Kia K9 flagship coming to the U.S. as the K900 - report

Kia K9 02.5.2012

Promises to offer BMW 7-Series luxury for a 5-Series price

According to a recent report, Kia has informed U.S. dealers the K9 flagship will be offered in America early next year.

Set to be called the K900, the rear-wheel drive model is being billed as a BMW 7-Series competitor for a BMW 5-Series price. This suggests the model could carry a base price as low as $50,000 (€36,995).

There's no word on US-specifications but dealers told Automotive News the K900 will be offered with V6 and V8 engines. This likely means we can expect a 3.8-liter MPI V6 with 290 bhp (216 kW) and a 5.0-liter Tau V8 with 420 bhp (313 kW).

Kia has high hopes for the model as they expect U.S. dealers will sell 5,000 units annually. This seems rather lofty as the car will only be available at certain dealerships that invest in "special showroom display items" and specialized customer service training.