Gas-electric hybrid cars are the target of strong opinions and much controversy: depending on who you talk to, hybrids are either the future of efficient motoring, or an over-engineered solution to a problem just as easily solved by a more driver-centric diesel engine.

But that’s a debate for another day: what few realize is that Kia has sold a hybrid version of its Optima sedan since this car’s last redesign in 2011. There’s a reason for that: while the Toyota Prius promotes its ‘hybridity’ like a full-page newspaper ad, Kia’s outward cues are limited to subtle trim differences next to gas-only Optimas and a little hybrid badge on the trunk lid.

Walkaround: 7.5/10

The hybrid trim differences are hard to spot. Unique wheels are the easiest giveaway (if the car is standing still), but otherwise there’s not much to set the car you see here apart from its gas-only line mates. It's a good thing too, because this generation Optima is easily one of the most handsome family sedans around.

Interior: 6.6/10

The similarities to the non-hybrid Optima continue on the inside, where you see a Saab-esque dash canted toward the driver, decent seats and plenty of space. There’s nothing really notable here, save for the solid fit and finish we’ve come to expect from Kia in the last few years. Everything just works…

… until you get to the trunk: like all hybrid sedans, this one’s battery pack sits behind the rear seat, cutting cargo space by a third and eliminating the folding seatback. There’s a very tiny pass-through in the centre that’s good for a pair of skis (maybe two) or a couple of two-by-fours. This is just one of the compromises you deal with when driving a hybrid sedan; there’s a good reason the Prius line is all hatchbacks.

Technology: 6.0/10

Dressed in the hybrid’s top EX Premium trim, our tester came with navigation, upgraded stereo, blind spot detection, intelligent keyless entry, backup camera, and rear parking sensors. That’s a good load of kit, but leaves out a few things available in other high-trim family sedans. Where’s the adaptive cruise control and frontal collision warning/avoidance, the lane departure warning?

Driving: 6.3/10

Most mid-priced hybrids connect their gas engines and electric motors to each other and the road with a continuously variable transmission (CVT); Kia opts instead for the same six-speed automatic used in its gas-only Optima models. This perhaps suggests the Korean brand is going for a more performance-oriented driving feel: that’s why Porsche uses a traditional automatic in hybrid versions of its Cayenne and Panamera, after all.

Here, however, the result is a nominally less-refined driveline than what you’ll find in a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord hybrid, both of which go with CVTs to mix and manage torque from the dual power sources. The more solid knock against the Optima’s drive is the transmission’s lazy response: it takes a deep stab at the accelerator to make things happen if you need to gain speed, an effect that’s amplified in the car’s fuel-saver ‘eco’ mode.

After a couple days of being gentle on the throttle to make the most of the car’s dual-power drivetrain, I switched to a heavier-footed driving mode, and that’s when I discovered this car’s strength—literally. Like any good hybrid, the Optima can run on gas, electricity, or a combo of the two, and the Optima makes its best impression when the two work in tandem. The electric motor’s torque bolsters the gas engine’s so-so low end, giving a hint of the gutsy performance the 2.0-litre turbo version of this car is known for.

The best part is that this attitude change on my part didn’t have too serious an effect on fuel consumption: through those first couple days of thrift, the car averaged 6.6 L/100 km, and at the end of the week, that had risen to all of 7.0 in mostly city driving. While that compares favourable enough to the car’s official ratings of 6.1/6.7 L/100 km (city/highway), it fall well short of its competitors. In summer 2014, I drove an Accord Hybrid to an average of 5.0 L/100 km, and a Camry Hybrid in summer 2012 averaged 5.9 in a mix of city and highway driving.

Value: 5.0/10

This doesn’t happen often with Kia, but, at $37,000, the Optima Hybrid actually misses the value mark compared to the Accord Hybrid. Kia gives you ventilated front seats at that price point, but the Accord, at $1,000 less, trades the seat fans for more safety kit, including the forward collision and lane departure warning systems we mentioned earlier. A Camry Hybrid in XLE trim ($34,800) splits the difference on price, bringing rear cross traffic alert (but not the Accord’s safety items) and wireless charging for smartphones.

Sorry Kia, but our money goes to Honda on this one.

Conclusion

The Optima Hybrid’s impression is most favourable if its dual-power drivetrain is considered a performance booster rather than a way to cut fuel costs: it’s a satisfying enough performer, but clearly Kia’s hybrid technology is a generation behind that of its competitors. Kia has a tendency toward pleasant surprises, and we hope their engineers have one for us in the next generation of the company’s hybrid drive system.

Overall Score: 6.3/10