Kia’s new flagship K9 sedan has begun selling in Korea. The company’s first rear-wheel drive large sedan in over a decade isn’t just to be a domestic offering – it’s set to be launched in a number of key overseas markets later this year.
The V6 and eight-speed transmission-equipped vehicle measures in at 5.09 metres long, with overall width and height being 1.90 and 1.49 metres respectively. The car has a 3.045 metre-long wheelbase, promising generous front and rear occupant space.
The K9 rolls in powered by an upgraded 290 PS Lambda V6 3.8 litre MPI engine, though a 334 PS 3.8 litre GDI engine will join the global engine line-up next year. The normally aspirated twin DOHC mill is mated to an all-new Kia eight-speed automatic transmission, which features shift-by-wire (SBW) technology.
Salient points include an ultra-stiff bodyshell made with 74.3% high-strength steel, as well as an electronically-controlled air suspension with five-link front and rear suspension geometry, and four driving modes (Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow) enable the driver to choose a preferred set-up of suspension, steering, engine and transmission.
Depending on model, available active safety features for the car will include fully adaptive all-LED headlamps, a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), radar-based Blind-Spot Detection (BSD) and an Around-View Monitor (AVM) with four cameras.
Premium comfort features include a 12.3-inch full-size Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LCD cluster, a head-up display, twin 9.2-inch monitors to entertain rear seat occupants and a remarkable 17-channel, 17-speaker Lexicon sound system and Smart Cruise Control (SCC), which adjusts the vehicle’s speed to maintain the distance from the vehicle ahead.
A special “VIP” option will offer twin heated and ventilated rear seats with a reclining backrest, sliding cushion and lower leg support for the nearside seat, together with a front passenger seat that slides forwards when unoccupied.
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Kang Young Gul and Jung Jae Hyuk each has one! :D
bravoo.. KIA.. but look like 7 series to me!! haha
yup, first impression the grill looked similar with 7series. tapi interior yang white leather memamg cun.
It looks better than a BMW 7 Series
Sorry, I still don’t trust Korean cars because I have a feeling that they aren’t “there” yet.
I think the Koreans does not care about your feeling. I think la..
go beyond korea if your feeling and money are there already…
ok so please go and proud with ur Honda & Toyota :)
or Proton?
BMW 7-Series bits and pieces here and there on this luxury car, but not too much, as on Chinese imitations. this one steers clear of being another imitation with the subtle copy parts, thankfully. overall, looks like a worthy rival to the common luxury carmakers. please bring it here to Malaysia!
looks like BMW 5 series’ sibling
wow..this will gave headache to all korean car basher.. including me.. :p .
Banks wakeup dont make it depreciate too quick
look like 5 series to me..
Looks like 5 series to you? Because it got 4 wheels, 1 steering ? or 4 doors???
I usually don’t say cars look like each other but this one is actually quite obvious…Yes, beside the 4 wheels, 1 steering and 4 doors, its a BMW wannabe…
This is called Poor man BMW…
where is proton k9?hu3!..
WOW, surprised to see this.
Nice work KIA. :)
But still will be dissapointed by the crazy tax to be imposed on it if it come over to Boleh Land!
peter schreyer is telling BMW something :D..
Amazing option for Minister’s ride replacement.
Folks, don’t you feel sad for Banana V6 still proud with its RM102K price tag???
So this new K9 is truly the Asia’s answer to BMW 5-Series, eh??
Tengku Mahaleleh must be crying now!
that’s a good one… :)
And you dont hear Hyundai/Kia’s executives and bosses telling the world media that their cars are Asian’s answer to BMW…
Proton, don’t shout quality, performance and R&D excellence when there is obviously none from you guys..
You are just making yourself a laughing stock to overseas car buffs :D
their Economy GDP is already said by bloomberg like the German of Euro..
Wow….better than preve to me….hehe. salute to korean car maker.
