2015 Kia K900 Proves Korea's Other Brand Has Arrived

The achievement here isn't the car itself, its handsome styling or the incredible value it might be (pricing has yet to be announced), but rather that no one thinks it's strange for this company that once sold us the Sephia to compete head-to-head with the best luxury brands in the world. It's a testament to what 20 years of hard work can do.

As for the car itself, it does indeed have handsome styling. Kia's design language wears nicely on the K900's larger frame. The large, 19-inch, multi-spoke wheels keep that big body from looking disproportionate, and the all-LED headlights give the front end a suitably high-tech appearance that's required in this class of overachievers.

As we've mentioned about the K900, it's built on the same platform as the Hyundai Genesis and Equus and borrows a little bit from both. It shares some exterior dimensions with the Equus, including wheelbase and the width of its front and rear tracks, while offering your choice of a V6 or V8 engine like the Genesis. Aside from that, you can't touch or see anything that would suggest the K900 is kin to a Hyundai.

The engines available, however, are familiar and include the Tau 5.0-liter V8 and 3.8-liter V6 that both Korean automakers share. This is the first time anything wearing a Kia badge has offered eight cylinders, and it makes quite an entrance producing 420 horsepower. The 3.8-liter V6, meanwhile, produces 311 hp, and both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

With an opulent interior and all of the infotainment, connectivity and safety technology this class of fullsize luxury sedans requires, the K900 looks like a natural next step for Kia. We'll be getting behind the wheel of one soon to judge how it all comes together, and pricing information should arrive closer to the time it goes on sale in the first quarter of next year.