With its 2015 K900, Kia enters the luxury sedan market
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
LOS ANGELES — Kia’s new flagship sedan debuted in the Korean domestic market (KDM, yo!) as the K9 sedan. But during its trip to the 2013 LA Auto Show, the name was changed to the 2015 Kia K900. Maybe it’s because 900 is a bigger number than 9; but I think that it was changed to avoid all of the “Kia’s flagship is a dog” jokes that the brand’s detractors were poised to make.
Kia needn’t worry about any dog jokes coming from Car Tech’s editors, because the K900 is essentially a brand-engineered clone of the Hyundai Equus premium sedan — a vehicle that picked up our Editors’ Choice nod in back in August — so we’re expecting nothing but good things from this rear-drive sedan.
However, the K900 isn’t exactly a badge job. While its wheelbase and chassis dimensions are nearly identical to the Equus, the overall length is a bit shorter. What’s more, the design of the sheetmetal is completely different, stretching the automaker’s Tiger Nose design language over the large sedan’s frame.
Under the hood, the K900 share’s its cousin’s 5.0-liter Tau V-8 engine, which uses direct-injection to wring 420 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque from Premium fuel. (The Equus, interestingly is rated at 429 horses on Premium and 421 horses on R… [Read more]
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