Kia finally reveals new K900 flagship saloon

Kia's K900 saloon

It's hard to say if it's a case of optimism, confidence or stubbornness, but Kia has finally unveiled the all-new second-generation of its full-size luxury saloon, the K900.

Despite extremely modest sales of the first-generation in the U.S., where the car was co-designed at Kia's design studio in Irvine, California, the South Korean manufacturer has gone ahead with a complete redesign of its flagship saloon.

The K900 was first introduced in Korea back in 2012, where it was the first Kia saloon to adopt a rear-wheel drivetrain that was developed in-house by its own engineers. In some respects the luxury saloon has helped to elevate Kia's brand value in a number of key markets around the world, particularly Korea and North America. But the new version has a long, long way to go before it starts to worry the models it was designed to rival, such as the BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS and the Audi A8. This is considerably more than a generational redesign or a major refresh though, and that's because the only thing this new model carries over from the first-generation of the K900 is its name.

Han-Woo Park, the President and CEO of Kia Motors Corporation, says of the new car: "The K900 is a flagship luxury saloon at the pinnacle of our product line-up, showcasing Kia's finest technology and design capabilities. We strongly believe that the K900 will elevate every aspect of the Kia brand to a new level."

Four different engines will be available under the bonnet of the new K900, although some will only be offered in select markets. Three of the powerplants will be V-6s and the fourth will be a V-8. The V-6s will be made up of a naturally-aspirated 3.3-litre GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) and a 3.8-litre GDI, and a variation of the turbocharged 3.3-litre T-GDI that's currently getting a lot of love under the bonnet of the acclaimed Kia Stinger. The final member of the engine quartet is a 5.0-litre V-8 GDI, which is the most powerful engine Kia has ever seen fit to produce.

The new Kia K900 will soon be on sale in the company's domestic market of South Korea, the Middle East and the United States, and will then become available in other markets in due course.