As Kia debuts the K900—its first-ever true luxury sedan—at the 2013 L.A. auto show, the automaker asks that you consider how far it has come since entering the U.S. market 20 years ago. Looking at the K900’s spec sheet, and then at its rich styling and rear-drive layout, and then its spec sheet again, it’s easy to drink Kia’s self-congratulatory Kool-Aid.
After all, this is a brand that started out building bicycles in Korea in the 1950s, and then launched itself stateside with the dreary Sephia sedan in 1994. Now, the K900 arrives in the U.S. with the mission of fortifying Kia’s luxury aspirations, its arrival paved by recent, incremental moves upmarket with the Optima Limited and Cadenza sedans.
More Than a Rolling Warranty with Leather
The K900, which is already on sale in Korea, leaves Kia’s womb a fraternal twin, paired architecturally as it is with Hyundai’s rear-drive Genesis sedan. Although there are traces of the Genesis in the K900’s general proportions, the look is pure Kia, and in a good way. Under the guidance of Peter Schreyer, Kia’s design department has been on a roll of late, and the K900 continues that trend. Overall, the sedan is clean and well-tailored, even if the headlights and taillights mimic those of BMW’s 5- and 7-series a bit too accurately.
Fine details abound, such as the pinched side-vent shape that mimics the grille and Kia’s attractive “soft LED” head- and taillight accents. To our eyes, the only heavy-handed styling element is the chunky chrome strip that runs above the rocker panels and is picked up on the outboard edges of the rear bumper.
Read More >>>
No comments:
Post a Comment