Kia has a luxury car? Who knew.
The South Korean manufacturer, which has built its reputation on producing affordable to buy and run vehicles, has branched out into making a model designed to pamper its owners. It's called the K900.
Sure, Kia did have a premium brand level car in its stable a while back called the Opirus - known here in Canada as the Amanti - but it looked like a mix and match collection of body styles and parts cloned from Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar.
Most notably, it mimicked the grille and headlamp arrangement from M-B's E-Class sedan, and a tail section and curved bonnet from Jaguar's XJ models.
Thankfully, Kia doesn't have to take that "parts bin" approach to design anymore after firmly making an imprint on the North American marketplace with cars that are increasingly recognizable as belonging to the Kia family.
And the most apparent aspect of that is
the K900's grille which continues with the same "tiger nose" DNA which filters down throughout Kia's entire current model lineup. Think of it as Kia's version of the BMW "kidney-shaped" grille.
And the design interpretation of Kia's brand on this regally appointed, full-sized, luxury four-door sedan fits well.
First, it is based on Hyundai's (Kia's parent company) Genesis and Equus platforms, and comes powered by your choice of a V6 or V8 engine. The former kicks out 311 ponies, while the latter adds a wagon train more with a total of 420.
All of that oomph - befittingly for a cosseted driver - is delivered via an eightspeed, automatic transmission that is sure to take away any potential harshness of a manually shifted gearbox.
Plus, it's Kia's first rear-wheel drive model, giving way to any possibility of torque steer that would unduly wrinkle the cashmere of its occupants.
Kidding aside, the K900 looks like a serious option to those seeking the comfort and style of a Teutonic nameplate, but don't necessarily want to shell out double their take-home pay just to get from A to B and
cause a stir in the local school's parking lot on meet-the-teacher night.
Price for the base K900 is $49,995 for the V6 version and rises to $60,995 for the Premium model which comes with the same power plant, but some added comforts.
And if you want the top of the line, there's the Elite which comes in at $69,995 and brings prestige and power with the V8 engine.
Whichever model you end up choosing the K900 offers a high degree of plushness that includes heated leather seats that can also cool the front seat passengers, parking sensors and camera, a 17-speaker audio system, and a large (9.2-inch) multimedia screen.
Of course, the higher spec model comes with some even nicer add-ons such as a panoramic sunroof, a HUD (heads up display), and something to ease the stress
of making those highway lane changes - a blind spot detection system that seems to be standard equipment on many cars in this class.
All models provide four driving modes - normal, eco, sport and snow.
As for fuel economy, don't expect the relative inexpensive sticker price for this luxury category car to mean you will be spared at the pump.
Listed consumption is around the 13 litres per 100 km for mixed use. Much of that has to do with the amount of sheet metal you are buying as the K900 weighs in about 1,900 kg (4,200 lb.) and stretches just beyond 16 and a half feet long.
Overall, the K900 is a car that could turn some heads when it comes to rationalizing how much you really want to spend on transportation, and how much you want to impress the neighbours.
