2020 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid

midsize car / 4-door sedan

Plug-in hybrid

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Headlights (varies by trim/option)
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Standard system
Superior
Optional system
Superior
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)
Optional system
No Credit

Other available safety features

  • Standard blind spot detection
  • Standard lane departure warning & prevention

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Headlights

Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

  • EX trim equipped with EX Technology package
Low-beam headlight typeLED projector
High-beam headlight typeLED projector
Curve-adaptive?Yes
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the left side of the road and fair on the right side. On curves, visibility was good on the sharp left and both right curves and fair on the gradual left curve.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves and fair on both left curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and on both left curves.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • EX trim equipped with EX Technology package
Low-beam headlight type LED projector
High-beam headlight type LED projector
Curve-adaptive? Yes
High-beam assist? Yes
Overall rating
Applies to 2017-20 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 87.1 m None
Straightaway left edge 56.7 m None
250m radius right curve, right edge 75.9 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 60.3 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 68.4 m None
150m radius left curve, right edge 56.0 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 154.6 m
Straightaway left edge 122.6 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 78.7 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 66.4 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 68.9 m
150m radius left curve, right edge 61.7 m

Trim level(s)

  • EX trim
Low-beam headlight typeHalogen projector
High-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?No
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination Excessive glare

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was fair on the sharp left and both right curves and inadequate on the gradual left curve.

The low beams created excessive glare.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was fair on the gradual right curve and inadequate on the sharp right and both left curves.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • EX trim
Low-beam headlight type Halogen projector
High-beam headlight type Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive? No
High-beam assist? No
Overall rating
Applies to 2017-20 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 95.0 m 78.6%
Straightaway left edge 51.6 m 78.6%
250m radius right curve, right edge 57.2 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 47.0 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 47.2 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 45.5 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 173.4 m
Straightaway left edge 153.2 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 69.9 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 64.8 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 55.0 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 53.2 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

Ratings are given for 2 different trim variations available on this vehicle.

System details

  • Standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assistance

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2019-20 models

Superior
Superior
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 22 mph.

System details

  • Optional Forward Collision-Avoidance Assistance with Pedestrian Detection

Package name

  • Optional (EX and SX trims)

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2019-20 models

Superior
Superior
with optional equipment
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

About the original front crash prevention test

Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)

System details

  • optional Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist-Ped

Overall evaluation

This rating applies to 2019-20 models of the following trim lines: EX trim equipped with Technology package

No Credit
No Credit

Crossing child

  • In the 12 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 1 mph.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 1 mph.

Crossing adult

  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle failed to slow.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle failed to slow.

Parallel adult

  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 23 mph.
  • In the 37 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 17 mph. A warning was issued 1.6 seconds before impact.

About the pedestrian front crash prevention test