Kia releases Korean pricing and basic engine and body specs for its all-new K9 flagship luxury sedan ahead of an early May sales launch in Seoul.
“This is our flagship premium sedan, and it’s like nothing we have ever seen in a previous Kia,” a company spokesman tells WardsAuto.
He confirms the K9, developed on the same platform as the Hyundai Equus, will be available in Korea in two engine sizes – a 3.3L gasoline direct-injection mill that develops 300 hp and a 3.8L GDI that produces 334 hp.
Equipped with the 3.3L, the K9 is priced at 53 million won-65 million won ($46,600-$57,000). A 3.8L model will sell for 63.5 million won-87.5 million ($55,830-$76,930).
The K9 will cost about 10 million won ($8,800) more than the Hyundai Genesis in Korea, but somewhat less than the Equus. It will compete with the BMW 5-Series in price and the BMW 7-Series in size. The 7-Series currently leads luxury import sales in Korea.
The K9 measures 200 ins. (509 cm) in length and 75 ins. (191 cm) in width with a 120-in. (305-cm) wheelbase.
The car will feature a full leather interior and many luxury and high-tech appointments, including a heads-up display that projects engine performance, gear shift mode and GPS navigation signals onto the windshield.
The Kia spokesman says no name has been chosen for the North American version of the new car, but it will be marketed as the K9 in Korea, completing the auto maker’s K series that includes the K5 (Optima) and K7 (Cadenza).
