2015 Kia K900
The Kia K900 may have an awkward alphanumeric name, but it's entirely on purpose. The premium rear-wheel-drive sedan arrives for the 2015 model year in early 2014, with the ambition of putting the Kia nameplate in the same space as more prestigious brands from around the world--the ones with badges like XTS and E350 and LS 460.
Those brands count among them Kia's cousin Hyundai, which already sells a sedan in the K900's size class. The Equus, on sale since 2012, has given Hyundai's image a boost--and Kia is hoping the Equus-related K900 will do the same in its showrooms with a choice between V-6 and V-8 engines, a heavy dose of safety and infotainment technology, and Kia's signature styling.
2015 Kia K900 styling
That styling confidence is relatively new at Kia, but in short order it's produced nicely turned-out vehicles like the Soul hatchback and Optima sedan. On the K900, there's a more formal worldview, without the racy chromed roof strakes like the Optima, or the smart tall-wagon aesthetics of the Soul.
The grille smooths the K900's way into the Kia design lab, with a version of the family grille that's wider and more gradually faired into the nose. It's bracketed by long, almost horizontal headlamps that upconvert to an array of 16 LEDs on the V-8 K900. Down its sides, the K900 might pass for a mid-size Lexus: the roofline arch ends in a diluted BMW-like kink. At the rear, LED taillamps brighten up the corners, and the trunklid glints with a chrome bar that spans its width.
Inside, Kia says it's drawn an elegant cabin, with white-LED lighting and standard leather upholstery, and available Nappa leather in black or white. Poplar or sycamore wood trim can be fitted.
2015 Kia K900 performance
Kia's K900 has some powertrain parallels with the Hyundai Equus--but it also has something in common with the slightly smaller Hyundai Genesis, with its standard V-6 engine.
You can't get a six-cylinder in the Equus, but it's the point of entry for the K900 sedan. The Hyundai-Kia 3.8-liter V-6 puts out 311 horsepower in this application (it's at 333 hp in the Genesis), and is coupled to an eight-speed automatic. No performance or fuel-economy numbers have been mooted, but we'll put this K900 in the estimated 6-second, 0-60 mph range.
At 420 horsepower, the V-8 engine option puts the K900 into another performance class, and a pretty competitive one: at about 5 seconds 0-60 mph based on estimates from the Equus, the K900 V-8 runs headlong against the V-8 E-Class and 5-Series. It's the most powerful Kia yet, and the brand's first eight-cylinder, and gets a differently tuned eight-speed automatic with a choice of Eco, Normal, and Sport shift modes.
Underpinning the K900 is an independent suspension setup with a subframe for the front coil-and-shock setup--and one for the rear and its five-link design. Electrohydraulic power steering is standard; V-6 cars ride on 18-inch, 50-series tires, while the V-8 gets 19-inchers.
2015 Kia K900 seating and utility
The K900 is truly a large sedan, riding as it does on a 119.9-inch wheelbase (identical to that on the Equus). That should provide excellent space for all five passengers, though the K900's roofline is a bit more daring than the Hyundai's, which could cut into headroom.
Kia promises excellent passenger comfort, with Premium models toting 12-way power driver's seat, with 16-way seats included on upper trim levels on both the six- and eight-cylinder cars. Heating and ventilation are standard for the front seats as well.
As we expect from a big premium car hailing from South Korea, the rear seat's pretty swank. Heating controls cover the outboard seats, and the middle seat flips down to reveal redundant climate controls that let passengers run the temperature and fan. On the V-8 sedan, a VIP package gets rear-seat ventilation, reclining seatbacks, and power lumbar adjustment.
2015 Kia K900 safety
The K900 won't be crash-tested until it's gone on sale, but there's good reason to expect it will earn the IIHS' Top Safety Pick, given the Equus' track record.
All versions will come with standard parking sensors and both a front and a rearview camera. With the V-6's available technology package and on all V-8 sedans, there's a head-up display and a lane-departure warning system. V-6 cars with the tech package can also be equipped with blind-spot monitors; they're standard on the V-8 cars. Tech V-6s and V-8 VIP sedans have standard adaptive cruise control with the ability to bring the car to a stop and to resume acceleration, depending on the obstacles or cars ahead. And finally, the V-8 VIP K900 gets a set of standard surround-view cameras.
2015 Kia K900 features
Kia isn't shorting the K900 on luxury or infotainment features. All cars get standard power features; leather upholstery; a power-close trunklid; steering-wheel audio and phone controls; Bluetooth with audio streaming; auxiliary and USB ports; and satellite and HD radio. The Lexicon audio system sends output to a set of 17 speakers with a total of 900 watts of power.
Navigation is also standard equipment, and it's controlled through the latest version of Kia's UVO infotainment system--in this case, governed by a knob controller in the iDrive/MMI/COMAND style. Using the knob, or steering-wheel controls, or more sophisticated voice commands, the K900's driver can set destinations or choose audio sources, among other tasks.
On the luxury side, a choice of poplar or sycamore wood complements an available Nappa leather interior. Most models can be ordered with a heated steering wheel, and the V-8 sedan comes with a panoramic sunroof as standard equipment.
