Kia’s new flagship sedan, called K9,n that look lile the BMW 7-Series, went on sale in South Korea on Wednesday. The full-size rear-wheel drive ambitious sedan is offered with two V6 engines, while pricing in Korea starts at US$46,900 and rises to $76,500.
Kia said that K9 will be launched in a number of key overseas markets starting in the fourth quarter of 2012. The new K9 has an overall length of 5,090mm and rides on a 3,045mm wheelbase, while overall width and height are 1,900mm and 1,490mm, respectively.
“K9 is our first rear-wheel drive large sedan for more than a decade and sets new standards for advanced design, new technologies and driving performance, representing the ‘best of the best’ of Kia,” commented Soon-Nam Lee, Kia’s Director of Overseas Marketing Group.
At launch, the K9 is offered in Korea with two petrol engines, a 3.3-liter V6 rated at 296HP and a 3.8-liter V6 producing 329HP, both linked to Kia’s all-new eight-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. Kia said that in overseas markets, the K9 will be available by an upgraded 286hp Lambda V6 3.8-litre MPI engine, with a 329HP 3.8-liter GDI engine joining the global engine line-up next year. The K9 features an electronically controlled air suspension with five-link suspension geometry.
Available comfort features include a 12.3-inch full size Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LCD cluster, a HUD (head-up display), twin 9.2-inch monitors to entertain rear seat occupants and a 17-channel, 17-speaker Lexicon (by Harman) sound system and Smart Cruise Control (SCC) which adjusts the vehicle’s speed to maintain the distance from the vehicle ahead.
In addition, Kia offers a special VIP Package that adds twin heated and ventilated rear seats with a reclining backrest, sliding cushion and lower leg support for the ‘nearside’ seat, together with a front passenger seat that slides forwards when unoccupied.
