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Kia Optima Hybrid sets new fuel economy record
Stop me if you have heard this one before, but what do you get when you cross two drivers, 48 States and a 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid?
The answer is a new Guinness World Record for lowest fuel consumption in a gas hybrid vehicle, plus another notch in the belt for the Kia Motors Corporation which continues to rack up great press to go alongside stellar sales.
The two drivers, Wayne Gerdes and Chris Bernius, set off from the Kia Motors plant in West Point, Georgia, and took a 7.899 mile trip across the US, a task that had to be completed in a 14 day period.
True to form, the pair arrived in Greenville, S.C. on schedule having only used 5.5 tanks of gas on their journey. The men averaged a stunning 64.55 mpg, easily eclipsing the 52.27 mpg required by Guinness to set the mark in the new category. At one point, the drivers actually drove over fifteen hundred miles between fuel pitstops, which added up to almost 3 full days of driving on a full tank.
The record was officially verified on September 12th by Guinness adjudicator, Philip Robertson, at the West Point plant, with both drivers receiving a world record certificate.
Both men had previous experience in fuel economy driving and used every ounce of their knowledge to help them set the new record.
“Speed kills fuel mileage. Don’t drive on cruise control. You’ve got to allow the car to feel like it’s not climbing (hills). It’s sad to say that they (Kia) keep the keys, and I can’t drive it anymore,” Gerdes quipped. “I’m going to try to convince my wife to buy one when I get home.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the men, and on several occasions weather became a factor, including having to re-route several times whilst travelling through New England during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee.
“While traveling across the United States the 2011 Optima Hybrid experienced temperatures ranging from more than 118 degrees Fahrenheit to less than (the) freezing point,” said.
Kia Senior Executive Vice President and COQ Thomas Oh said “The team climbed through the formidable Rocky Mountain Chain and negotiated rush hour traffic in Chicago, New York City and Las Vegas— which makes the Optima Hybrid’s fuel consumption figure all the more impressive.”
The drivers and the Kia Optima Hybrid achieved all challenges and benchmarks that were required to set the record, and the number set may very well be one that stands for quite some time.
Excellent doe Kia again! I would think that the resluts though would be similar to the Hyundai Sonata Hybird if driven by these MPG pros as the Sonata has the same drive train. I think that both these cars also come with automatics; I prefer the stick option (if possible) but the auto would help in stop and go trafic where the hybird excells.