5.11.2017 19.30

Kia also wants to get involved in the rechargeable hybrid market. The first charging hybrids of the Optima Sportswagon have been launched in Finland this summer and a similar version of the Niro will be launched soon.

We took the Optima’s jeans model for a test drive, and the experience was perhaps even surprisingly positive.

Kia promises that the car can travel up to 62 kilometres on electric power alone, and when combined with fuel, the car’s total range on a single tank is 1 120 kilometres.

These figures are in theory, but even 50 kilometres on electric power is long enough for many people to travel in an environmentally friendly way.

Perhaps Kia can use this car to break into the commuter car market, for example, where emissions from cars are now very closely monitored. The car’s official theoretical CO2 emissions figure is as low as 33 g/km. Fuel consumption is theoretically 1.4 l/100 km.

The car is powered by a 50 kWh electric motor and a 2.0-litre petrol engine. The combined output of the engines is 205 horsepower. The battery pack is made with lithium polymer technology and has a capacity of 11.26 kWh.

The car is powered by electricity when it is above zero outside. The maximum speed with the electric motor is 120 km/h. If you drive solely on electricity (EV mode), the petrol engine will start if you press the accelerator pedal harder.

50 kilowatts (67 hp) from an electric motor may not seem like a very big number, but you can get by with just an electric motor.

In Hybrid (HEV) mode, the Optima itself determines how best to use both engines in the car. The battery is recharged during braking while driving.

On a home charge, it takes less than 5 hours on a standard socket. The fastest way to fill the battery is in just over three hours. The nearest charging station can be found using Kia’s navigation system and information is updated as new charging stations are added.

The charging cable plugs into the front of the driver’s side door.

The Optima does not have a drive mode that can be used to save electricity for future use.

The front seats are adjusted electrically. Both seats are also ventilated. The outermost rear seats are heated. The rear seat can seat three people.

The battery pack is located under the boot floor and reduces the boot space by a good 100 litres compared to the standard Optima Sportswagon. In this car, the boot capacity is 440 litres.

Folding down the rear seat backs gives a boot capacity of 1 574 litres.

The Optima Sportswagon with external charging is not very different from the standard Sportswagon. Internally, the biggest changes are in the instrument cluster and switches, with the addition of hybrid information and switches. An eight-inch display allows you to monitor energy consumption while driving and try to optimise your drive for maximum energy efficiency.

Standard equipment includes automatic cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, air-conditioned front seats with electric adjustment, heated steering wheel, LED lights, remote control, navigation, reversing camera, keyless entry and front and rear parking sensors.

If you choose option package 2, you also get a 360-degree camera system, power tailgate, blind spot warning, panoramic sunroof, parking assist and cross-traffic alert.

The car also comes with a hitch to tow a trailer weighing up to 1,500 kg.

The Kia Optima Sportswagon Plug-in Hybrid is a comfortable car to drive and travel in. With sufficient basic equipment and spacious rear seats, it’s a good family car.

Two basic models of the plug-in Sportswagon are available. The cheaper version costs €45,690 and the more expensive Luxury version costs €48,990.