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Automatically efficient | 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid Quick Spin

Automakers are stuck between a rock and hard place with hybrid vehicles. On one hand, efficient hybrids are a necessary evil – for lack of a better phrase – to hit increasingly stringent CAFE standards. But on the other hand, low fuel prices mean it takes an increasingly long time for consumers to see a return on the investment of a hybrid's price premium. These factors have pushed automakers even harder to squeeze every mile per gallon possible out their hybrid offerings. That's inevitably led to powertrain innovations designed to maximize just how long and how far hybrids can run on pure electric power and how often the gas engine can shut down. Occasionally, this doesn't work out all that well – as is the case with the new Nissan Rogue Hybrid, for instance – but there are companies getting things right. Kia, with its 2017 Optima Hybrid, is one of them. Drive Notes Kia didn't try to get too creative with the Optima Hybrid's powertrain for 2017. There's a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder gas engine, a 38-kilowatt electric motor, and a 1.62-kWh battery pack. Total system output is 192 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, with EPA estimated fuel economy ratings of 39 miles per gallon in the city and 46 mpg on the highway for a 42-mpg combined rating. That's all spiffy. But taking a six-speed automatic and replacing the torque converter with a clutch and the electric motor, Kia built a hybrid sedan that smoothly intertwines disparate power sources as well as a conventional hybrid like a Toyota Prius, while allowing the Optima Hybrid to take greater advantage of zero-emissions systems. Lift off the throttle and the four-cylinder engine shuts down and lets the 50-hp electric motor handle light, constant-throttle cruising below 62 miles per hour. Dig deeper into the gas, and the petrol powerplant quickly restarts and delivers the bulk of the Optima's power for heavy acceleration and higher-speed conditions. The Optima's back and forth is rarely disjointed – Kia's hybrid feels a lot like its conventionally powered model in normal driving. It's only under sudden, wide-open throttle situations, where the hybrid systems feel caught off guard, that the Optima Hybrid feels flatfooted. A less obvious benefit of the six-speed automatic, of course, is that it leads to quieter operation. There's no rubber-band-like revving like you'd get with a CVT because the transmission can actually shift up a gear.

Kia calls reports of second US plant 'groundless'

In discussing how Kia planned to use a focus on quality to raise its brand perception and take the fight to BMW and Audi instead of Toyota, a recent article in Automotive News Europe said one of the primary constraints was production capacity; Kia simply doesn't have the ability to make enough cars to meet its aims with the plants it has.
The CEO of Hyundai-Kia is said to be reluctant to build more plants because of that focus on quality and the fact that its suppliers are stretched to the limit. The effects of that position are being felt right now with both makers losing market share, as in the case of Hyundai not being able to make enough of its Veloster Turbo for the US market.
A South Korean newspaper apparently reported last week that Kia was planning to build a second factory in Georgia with capacity for up to 150,000 units annually, and that the company would break ground as soon as this month on "KMMG2." Kia has responded to the news by saying, "The report is all groundless." The mayor of West Point, site of the current KMMG plant, said he didn't know anything about such plans, nor did the Georgia department of economic development have knowledge of a new Kia factory.

2019 Kia Forte First Drive Review | Slow, but steady

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Kia is in the midst of an sea change. The Stinger's release has shifted the brand's focus away from simply being rebadged Hyundais, giving the Korean automaker a new identity. The Soul and Niro have been solid and unique products, but one or two cars aren't enough to move the needle, especially in the eyes of the public. Our long-term 2018 Kia Stinger GT is a fantastic car, but it still gets plenty of "that's a Kia?" comments out in public. If Kia wants to reinvent itself in this new image, every product is going to have to look and feel as if it was cut from the same cloth. For 2019, the Kia Forte is entering its third generation, having debuted a decade ago as replacement for the Spectra. Like the previous two models, the new Forte shares more than a little with its corporate sibling, the Hyundai Elantra. Kia claims the Forte is more than just an Elantra with handsome new sheetmetal, with some minor updates and changes underneath the skin. There are some allusions to the Stinger in the Forte's design — thin, sweptback headlights, a wide lower air intake up front and full-width taillights in the rear. Both cars are also sprinkled with a number of black accents. It's clean and more distinctive than the recently refreshed but still conservative Elantra. The Forte's interior is less Stinger and more Optima — not quite as bold as the exterior might suggest, but purposeful. There are the practical details that make a difference: small spaces for your phone, sunglasses and more. The Honda Civic offers more, but the Forte is near the top of its class. Like the Elantra, the Forte's seats are comfortable and well positioned, though I do wish there were a little more thigh bolstering. Base models come with cloth, though heated and ventilated leather seats are standard on the top-tier EX trim. The EX also comes with two USB ports and an optional wireless charger. Fit and finish are impressive, too. There was nary a rattle or panel gap to be found. Kia's focus on improved noise and vibration was immediately evident, too. Both wind and road noise were both mild, with just a little bit of sound coming from the car's A-pillars. The chassis has been stiffened significantly compared to the Elantra, and it definitely comes across on the road. The overall impression inside is that it looks and feels as well-built as anything coming from Japan and better than some of the Americans. Unfortunately, things aren't quite as rosy when you get moving.