Are You Ready For: A Kia Flagship?

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: May 4th, 2011

Are you ready to crank some Korean crunk (see video above) and cruise the town in a long, rear-drive, V8-powered… Kia? Get ready, as Kia Motors Australia COO Tony Barolow tells drive.com.au that

We have an interest in all new models under development. A rear-wheel-drive premium sedan could be seen as a logical step from the Optima to the next level of Kia development. It is far too early at this stage to be any more precise about the car but we will definitely maintain a watching brief.

The Hyundai Genesis platform-mate has been photographed in camouflage ( click here for more Korean crunk-free images), and the rumormill has it debuting in Frankfurt this fall, or possibly the NAIAS next January. In any case, get ready for a Schreyer-styled, “proper” Kia flagship to come down the line at some point in the near future.

#Branding #Design #FutureVehicles #Kia #Luxury

Edward Niedermeyer

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9 of 22 comments

SomeDude on May 05, 2011

... a long, rear-drive, V8-powered… Kia? Well, they may even build a quad-turbo W16-powered Kia, but this doesn't necessarily mean people will line up to get one. I happened to drive a Forte Coupe (or 'Koup' as they call it) earlier this week and - sorry if I am being too blunt - good as it may look these days, it still feels like a piece of cheap crap.

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- Bd2 on May 05, 2011
  
  Well, the Koup is a cheap compact car; it's no worse than the Corolla and in many ways better. Otoh, the new Kia Optima is widely regarded as one of the leaders in the mid-size segment. In addition, people will have the upscale K7/Cadenza in which to get acclimated to more expensive offerings by Kia (in addition to the Sorento which is selling extremely well).
  
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SCE to AUX on May 05, 2011

As long as it doesn't remotely resemble the hideous Amanti, I'm OK with it.

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- Tonycd on May 05, 2011
  
  Or as someone called it, "the Korean Packard."
  
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Pacificpom2 on May 05, 2011

Kia, the poor mans Hyundai. Or Kia is just there to make Hyundai's look good.

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- SVX pearlie on May 05, 2011
  
  But, Hyundai is the poor man's Honda. So that makes Kia the poor man's poor man's Honda?
  
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- Pacificpom2 on May 05, 2011
  
  @SVX pearlie yes but the Kia is poor interior for almost the same price as the Hyundai model it mirrors.
  
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PrincipalDan on May 05, 2011

If it the actual car looks like that photoshopped XJ in the video... I'll at least have to test drive it. Might be the cheapest way to get your hands on the V8 that Hyundai developed.

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- Bd2 on May 05, 2011
  
  The cheapest way will still be the Genesis 4.6 since the K9 is supposed to slot between the Genesis and Equus in luxury and price (based on the spy shots of the interior, it's quite a step up from the Genesis).
  
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