Kia has been getting a lot of attention with the Stinger. But not everybody wants a four-door coupe, which is why the K900 is the new flagship, with attention-grabbing features combined with a familiar power source.
While the Korean version of the car gets a less powerful V6 and a 5-liter V8, the American model only offers one engine, the 3.3-liter bi-turbo V6 from the Stinger GT. 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet (510 Newton-meters) of torque are sent through a standard eight-speed automatic to the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system which has an 80% rear bias. Nice! Kia performance chief Albert Biermann says the chassis of the new K900 is 33% stiffer than the outgoing car. Yes, that's the same guy who made the Hyundai Veloster N happen.
Styling-wise, there's a lot to love. The K900 is clean and understated, but with a good presence. The Tiger Nose grille sticks out from the bumper, trimmed in chrome. The back is like a halfway house between the Mercedes S-Class and Bentley.
It's also very big, measuring 201.6 inches long, 75.4 inches wide and 58.7 inches high, with a generous 122.2 inches of wheelbase.
“The all-new 2019 K900 is much more than a generational redesign, as it takes on a whole new look, feel and character over its predecessor. Only its name – K900 – is carried over,” said Kia Motors America vice president of Product and Planning, Orth Hedrick.“Our designers and engineers have done an extraordinary job of reimagining the K900 to fully meet the needs and desires of consumers shopping in the luxury sedan segment with the promise of a tremendous value proposition that only Kia can deliver."
Inside, Kia is stepping up its game in the materials department with a choice of four wood trims: Walnut, Brown Olive Ash, Beige Olive, and Engineered Wood. The leather is offered in Black, Beige, Espresso Brown, Sienna Brown two-tone or nappa.
The center console features a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. K900 buyers will be offered a 20-way adjustable driver seat that includes width-adjusting bolsters and shoulder adjustments. And apparently, the stitching on the seats is inspired by "the spirit of clothing worn by Korean kings."
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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