Kia Optima Sportswagon PHEV discontinued in UK

The Kia Optima, including its PHEV plug-in hybrid variant, are no longer available in the UK from 2020, with the exception of any remaining vehicles in dealer stock. An all-new Optima due to be introduced in 2020 will also not make it to these shores, with Kia in the UK instead concentrating on SUV models such as the new XCeed PHEV and the existing Niro PHEV.

When on sale, the Kia Optima Sportswagon PHEV cost from £34,995. All models featured a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, which combine to produce 202bhp. Accelerating from 0-60mph takes 9.4 seconds, with a top speed of 119mph.

In electric mode, a range of up to 33 miles from the 11.26kWh battery is possible and a full top-up takes just over an hour and a half using a 7kW home wallbox charger.

Kia Optima Sportswagon PHEV economy

The Optima Sportswagon PHEV has an official fuel-economy figure of 188mpg. It also returns CO2 emissions of 33g/km, meaning company-car drivers paid Benefit-in-Kind tax of 13% in the 2018-19 financial year.

Standard kit includes LED daytime running lights and 17-inch alloy wheels, while a redesigned front bumper introduced in early 2019 reduced drag and boosted the car's efficiency.

However, to accommodate the battery pack, the fuel tank shrunk by 15 litres compared to diesel versions of the car, with Kia stating a hybrid range of 696 miles. Luggage capacity also took a hit: the Optima Sportswagon PHEV’s boot measures 440 litres, rising to 1,574 litres with the rear seats lowered.

Interior

Inside, the facelifted car came with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, and ‘Kia Connected Services with TomTom’ provides live traffic updates throughout Europe when hooked up to a smartphone. Other standard features include an eight-inch touchscreen, DAB radio, USB ports in the front and rear, plus a premium, eight-speaker sound system.

The ‘PHEV Plus’ model was priced from £38,995 and added leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, a water-repellent windscreen, ventilated front seats, wireless smartphone charging and an electric tailgate. Further additions included automatic high beams, parking assistance, a 360-degree camera, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems.

As with the rest of Kia’s range, the Optima Sportswagon PHEV came with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty when new.