Why isn't the Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid very popular

Discussion
1

I could barely find any used Kia Optima PHEVs and I’m not sure if it was discontinued after the 2018 model year.
I don’t see any major red flags (compared to the Volt) apart from the smaller cargo space (because of the battery).

It has a liquid-cooled battery like the Volt with about 29 miles of electric range. The tech package includes a four-way power lumbar seat, memory seats, front cooled and heated seats, rear heated seats, a panoramic sunroof, Harman Kardon stereo system, and a combined powertrain of 202 hp (compared to 149 hp in the Volt), along with spacious front and rear seats.

Why isn’t the Kia Optima more popular than the Volt? Was it discontinued after 2018?

2

About 29 miles of electric range means this is more like the C-Max or Prius Prime range.

The Volt has a much better range; I believe it gets double that on the 2014 model and 15+ models are even easier to achieve better range when driven correctly.

https://insideevs.com/news/321355/2014-chevy-volt-displays-60-electric-miles-on-full-charge-video/

Getting into the 60-mile club isn’t easy. It takes skilled driving techniques, but many Volt owners have shared that they hit the 50-mile mark without even trying.

So yes, the Volt has double the range.

3

I really love the Kia plug-in hybrid and have bought them used. I have no idea why Kia stopped making this car. It was luxurious, saved me a ton on gas, and helped me survive a car crash. It held up great, and I had no injuries in a 50 mph T-bone collision. It needed very little maintenance and drove really smoothly. They need to bring it back!

4

Volts feel like cheap electric cars while the Optima is well-priced, well built, and has nice features inside. Maybe that’s why it was too good!

5

At least in Europe, it’s still available brand new. I don’t know much about it.

6

The 2020 Optima PHEV is listed on their corporate website and hasn’t been put on hold or canceled. https://www.kia.com/us/en/optima-plug-in-hybrid/specs

They sold 1,512 in 2017, 965 in 2018, and 350 in 2019. https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10567

I can only guess why it isn’t more popular. Kia isn’t a giant car company (Kia’s annual sales in the US are about half of Ford’s F150 sales), sedans aren’t in demand in America anymore, and PHEVs are difficult to sell to most American drivers: pure hybrids get better mpg, and pure BEVs have more electric range.

7

@Dara
A lot of EVs are rare on the used market because not many were made, and people tend to keep them longer before trading in.

8

If the trunk space is anything like my Ford Fusion Energi, that’s likely a problem. I think the first gen Tesla Roadster has more cargo space.

9

Cary said:
If the trunk space is anything like my Ford Fusion Energi, that’s likely a problem. I think the first gen Tesla Roadster has more cargo space.

It’s a hybrid and kind of pointless.

10

Cary said:
If the trunk space is anything like my Ford Fusion Energi, that’s likely a problem. I think the first gen Tesla Roadster has more cargo space.

It’s bigger than that :slight_smile:

11

12

@Dev
What country or region is that from?

13

Campbell said:
@Dev
What country or region is that from?

It says Sweden. I think they only sell it in Europe because of fleet emissions targets.

14

Blakely said:

Campbell said:
@Dev
What country or region is that from?

It says Sweden. I think they only sell it in Europe because of fleet emissions targets.

Oh lol good point. I wasn’t even looking there because I thought that section would only say ‘name’ or ‘model.’

15

Dior said:
[deleted]

This is the Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid, right?

16

The range seems poor. You might be better off with a Honda Clarity.