2011 Kia Optima Hybrid: First Look

• Competes with: Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
• Looks like: A regular Optima with new wheels
• Drivetrain: 206-hp (combined), 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 30-kW electric motor; six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive.
• Hits dealerships: Early 2011

The Optima Hybrid looks much closer to the non-hybrid Optima than the bizarre — or beautiful, depending on your persuasion — Sonata Hybrid, its platform sibling. It should get the same 38 mpg combined, thanks to a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 30-kilowatt electric motor that feeds off a high-tech lithium-polymer battery pack. The transmission-mounted motor works with a six-speed automatic rather than the electrically variable transmissions most hybrids employ. In the Sonata Hybrid, it makes for a more conventional driving experience, and there’s little reason to doubt the same is true here. The Optima Hybrid goes on sale early next year, just a few months after the non-hybrid Optima hits dealerships.

Beyond the requisite hybrid badge — there’s just one and it’s on the back — visual changes include a lower ride height with underbody aerodynamic enhancements and unique 16-inch alloy wheels with low-rolling-resistance tires.

Being a full hybrid, the Optima Hybrid can travel at speeds up to 62 mph on electric power alone, though it probably requires a featherweight foot on the gas pedal, no inclines and Penn State coach Joe Paterno driving behind you. Kia’s Virtual Engine Sound System, which plays a recorded noise when the car is traveling on electric power, is standard. (After pressure from pedestrian advocates, the Nissan Leaf, among other cars, has begun using such systems.)

Should you actually need to get anywhere with gusto, the electric motor and gasoline engine combine for a handy 195 pounds-feet of torque and 206 horsepower. Regenerative braking and an electric air-conditioning compressor — it can run when the engine is off — top things off.

There’s no word on pricing yet, but standard features include everything on the Optima LX, plus dual-zone climate control, a power driver’s seat and keyless access with push-button start. Options include 17-inch alloys, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, xenon high-intensity-discharge headlamps, a power passenger seat and a navigation system. The Optima Hybrid won’t get the Sonata Hybrid’s $1,300 federal tax credit until Congress renews the requisite legislation. Currently, the credits end on Dec. 31.