‘Dignity & Intelligence’, ‘Gravity of Prestige’, Quadric pattern, and Duplex LEDs. Phew.
After a series of leaks that spread on the internet that showed an undisguised version of their still-under-wraps flagship, Kia went ahead and revealed their all-new K900. The large sedan (or limousine, if termed generously) will be known by a simpler name in its domestic market of South Korea, the K9.
Due to be presented in full at next week’s New York Motor Show, the K900/K9 simultaneously showcases Kia’s latest design preferences as well as making clear that this is the G90 that’s had some plastic surgery - that being the most expensive car from Hyundai luxury spin-off Genesis.
The limousine will, in fact, go up against its similarly sized cousin when it goes on sale in markets shared with the largest offering from Genesis. Exactly how both differ remains a bit of a mystery, at least to us, but Kia seems to be pulling no punches when it comes to offering as much opulence for the money.
The K900 features body proportions nearly identical to the G90, right down to the overhangs, but it shouldn’t really surprise anyone that we’re seeing this kind of engineering crossover. Even less of a surprise is the fact that the engine selection, at least launch, will comprise of the familiar 3.3-litre Lambda twin-turbo V6, a similar but larger 3.8-litre V6 sans turbochargers, and naturally aspirated 5.0-litre Tao V8.
All three of those mills have served various Hyundai and Kia cars past and present over the last decade, including the previous K9, also known in certain markets as the Quoris. Adopting the larger platform shared by Genesis’ latest was inevitable, though, and has resulted in 60mm more between the front and rear axles, transforming the K9 into a true segment contender to the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Whether it can match the venerable German trio on a feature by feature slug-out remains to be seen, and probably stacked against the South Korean’s favour, but then again this is why both the K9 and Genesis G90 are priced lower than their European rivals.
The design was the result of work done by both Kia’s global design headquarters in Namyang as well as their design studio in Irvine, California. Being a car that is expected to sell in healthy numbers in North America, hence its unveil in New York next week, that regional touch might be more important it might first appear outwardly.
There’s plenty of marketing jargon used here to describe what we’re looking at with the all-new Kia K900. Overall, the automaker’s vision for the car is boiled down to two words: Dignity and Intelligence. But in more specific terms, everything from its more sculpted lines and geometric details has been considered, even if it seems quite subtle, into a new(ish) design language called ‘Gravity of Prestige’.
Kia clearly wants its ‘Quadric pattern’ grille to be inserted into the automotive lexicon as effectively as the Tiger Nose on their other cars are. Similar in concept to the dotted pattern of Mercedes-Benz cars, the front chrome on the K900 contains 176 jewel-like cells that is “suggestive of released energy accelerating away from its centre.”
The new headlights, meanwhile, are called the ‘Duplex’ LED array and are meant to project a visually progressive, high-prestige image (and also light). Speaking of which, the interior has been given a thorough smattering of ambient illuminators developed . Up front, there’s an integrated timepiece developed exclusively for the K900 by Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix, sitting just below the 12.3-inch widescreen HMI infotainment system.
For more on Kia cars, check out our Showroom.
