Electric Ladies: Kia Optima Electric & Hybrid Review

WHAT A WHIRLWIND! AM I YELLING? YOU BET I'M YELLING! Right now, I'm sitting in an airport in San Diego, California fresh off of a press trip to see all of the great eco-vehicles that Kia Motors is rolling out, and let me tell ya, Kia is a force to be reckoned with. As you may know, I'm not a Kia driver, but we may be adding a Kia vehicle to our fleet because of the lengths they have gone to, to make sure that fuel economy and aesthetics rock out. 

We were hosted at the great Hard Rock Hotel in the historic Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, and couldn't have been a better spot for us to rock out for a rockstar car manufacturer. Before heading out to our ride & drive we had an hour long brand immersion session where we were given little known facts about Kia. Like the fact that they were introduced to the US market in 1994 with two cars. The Kia Sephia (which reminded me a LOT of the Geo Metro *shudder*) and the Kia Sportage, which is still going strong. Of course aesthetic and performance have gotten a LOT better which is why they are ranking at the top of their class 

The last time I was this impressed with seeing a fleet of vehicles this large was when I was the recipient of one of the Oprah cars in 2005. As SOON as we turned the corner after heading in from the airport, I was licking my chops to figure out which car I wanted to take for a spin first. 

You may remember a post I did about the Kia Optima back in October of last year, and how much I loved it. I had it for a short time, and drove it to Davenport Iowa for a Corn Board tour that I was taking part in, and I can tell you that the single feature that I loved so hard was the navigation system. I love that they show you how the freeway looks, and what the exit looks like before you get off instead of having just a slight *ding* go off to alert you to your travel directions. This also helps those of us who may like to listen to Bruno Mars at levels higher than she allows in the house. Ahem. 

I hunkered down with a morning of driving with Lashawn, Schnelle, and Maria (click on their names to go to their blogs) and we chose the Kia Optima EcoHybrid and I'm still in love with it. It fit all of our wonderfully curvy hips and thighs, and we had room to boot. We are REAL women, and  REAL CUTE women if I do say so myself. I may also be a bit happy to be out of the heat and humidity of Chicago and in weather where I can actually enjoy jeans and shoes. Everyone else has great behavior, meanwhile, I'm that child of yours that will NEVER pose properly.

Here are some special specs about the Optima: 

• It's been completely redesigned for the 2017 model year
• Active aerodynamic grill
• Repackaged battery allows more cargo room in the trunk with 60/40 split folding rear seat
• Extensive use of premium soft touch leather
• 39 mpg city/ 46 mgp highway/ 42 mpg combined
• Price - $29,995-$30,990+ $895 destination

For the first leg of our drive, we wound our way through the mountains and took in the scenery of the rock formations and fog that nestled neatly on top of the mountains. It was a sight to behold, and we enjoyed talking and talking blog strategy as we became comfortable with the ins and outs of the car. The leather interior was comfortable, and roomy enough for our tallest passenger to sit in the backseat with no problem. 

I will be writing more about the entire experience of #TheNewKia that we had in San Diego, but I did want to get more information out about the Optima Hybrid that we got to check out just yesterday. A great price point for a mid-sized vehicle, and enough room for five. I know that we still have one more in our family than the Optima can fit, but it would make a GREAT second vehicle for us. Of that, I'm certain. 

Tune in later to see what other fun I had with Kia! 

*all photos courtesy of Cielo Roth Photography