If price not crazy maybe a lot of msian buy this car (including me)
this is not preve segment class of cars lah,,,,proton dont even hv cars this big yet…
maybe it will be no car this size from proton…how 1.6 Engine CFE this to power this type of car…? lol…
OMG … u are using Preve as benchmark?
why r u so proud of the koreans?? Why dont u leave this country and support overseas car company that does not even care at all about YOU.
which hole did you crawl out from ? so, what you are suggesting ? blindly condeming a car just because it is from a country you don;t like and then blindly supporting another car-maker just because it is made by your own country is acceptable? why are you turning this into a political blog. this is an automotive blog, if Proton can come up with something amazing and groundbreaking, nobody in the world can take it away from them. but Preve is NOT it. stop whining. start working.
you are a frog in the well,and cant afford a import car,sour grape and jealous about other , you are deserve to be where you are now,
cannot be denied, concept from BMW 5 Series
How to utilise the idle Tanjung Malim factory to full capacity:
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Hyundai Sells Over a Million Vehicles, Kia More than 630,000 in the First Quarter of 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Business is booming for South Korea’s Hyundai Group that reported its first quarter results. The Hyundai brand sold an impressive 1,072,679 new vehicles worldwide (domestic: 154,800 / overseas: 917,879) in the first three months of 2012, up 16.7 percent from the same period a year earlier.
Hyundai Motor’s net income climbed 30.6 percent to 2.45 trillion won (US$2.16 billion) in the first quarter, while its operating profit jumped 24.9 percent to 2.28 trillion won (US$2 billion).
The company’s second brand, Kia, saw its global sales rise 12.6 percent to 636,398 vehicles in the first quarter of 2012. In the same period, Kia’s net income rose 26 percent to 1.2 trillion won (US$1.1 billion), while the automaker’s operating profits jumped 33 percent to 1.121 trillion won(US$990 million).
In comparison, the VW Group as a whole recorded a sale increase of 11.3 percent to 2.3 million vehicles in the first three months of the year, with the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivering 1.2 million vehicles (+9.3%) globally.
Hyundai has said that it expects global sales to rise 5.7 percent to 4.3 million units in 2012, reaching 7 million when combined with those of the Kia brand.
awful grill . not sure driving pleasure ?
any owner of K5 ? pls feed back reliability and quality .
Resale value sure rabak ? Kia need time . If they cannot sustain and compete with japanese they will bungkus .
No KIA for me !
Then don’t buy lar……..Others see value and a fighting underdog. Many really appreciate the Korean’s tenacity in taking on the world, and this is all you have to say.
Hyundai/Kia already bungkus Honda sales worldwide. Crawl out from your little coconut shell LOL…
His name says it all – Civic Fan. Face it, for your 2.0 civic, the Forte Koup and Elantra 1.8 is by a mile sexier than what the Japanese can offer.
You sure they will bungkus? Proton that cannot compete with any car makers in the whole worlds also not yet bungkus and you think the Koreans will bungkus?
U think 7-series have good resale value ka? Go and check la. All this “Limo” segment car(not KLIA Limo larrr) price drop like hell!
Now this is one serious beauty from the Kia…
Hey Maserati Bro and Hyundai Junk Bro, what do you guys have to say now? Oh perhaps you’ve fainted from being too distressed that the Koreans have overtaken your Japs cars in terms of R&D, tech adv, and build quality.
I think the K9 is the size of a BMW 7 series rather than the 5 series. The Cadenza (K7) would be closer to a 7 series… although in terms of length, our good old Optima is as long as the 5 series already
Well Proton, do you need another 50 yrs of gov protection to offer something like this?haha :D That is…If you’re still around at that time… LOL :)
F10 Front, and Audi Back! Marvellous!
wow, Kia going to attack BMW market! So aggressive!
T&H stills at Origin? Resting? Enjoying?
What’s do you all think?
I believe the last time I checked, there were quite some manufacturers called Lexus, Acura and Infiniti out there, and they started eating up the pie in 1989.
So this one design by BMW designer is it? ^^
look like 7 series updated version.
Properly taken care of KIA vehicle at <25 000km: already banyak masuk workshop (3 times). Even simple vehicle they cannot build it well, apatah lagi this K9?
Better get a 5-series, mahal sikit tak apa, at least got glamour.
er which car r u referring to? am driving forte for 1 and half years and till now no issues at all.
mahal sikit? you sure sikit only? the maintenance also sikit?
Typical Malaysian’s mentality. Glamour & Gaya. No wonder BNM is tightening rules on HP.
Somehow my Sonata of more than 1 year gave me like REALLY very little problem. Ride is still as smooth. Maybe you are just that ‘suey’ to get a problematic car.
EVERY article about korean car will have this one fella who will specifically say <25000 km and masuk workshop. Laugh. Out. Loud. There's a reason why people around the world buy Korean and sales are up. But people like you want glamour only, bayar deposit kereta baru so that can show off to orang kampung during raya, after that default on your payment so kereta kena tarik. Next year, repeat.
looks a lil’ Beemer 7 alike…
but well, i guess most are looking forward for the possibility of the K5 turbo instead…
So when can we have Korean clon for Maybach, Bentley & Rolls Royce.
