Kia Announces 2011 U.S. Release for Optima Hybrid

In brief: The South Korean company has promised to release a hybrid version of the Optima in North America by 2011, using the hybrid experience they've gained with the Korean Forte.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: Optima Hybrid
Manufacturer: Kia Motors

The word

Kia's first hybrid vehicle, the Forte sedan, is a combination LPG-electric hybrid. Using what they've learned from that, Kia plans a gasoline-electric for the U.S. market using the popular Optima sedan as the base.

Like most auto companies, Kia has been busy showing off hybrid concepts at recent shows, but the fast release date comes as a surprise to some.

And so ...

Information on the Optima Hybrid is promised later this year, probably when it debuts at the New York Auto Show.

Photo credits: Kia