The Kia K900 goes on sale in the first quarter of 2014.
Those brands count among them Kia's cousin Hyundai, which already sells a sedan in the K900's size class. The Equus, on sale since 2012, has given Hyundai's image a boost--and Kia is hoping the Equus-related K900 will do the same in its showrooms with a choice between V-6 and V-8 engines, a heavy dose of safety and infotainment technology, and Kia's signature styling.
2015 Kia K900 styling
That styling confidence is relatively new at Kia, but in short order it's produced nicely turned-out vehicles like the Soul hatchback and Optima sedan. On the K900, there's a more formal worldview, without the racy chromed roof strakes like the Optima, or the smart tall-wagon aesthetics of the Soul.
The grille smooths the K900's way into the Kia design lab, with a version of the family grille that's wider and more gradually faired into the nose. It's bracketed by long, almost horizontal headlamps that upconvert to an array of 16 LEDs on the V-8 K900. Down its sides, the K900 might pass for a mid-size Lexus: the roofline arch ends in a diluted BMW-like kink. At the rear, LED taillamps brighten up the corners, and the trunklid glints with a chrome bar that spans its width.
Inside, Kia says it's drawn an elegant cabin, with white-LED lighting and standard leather upholstery, and available Nappa leather in black or white. Poplar or sycamore wood trim can be fitted.
2015 Kia K900 performance
Kia's K900 has some powertrain parallels with the Hyundai Equus--but it also has something in common with the slightly smaller Hyundai Genesis, with its standard V-6 engine.
You can't get a six-cylinder in the Equus, but it's the point of entry for the K900 sedan. The Hyundai-Kia 3.8-liter V-6 puts out 311 horsepower in this application (it's at 333 hp in the Genesis), and is coupled to an eight-speed automatic. No performance or fuel-economy numbers have been mooted, but we'll put this K900 in the estimated 6-second, 0-60 mph range.
At 420 horsepower, the V-8 engine option puts the K900 into another performance class, and a pretty competitive one: at about 5 seconds 0-60 mph based on estimates from the Equus, the K900 V-8 runs headlong against the V-8 E-Class and 5-Series. It's the most powerful Kia yet, and the brand's first eight-cylinder, and gets a differently tuned eight-speed automatic with a choice of Eco, Normal, and Sport shift modes.
Underpinning the K900 is an independent suspension setup with a subframe for the front coil-and-shock setup--and one for the rear and its five-link design. Electrohydraulic power steering is standard; V-6 cars ride on 18-inch, 50-series tires, while the V-8 gets 19-inchers.
2015 Kia K900 seating and utility
The K900 is truly a large sedan, riding as it does on a 119.9-inch wheelbase (identical to that on the Equus). That should provide excellent space for all five passengers, though the K900's roofline is a bit more daring than the Hyundai's, which could cut into headroom.
Kia promises excellent passenger comfort, with Premium models toting 12-way power driver's seat, with 16-way seats included on upper trim levels on both the six- and eight-cylinder cars. Heating and ventilation are standard for the front seats as well.
As we expect from a big premium car hailing from South Korea, the rear seat's pretty swank. Heating controls cover the outboard seats, and the middle seat flips down to reveal redundant climate controls that let passengers run the temperature and fan. On the V-8 sedan, a VIP package gets rear-seat ventilation, reclining seatbacks, and power lumbar adjustment.
2015 Kia K900 safety
The K900 won't be crash-tested until it's gone on sale, but there's good reason to expect it will earn the IIHS' Top Safety Pick, given the Equus' track record.
All versions will come with standard parking sensors and both a front and a rearview camera. With the V-6's available technology package and on all V-8 sedans, there's a head-up display and a lane-departure warning system. V-6 cars with the tech package can also be equipped with blind-spot monitors; they're standard on the V-8 cars. Tech V-6s and V-8 VIP sedans have standard adaptive cruise control with the ability to bring the car to a stop and to resume acceleration, depending on the obstacles or cars ahead. And finally, the V-8 VIP K900 gets a set of standard surround-view cameras.
2015 Kia K900 features
Kia isn't shorting the K900 on luxury or infotainment features. All cars get standard power features; leather upholstery; a power-close trunklid; steering-wheel audio and phone controls; Bluetooth with audio streaming; auxiliary and USB ports; and satellite and HD radio. The Lexicon audio system sends output to a set of 17 speakers with a total of 900 watts of power.
Navigation is also standard equipment, and it's controlled through the latest version of Kia's UVO infotainment system--in this case, governed by a knob controller in the iDrive/MMI/COMAND style. Using the knob, or steering-wheel controls, or more sophisticated voice commands, the K900's driver can set destinations or choose audio sources, among other tasks.
On the luxury side, a choice of poplar or sycamore wood complements an available Nappa leather interior. Most models can be ordered with a heated steering wheel, and the V-8 sedan comes with a panoramic sunroof as standard equipment.
The Kia K900 goes on sale in the first quarter of 2014.
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