The Kia Optima hybrid has set a Guinness world record for fuel efficiency after being driven 12,710 km across 48 states in the U.S.
The car registered an average rate of 27.5 km per liter after its epic journey, which lasted 16 days from Aug. 26 and covered every state apart from Alaska and Hawaii, Kia Motors said Tuesday.
It is the first time that a hybrid car has posted such a record. Among conventional cars, the Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI diesel sedan holds the world record of 25 km/l set in 2009.
The Optima’s record is 61.5 percent higher than the minimum threshold that vehicles must pass to travel on U.S. highways, which currently stands at 17 km/l, Kia said.
Released in the U.S. market in June, the Optima is priced at US$26,500.
