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2012 Kia K9

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The big Kia is still on its way.
Maybe not in the US, but at least in Korea.

It is rumored to be based on the Hyundai Genesis platform, and using a similar V8 engine.
But from what we see so far, this already looks 100 times better than the super conservative Genesis.

I am not sure if Kia is ready to take on the luxury car market in the US. But I thought the same thing of the Genesis when it came out, and it seems to be working OK for Hyundai.

So I’ll file this one in my “why not” folder….

Conversation 31 comments

  3. K9??? What a dog!

    Sorry, couldn't help myself. It actually looks pretty good from what we can see of it.

  4. as a competitor to kia/hyundai, i am very pleased when i see these companies losing their way. yes, they are making money now, but they are spending even more on small volume , useless segments.

  5. If Kia wants to be taken seriously in the market, they need to drastically improve the sales experience in their dealerships. I was recently checking out the new Sportage at a local dealer and have never seen such a bumbling, unprofessional group of Generation X amateurs in all my life. You won't be able to sell a luxury automobile if you can't even sell one of your regular vehicles.

  6. Is the Genesis doing well? I've seen maybe a dozen on the road. I've seen a total of zero in any upscale areas. Actually, I saw one in East Hampton, but it had Jersey plates. Very appropriate.

  7. "yes, they are making money now, but they are spending even more on small volume , useless segments."

    Money will NEVER be a problem for them. Cars are but a tiny fraction of what this company does. And the Korean Government backs them even more than Japan backs Toyota.

    On top of that their latest offerings are taking the lead away from ALL the other Asians/Japanese. They're even becoming a threat to GM/Ford/Chrysler.

    Get Real!

  9. Wondering how this would fit into Kia's lineup in the US. Although Kia and Hyundai have a few unique models, there is immense overlap. For example, there are considerable differences between the Elantra and Forte, but what of the Accent and Rio with the exception of design? The Optima and Sonata have their differences in terms of style, features, and handling. I thought Hyundai is the more "upscale" of the brands, however the Optima SX gets HID headlights and LED brake lights, yet the Sonata Limited does not.

    What will this have to offer besides design with comparison to the Genesis?

    It seems that Chrysler plays this game best…or at least used to. Only they could get away with selling 3 versions of the same Minivan.

  10. I seeeee porthooooles.
    It's the new Kia Roadmaster Electra Invicta Special DeLuxe.
    Gold Trim Package, Padded Vinyl Roof and Red Velour Interior optional.

  12. "Money will NEVER be a problem for them. Cars are but a tiny fraction of what this company does. And the Korean Government backs them even more than Japan backs Toyota. On top of that their latest offerings are taking the lead away from ALL the other Asians/Japanese. They're even becoming a threat to GM/Ford/Chrysler."

    I'm one of those people who Hyundai let down in the 90s. I am just now forgiving GM for the crap they sold us in the 70s and 80s, so I'm not about to forgive Hyundai anytime soon. That said, Hyundai has all the money they'll ever need to conquer any marketplace. They have the funding, they have the vision, they appear to have the growth strategy and they have a young audience in this country that never really knew how $hitty they were. And that means that they're poised for tremendous success!

  13. the hyundai Genesis sedan does not sell well at all. The bigger one, not sure what that dud is called , will sell even less. VW had the same fate with the Phaeton. Why does Hyundai and Kia think that they can do it if VW could not ?Bottom line is this…You won't pay real money for a "Knockoff type" car. as in Kia /Hyundai. Real money goes to real cars…Japanese and German, not koean! C'mon.

  14. "the hyundai Genesis sedan does not sell well at all. The bigger one, not sure what that dud is called , will sell even less. VW had the same fate with the Phaeton. Why does Hyundai and Kia think that they can do it if VW could not ?Bottom line is this…You won't pay real money for a "Knockoff type" car. as in Kia /Hyundai. Real money goes to real cars…Japanese and German, not koean! C'mon."

    ^ doesnt matter what you on a blog, there will be still people who buy hyundais and kias, so get over it. I have seen more Genesis sedans than the new ford taurus, so i m pretty sure they sell well.

  15. "'m one of those people who Hyundai let down in the 90s. I am just now forgiving GM for the crap they sold us in the 70s and 80s, so I'm not about to forgive Hyundai anytime soon. That said, Hyundai has all the money they'll ever need to conquer any marketplace. They have the funding, they have the vision, they appear to have the growth strategy and they have a young audience in this country that never really knew how $hitty they were. And that means that they're poised for tremendous success!"

