Kia teases design sketches of the new K900 luxury sedan

Kia has dropped three design sketches of the new-generation K900 revealing the stately exterior and luxurious interior of the flagship sedan. The new-gen K900 is expected to be revealed next month as a 2019 model.

Also called the Quoris or K9, the K900 is the most expensive luxury sedan from the Korean carmaker. Introduced in 2012, and after a few yearly updates, Kia has decided to work with the new generation of its flagship. It will be more upmarket than the outgoing model. As can be seen in the teaser sketches, the K900 will adopt a new headlight and taillight design. The grille is not the usual Tiger Nose as seen on other Kias, but has something that Kia calls “Quadric pattern”. The signature grille has 176 jewel-like cells which move further away from each other as you move away from the centre. We can see a generous use of chrome on the front and near the exhaust section of the sedan. Meanwhile, the smooth lines continue to make the K900 look expensive and luxurious. 

On the inside, we could see a fully digital instrument cluster. There are fewer buttons on the dashboard as well with a new and modern steering wheel. The centre console will have a floating infotainment screen. There are wooden trims present to complement the leather upholstery and make the sedan more luxurious. Expect ambient lighting with 64 colours, fancy music system, and host of active and passive safety features along with many other creature comforts. 

The powertrain will be carried forward from the current car. So there will be a 3.8-litre V6 producing 311bhp and the 5.0-litre V8 pumping out 420bhp. Sending the power to the rear wheels will be a standard eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters. There is no all-wheel-drive option available as yet, but the new generation could change that.

The K900 was Kia’s first major plunge into the Luxo-barge segment. It never was able to set the sales on fire as it was targeted at the established players like the BMW 5 Series, Cadillac CTS and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Currently, the car is sold in international countries like South Korea (as the Kia K9), the Middle East, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, Russia (as the Kia Quoris), United States, and Canada. The new Kia K900 will be manufactured in Korea and will go on sale across selected global markets in the second quarter of 2018.