Retreat Conference. This car is fabulous.

  3. Henry H

    Nice looking car.

  4. ElaineJ

    What time of year do the new ones come out? I would love to see the next year models look like.

  5. Dawn

    I love Kia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. NancyB

    LOVE THIS CAR! And I love even more how good they are for the environment.

  7. AnnaB

    What a great car. I only drive hybrids and have never seen this one before. Looks beautiful.

  8. JMFC

    Now this is a hybrid a guy would drive. Bravo Kia!

  9. Leigh

    We are in the market for a new car and would definitely consider Kia.

  10. TTB

    I am in. Where can I test drive one?

  11. Pingback: Kia Awards and Innovations Car Kelley Blue Book JD Power

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