    Seems like a personal problem to me! The reason the younger audience in this country will never know how shitty the cars used to be is because they used to be and arnt anymore, thats the whole point, they have worked hard to fix their cars and make reliable machines out of them.

  16. Hyundai, which is Kia, gladly sold me a Hyundai sonata way back as well. They were happy to tell me it was as good as a Camry, it was as good as an Altima, it was better than an accord. They lied, they were wrong, it was crap. One shot, I have moved to other companies that actually have integrity and back up what they say. There are too many choices for someone to stick with a poor company. I agree with the Get Real poster above…..Put real money into real good cars. Nissan is where I am currently and am tickled pink. I will stay there thanks. BTW, my Altima was actually less than a Hyundai with the same equipment.

  19. Real money goes to real cars…Japanese and German, not koean! C'mon

    Remember when the first Acura Legend and Lexus 400 appeared?? They were viewed EXACTLY as Hyundai/Kia is today.

    And in the '50's/60's/early 70's Mercedes & BMW were laughed at.

    In 15 years Hyundai with be the "Cadillac" of luxury cars and the new commers will speak Chinese.

  20. poor simple korean car supporters.You are weak small minded robots that don't know better. How could a kia or hyundai driver even know what a Nissan, Infiniti or Mercedes feels like? Sorry, I was talking out of your league. I now see that a Kia / Hyundai is important to you because it was your first step into adulthood and away from your bus pass. enjoy your "cars" and when you grow up, we will be there to get you a quality japanese or German car. Remember, the garbage cars of all time "GM" outsold everyone. Sales volumes means nothing.

  21. Uhmmmmmm, Cadillac does not stand for quality and hasn't for about 50 years now. I agree then with you that hyundai will be the "Cadillac", in fact, I think it already is, and that my simple friend, is no compliment!

  22. "Remember when the first Acura Legend and Lexus 400 appeared?? They were viewed EXACTLY as Hyundai/Kia is today."

    I agree that Lexus is a success, for Toyota's bottom line at least. But many people would say that the Acura brand has been a failure as a luxury brand. Also, remember LaForza, Merkur, the Millennia, the Sterling, Diamante, TC by Mazerati? If you remember these, you're the anomaly because they crashed and burned miserably in the 80s or 90s. Just because Lexus has been a huge success, doesn't mean that every schlocky brand that comes along can sell a luxury car. Luxury cars will always get the lion's share of their business from the over-45 audience. And unfortunately, that segment knows how horrendous Hyundai/Kia was as recently as a couple years ago.

  23. Dr. Carr,

    You need to get out of the 90s and into the current century. Cadillac is on a roll and competing with the Germans, just as Lexus is declining into the nothingness that it deserves. Hyundai, well, not impressed so far.

  25. What you mean volume in sales doesn't mean nothing? That's a LIE. If volume in sales don't mean anything, why didn't GM shut out Saturn, Pontiac, Saab, HUMMER and Oldsobile? If sales don'tmean nothing then keep Hummer regardless of the sales. Also, who told you ever expensive in Germany has good quailty. VW doens't or Audi. Get out of the 1994 Kia sephia years. After all, Hyundai has sold 61,000 units to Nissan's 64,000 units.

  27. Cadillac does not stand for quality and hasn't for about 50 years now

    You must have been sleeping the last 20 years. Cadillac CTS is the worlds fastest production sedan. (Also comes in a 556HP coupe & wagon). The SRX & CTS are both Insurance Institute TOP SAFETY picks. And BOTH are Consumers Digest BEST BUYS. CTS also has a Kelly Blue Book Best Resale Values award. And a Motorweek Drivers Choice Award. And Car & Drivers "10 Best" Awards. Cadillac overall is a Businessweek Consumer Service Champ award winner. Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT and Escalade Hybrid have received five-star frontal and side impact ratings – the highest scores possible (NHTSA). And the ESV is one of the worlds most unique luxury trucks ever conceived (Midgate & all) If you've ever owned a car with magnetic ride you would never say anything so stupid as "Cadillac dosn't stand for quality"; etc.etc.etc.

  29. you see portholes and you think Maserati. Port holes, my friend, does not a Maserati make. Remember that .

  30. Looks like it will be a nice bite off maserati quattroporte. Portholes and rear windows are ripped off. Still hot none the less

  31. Anonymous said…
    The car market is over saturated

    May 1, 2011 8:32 PM

    Yes it is. All we need is less choice…smh

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