Toyota has dominated the hybrid landscape for over 10 years now with a market-share percentage comparable to the iPod in the cut throat world of MP3 players. Toyota is undoubtably king, the problem with being king is that everyone else is gunning for your thone. Meet the latest contender, the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid. This is a good looking car, it may very well be the best looking hybrid on the road when it arrives in early 2011, some say looks don’t matter (but those people drive ugly cars).

Kia generally price their cars very competitively (read: low) and it’s widely expected that the Kia Optima Hybrid will sell for around $22,000 USD, that’s about the same as the basic entry level Prius. The Kia will have more room and more toys as standard though and will likely be a direct competitor with the higher priced $26,575 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

The Kia Optima Hybrid will feature a 2.4-liter engine, good for 206hp with an electric motor capable of 40hp. It has a 6 speed automatic transmission, a mpg rating of 40mpg and is due to hit showrooms in early 2011.

-To stay in the loop join our Facebook page grab the RSS feed or join us on Twitter @ElectroVelocity –

Enter your email address for free daily updates – Never miss a story! Powered by FeedBurner

Via – The New York Times