Even with gasoline prices the lowest in some time, Korean automaker Kia revealed the Niro — a compact hybrid crossover — and two other hybrids at the Chicago Auto Show.
Kia, which often uses the Chicago show for big reveals, used a live band to set the stage for the new hybrids, which are coming out at a time when hybrid sales are falling and gas is $2 a gallon or less across much of America.
Despite the trends against hybrid sales, Kia also revealed a redesigned Optima hybrid and an all-new Optima plug-in hybrid.
The 2017 Niro and the two new Optima hybrids are part of Kia’s plan to nearly triple the automaker’s vow to grow its green car line-up from four to 11 models by 2020.
One of those 11 models eventually will be a plug-in version of the Niro, a new nameplate in Kia’s lineup.
Kia’s Niro Hybrid at the Chicago Auto Show. Bob Chwedyk / Daily Herald via AP
Kia describes the Niro as a crossover with wide and low proportions, a long roofline and short overhangs and an aerodynamic shape. While hybrid sales are falling, the Niro is a compact crossover, which is the fastest growing segment in the U.S. auto industry.
The hybrid is powered by an electric motor and a gasoline engine that work together to generate 146 horsepower and 195 pound feet of torque.
The gasoline engine is a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that generates 103 horsepower that works in tandem with a 43-horsepower electric motor. Bringing the whole system together is a compact and lightweight 1.56-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion polymer battery located underneath the rear seat.
The Niro will go on sale early next year. Kia did not announce pricing.
New Kia Optima plug-in hybrid
The all-new 2017 Optima plug-in hybrid, which goes on sale during the fourth quarter of this year, can travel an estimated 27 miles in full electric vehicle mode and has a total estimated driving range of 600 miles.
The car is powered by a 9.8-kilowatt, lithium-ion polymer battery pack, which is hidden behind the rear seat and tire well, giving Optima Plug-In Hybrid one of the largest cargo areas among its competitors.
The car can be fully recharged in less-than three hours with a 240-volt charger, but it takes about nine hours with a 120-volt charger.
The Optima Plug-in Hybrid is powered by Kia’s 2-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline direct injection engine that produces 154 horsepower. Electric power is produced by a transmission-mounted, 50-kilowatt motor.
Redesigned Kia Optima Hybrid
Sales of Kia’s Optima Hybrid fell 16.6 percent to 11,492 in the United States last year, as sales of all hybrid cars fell, but Kia is hoping that the improved performance of its redesigned hybrid and the additional features it offers will change that sales trend.
Together, the gasoline engine and electric motor generate 193-horsepower. Kia says its 2017 Optima Hybrid will get 10 percent better fuel economy than the outgoing Optima Hybrid. The automaker is replacing the 2.4-liter engine with a more compact 2-liter, 4-cylinder engine that generates 154 horsepower. That power is boosted by a 38-kilowatt electric motor.
Kia says the new hybrid also has a larger and more comfortable cabin, a number of additional safety features, and new high-tech features such as a hands-free trunk opening system and a wireless phone charger.