Three conventional gas engines are available in the 2019 Kia Optima: 2.4L, 1.6L turbo, and 2.0L turbo. All three fall behind the competition in performance and fuel economy. However, the Optima’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants are more on par with their rivals.
Key Points
- The 2019 Kia Optima offers five different engines: 2.4-liter, 1.6-liter turbo, 2.0-liter turbo, 2.0-liter hybrid, and 2.0-liter plug-in hybrid.
- The 2.4-liter offers decent performance for a base engine, but critics noted it feels rough and sometimes slow to react.
- The 1.6-liter turbo engine sees a slight drop in power, but an increase in torque and strong fuel economy make up for it.
- The 2.0-liter turbo produces a potent 245 hp but is still slower than rivals and also quite thirsty.
- The 2019 Kia Optima Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models pair a gas engine with an electric motor to deliver upwards of 40 mpg, and as much as 103 mpg-e in the latter.
2019 Kia Optima’s 2.4L Four-cylinder Offers Decent Performance for a Base Engine, but It Is Not the Smoothest Engine Out There
Sitting as the entry-level engine in the 2019 Kia Optima range is a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder. Available in LX and S models, this engine features all-aluminum construction, direct injection, and a twin-cam 16-valve cylinder head.
The 2.4L engine produces modest outputs of 185 hp at 6,000 rpm and 178 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm. The 2.4-liter comes paired exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission. Like all 2019 Optimas, it comes with front-wheel drive only.
Fuel economy is decent for 2.4-liter models, with official claims of 24 mpg city, 33 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined.
Car and Driver praise this engine for being “quick,” but noted that it is “sometimes slow to react to inputs, and it sounds a little rough when coaxed into its upper ranges.”
1.6L Turbo Engine in the 2019 Optima Is Down on Power but Makes up for It With Strong Fuel Economy and Mid-range Torque
Stepping up in the 2019 Kia Optima range ironically sees the EX model receive a smaller engine. Although only a 1.6L four-cylinder, this engine is turbocharged to produce more torque than the 2.4-liter.
Although it makes slightly less power at 178 hp at 5,500 rpm, it makes a healthy 195 lb.-ft. from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. It also has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission rather than the torque converter autos used with all other engines.
This engine’s smaller size and more efficient transmission help it achieve very impressive fuel economy figures: 27 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, and 31 mpg combined. This makes it the most economical conventional gas engine in the range. However, it still trails many rivals in the class.
Critics are divided on this engine’s performance, though. J.D. Power praises its “thick wad of torque,” but Edmunds found it to be “slow to respond and not very smooth.”
2019 Optima’s 2.0L Turbo Boasts 245 Horsepower, but You’ll Pay the Price for It at the Gas Station
The most powerful engine in the 2019 Kia optima range, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder was offered solely in top-spec SX models. Producing 245 hp at 6,000 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. from 1,350 to 4,000 rpm, it can get from 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds.
Shorter gearing for its six-speed automatic helps it achieve the best acceleration figures for the model. However, Cars notes that while this is a common engine size for the class, “Kia’s underwhelms.”
Turbo lag is one of the biggest complaints compared to its equally-powerful rivals. It’s also worth noting that the Hyundai Sonata which shares this platform and engine with the Optima features a newer eight-speed automatic.
Being the most powerful in the range, it’s no surprise that fuel economy is the worst with the 2.0-liter turbo. It achieves 21 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined.
2019 Kia Optima Offers Two Fuel-saving Hybrid 2.0L Models, Including Conventional and Plug-in Versions
In addition to the conventional gasoline engine options, the 2019 Kia Optima also features two hybrid drivetrains that offer the strongest fuel economy in the range.
Both hybrid models use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 154 hp and 140 lb.-ft., which is paired to an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack.
The conventional 2019 Kia Optima Hybrid has a total system output of 192 hp at 6,000 rpm and 271 lb.-ft. at 1,770 rpm. Its smaller battery pack only allows for very short distances of electric-only driving. However, it still manages to achieve 39 mpg city, 45 mpg highway, and 41 mpg combined.
2019 Optima Plug-in Hybrid Is Even More Powerful, Producing 202 Horsepower and 276 Lb.-ft. of Torque
The 2019 Optima Plug-in Hybrid, meanwhile, features a larger battery pack that allows for 29 miles of electric-only driving. It’s more powerful, too, producing 202 hp at 6,000 rpm and 276 lb.-ft. at 2,330 rpm.
When running on the gas engine alone, fuel economy is comparable to the regular hybrid at 40 mpg combined. However, when using both the gas engine and the electric range, it achieves 103 mpg-e.
Both hybrid drivetrains are only available in the EX model.
Both also feature a conventional six-speed automatic transmission, rather than a CVT like many rivals such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid do.
1.6L Turbo and Hybrid Models Are the Sweet Spot of the 2019 Kia Optima Range
Though a broad variety of engine options is available across the 2019 Kia Optima range, its conventional gas engines are typically behind the competition in performance and fuel economy.
However, the 2019 Optima Hybrid remains competitive with rivals’ hybrid options. The Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-in Hybrid both boast impressive fuel economy.
If you’re looking at a conventional gas model, however, the 1.6L turbo is the sweet spot in the range thanks to its strong mid-range torque and leading fuel economy for a non-hybrid model.
Photos: Kia