How low you can go, typical Nureongi.
This is awesome…after my family bought a K5 in and have been sitting inside it for times…im quite impressed with its features and quality of the cabin…n also the fuel efficiency…my bro claimed that it takes RM50 (24 litres) to roll for approximately 300km before it needs a fill up…
i guess this is in the segment of 7 series since K5 is in 5 series isnt?…i guess la..lol
How much in M’sia? Below 150k?
below 150?lol
i bet that even its tax is more than that
nice mah…..
not ure if it will arrive in malaysia … and even it arrives i wonder how much they are gonna charge for it.. if it is two higher i think ppl would rather buy a BMW 3 series even though its 2 class lower then this segment….
length 5.09m
width 1.9m
height 1.49m
wheelbase 3.45m
go figure which class..
So this will compete with Equus?
A PIECE OF JUNK !!!
looks better than…………..say…….Camry.
141K for 3.3, 170K for a 3.8.
After all taxes base on its capacity, don’t think anyone here is keen. I could be wrong.
More like a 5 series GT. But longer. I wonder what happen to Shcryer originality. Brilliant car desinger now copying other people design. Hmm.. Not a bad copy but not original.
ehh… that gear shifter looks familiar! eh kia, i always kinda like u, but this time really too much laAA…..
Wow very creative, futuristic, up to date design from the Koreans …( I’m being sarcastic), it even have side gills just like some other familiar car but I just can’t put my finger on it. Why can’t Proton designer be as creative as this, hmm… Did I mention it looks like a 7 series?
Wow…really nice. Well done Kia.
really nice one this K9.
Korean do have a reputation to repair. They are on the right track in North America. Hyundai Genesis have won awards. Elantra have good words from North America. Reminds me of what the Japanese is doing 40 years ago. Everyone think Japs are inferior. thin metal. copy cat. where they are now???
The issue with the Korean brand is their local distributor. Naza have bad reputation for after sales service (and i experience it first hand) while SD think all things are premium.
Quite like it… but don’t think our Malaysian has chance to buy it here unless thru AP..
Hints of BMW & Audi front and rear. But what a gorgeous piece of car design. I won’t feel ashamed whatsoever parking this next to a Merc/Audi/BMW. Bravo KIA. You’re on the right track. Proton, back to you.
Apa susah. Proton should have no problem having their own version with 1.6 litre engine.
yada yada proton with their 1.6 engine to power this car…what proton have to power this car? 1.6 supercharge+turbo? why proton have to stick with 1.6 engine? because that’s the largest cc engine they have right now…proton should focus on designing a car first then they can focus design the whole car..
When a Korean brand comes out with ridiculously copied styling, you, as Malaysians, are still proud of them? You guys have so much enthusiasm on something even the Kia Koreans do not care what you guys think, cause its not coming to our shores, and it will not be ‘touched’ by you! I see this especially with all those Kimchi-Lovers.
+ It is such a direct, foolish copy of a BMW 5, its shameful, and its nothing to be proud of, ESPECIALLY from MALAYSIANS. It’s sad.
I am not for Kia, nor H&T, nor Hyundai nor Proton, but i will still be proud of what comes out from Malaysia, a Newly Industrialized Country, with a car company that consists of MALAYSIAN talent.
Koreans do not care what we think? More like we don’t care what you think.
yea … Kia Kia Kia, Hyundai Hyundai., Korean Korean Korean.
100% agreed wit u..
go buy your Preve.
nice car but why the K9?a dog car??
OMG..this is so cool looking from KIA… BMW wannabe or not, I’ll buy if it cost less RM200k here and changed the ‘K9’ name coz sound like disease to me…
perdana lebih cantik
Most importantly when is the K7 and K9 coming to Malaysia?
Hmm.. 5 series KIA??
30years from now an E46 or E36 would still be vintage and class of its own…but KiA?junk man….my dad owned a KiA sorento b4 and the engine got blown,repairing cost around rm20k at KiA service centre and after 1 month after that guess what….it blown again.better buy continental cars rather than this Korean crap!if wanna make a powerhouse name I suggest KiA to stop copy and paste.
I saw K9 in Seoul, this car is a beast! great! feels the Camry design outdated
This promotional video of the K9 blew my mind. Literally.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UVAFL7Phuw&feature=related
wow damn nice car ..can’t resist to buy one when it arrive malaysia !!!
looks like Beemer 7 series. copy here n there is a normal thing. i’m ok with that. but still KIA is a NO to me.