Kia VP says Optima Hybrid is a no-compromise vehicle

Kia Motors' vice-president of marketing, Michael Sprague, says that the 2011 Optima Hybrid is the vehicle that will legitimize the Korean automaker as an eco-friendly company. In speaking with Ward's Auto, Sprague stated:

In our studies, some people would reject the brand outright because they wanted to do business with a company they felt was environmentally friendly. They may not necessarily buy a hybrid, but they want to be associated with a company that offers that technology or that option.

Enter the Optima Hybrid, which Kia is promoting as a no-compromise vehicle. According to Sprague, this makes it unlike some of the competition's gas-electric vehicles. For example, Sprague says that the Optima Hybrid's compact lithium-ion battery pack doesn't rob the vehicle of precious cargo space.

Priced from $26,500 (excluding $750 for destination and handling), the 2011 Optima Hybrid is a bargain. For the sake of comparison, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, starts at $28,305 (not counting a $795 destination and handling charge) and the Toyota Camry Hybrid has a base MSRP of $27,050 (plus $760). The only mid-size gas-electric sedan that undercuts the Optima Hybrid's price is its mechanically identical twin, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.

[Source: Ward's Auto]