2011 Optima Hybrid Eyes Best Mileage Car Record

A few short weeks ago, Kia wowed UK drivers by putting the latest version of the Rio hatchback through the British Driving Challenge.

The goal was to drive the car around the UK, almost 800 miles, on a single tank of gas.

The car passed the test with fuel to spare, and the fuel economy bar was raised in the process.

Not content to rest on their laurels, Kia is now looking to set a new record for lowest fuel consumption by sending two US drivers around the 48 contiguous states in a 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid.

Optima Hybrid Car

Drivers Wayne Gerdes and Chris Bernius left the Kia plant in West Point, GA on August 26th, and the goal is to hit all 48 states in a clockwise direction in a mere 16 days.

It’s a daunting task, but the two men have had plenty of experience in the fuel economy driving arena, and both are fully confident that the 8,000 mile trip can be achieved in the allotted time.

Kia has made the smart move of taking the trip to the social media world with special account set up on Twitter (@Kia_Motors) and Facebook, which will allow visitors to check out maps of the route, follow the progress of the drivers, and get some very handy tips on how the average driver can achieve better fuel economy.

Senior Executive Vice President & COO of Kia Motors Corporation, Thomas Oh, said, “Fuel economy is becoming increasingly important to car buyers all around the world and the Kia Optima Hybrid is one of our latest models to address this consumer requirement. Driving through all 48 adjoining US states is the ultimate “real-world” challenge, but the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid gives the drivers the very best chance of setting a new Guinness World Record, as it has been specifically designed to achieve maximum fuel economy in all driving conditions, not just in the city,”

Only time will tell if Wayne and Chris are able to complete the trip within the allotted time, but even if they don’t, I think it’s still fair to say that Kia has very little left to prove to consumers when it comes to fuel economy.