Newport Coast, CA -- Here, multimillion-dollar homes and Mercedes-Benz vehicles are as common as dandelions on your lawn. When I stopped at a golf club to take pictures of the Kia K900, one member asked if it really was a Kia because it looked like his first BMW 750iL. Another member (this one female) asked what it was, as she thought she might like one.
With unsolicited responses like that, perhaps Kia can make the jump in people's minds from economy carmaker to provider of luxury vehicles.
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What is the 2015 Kia K900?
In its home market, Kia's large sedan is known as the K9, which meant North America needed a different name. Adding a couple of zeroes seemed the easiest way to make sure this large luxury sedan (which is to become Kia's flagship vehicle) would never be considered a dog.
2015 Kia K900 Price and Specs
The Kia K900 will initially be available in three distinct trim levels and colours -- Aurora Black, Snow White Pearl and Sterling -- all with black leather interiors. Basic K900 sedans will be known as K900 V6, which means a 3.8L V6 with 311 horsepower and 293 lb-ft of torque is under the hood. Premium and Elite trim levels will use a 5.0L 470-horsepower V8 that produces 376 lb-ft of torque. All trim levels use an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Pricing for the 2015 Kia K900 will start at $49,995 for the V6 base model then jump up to $60,995 for the Premium trim version. The Elite version will come in at $69,995. At present, Kia does not offer stand-alone options for the 2015 K900. However, the company has not ruled out the addition of extra colours and interiors, as well as options to the order sheet at a later date.
Canadian fuel economy numbers have not been finalized at this time.
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Driving the 2015 Kia K900
I spent the better part of a day in a Kia K900 Elite doing a bit of canyon running, freeway driving, and putting down city streets in traffic for roughly 400 kilometres. At the Elite level, LED adaptive headlights are standard, as is just about every luxury item you can think of in the 2015 Kia K900.
In town, getting in and out of a parking space was easy thanks to the Active Parking system going in and the four-camera, 360-degree system that provided an excellent view of what was around the car when getting out. If I was in an angled parking space in the 2015 Kia K900 I had additional help provided by a back-up camera and a rear cross-traffic alert system to keep me out of trouble.
Extra-thick side glass and extra insulation made the Lexicon 17-speaker sound system a pleasure to listen to. Between the quality of the stereo, the road compliant suspension, and the low interior noise level, this rear-wheel drive sedan was indeed comfortable. I was constantly reminding myself that the speedometer was in miles-per-hour - and that meant setting the needle at 100 was not a good idea in the 2015 Kia K900.
Carving through canyons was just about as impressive as being on the freeway. There was a bit of tire wind up in hard cornering due to the tall sidewalls of the 19” Hankook tires, which meant the K900 pushed out a bit. Brakes were always progressive and powerful.
Inside and Out of 2015 Kia K900
Striking styling that emphasizes luxury and technology are the first impressions given by the 2015 Kia K900. HID headlamps and LED headlamps are available, depending on trim levels. LED lights are even used in the side marker lights and tail lamps.
Power seats coddle you, are easily adjusted, and are heated and cooled to make life in the front seats of the 2015 Kia K900 quite comfortable. In the rear, the heated reclining individual outboard seats are as sumptuous as those in the front.
From the centre-console mounted mouse to the large and easily read instrument cluster, occupants never feel that Kia's goal is anything other than ease-of-use in the name of luxury. It seems almost like you have a ghostly chauffeur looking out for your best interests in the 2015 Kia K900.
Comparing the 2015 Kia K900
While Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi are the benchmarks of this class, the best and most direct comparables to the 2015 Kia K900 are the Lincoln MKS as well as Cadillac's XTS and even Acura's RLX.
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