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2013 Kia KH teased as new Rear-Wheel-Drive luxury sedan
Kia reveals sketeches of its first-ever rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan, codenamed KH!
Kia Motors today revealed the first official sketches of its all-new flagship sedan, which is expected to establish new standards for design flair in the large sedan segment.
Codenamed KH, the new model is Kia’s first ever rear-wheel drive sedan and combines innovative design with high-tech features.
KH is among the company’s most eagerly anticipated new models and will be launched in Kia’s domestic market in the first half of 2012. There are no plans to launch the vehicle in mainland Europe and the car will not be coming to the UK.
The design concept behind KH is ‘distinctive, modern and classic’, which is expressed through sophisticated, technically-advanced elements combined with Kia’s existing dynamic design language to create a vehicle that truly stands out from its competitors.
The new model features a bold front-end design appropriate to a luxury car. Kia’s charismatic family-look radiator grille is flanked by modern headlamps that reinforce the brand’s innovative challenger image, and the proportions of the unique hood design give KH a classic car-like feel.
KH’s profile, which was a key focus for Kia’s designers during development, features a simple side character line to give a feeling of spaciousness while emphasizing the new model’s bold and dynamic image. The high-tech rear combination lamp clusters, plus the luxurious, bold chrome accent give KH a sophisticated and stable rear view.
Soon-Nam Lee, Kia’s Director of the Overseas Marketing Group, says, “Our all-new flagship sedan integrates all of our key capabilities such as design, performance, high-tech features and infotainment into one striking model.
“Although launch timings for those overseas markets it will go to are yet to be confirmed, this all-new rear-wheel drive large sedan will definitely become the leading model of our global line-up, showcasing the best of the best of Kia.”
2013 Kia KH image gallery:
This proves that the kkksstudio is usually par with Kia’s real designs as long as their K9 sketch is the one which matches the most with this official one from Kia.
WOW!!!!!
wow, with that side sketch, think they are going after Infinity at all?? I like the design, I’ll be curious to see if it comes to NA.
As a loyal Kia owner, (first the Sephia, now the Optima) I beg the powers that be to bring the K9 to the USA!
Pure BMW design! Shame!
Huge leap of everything here. Going to RWD and putting a big motor under the bonnet is nothing but good news. The design on the exterior is very exciting – now what about the interior? No brushed plastic aluminium please!! This is supposed to be up-market!! And exactly what engine (in details) are they really putting in. The Turbo 2 liter or the V6 bored out to 4 litres?? MUST have 380/440 BHP to be of really serious intentions to conquer BMW and Merc which is clearly what it is aimed at.
must change the name from K9 – its just to obvious it will be called a DOG!
I do 55 MPH on the freeway all the time. There is no need to go any faster than that. When I’m driving the Optima, I can get over 40 MPG on the freeway going 55. And what are you talking about minivans going slow. It is all the d**n minivans that are constantly passing me. Crossovers are slow. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten behind a Highlander, new Explorer (there are tons of those in SE Michigan) or Traverse that wouldn’t get out of my way. Crossovers are without question the worst vehicles to get behind. All of the “soccer moms” that drive them shouldn’t be driving a vehicle that big, and it definitely shows when you get behind one on an on-ramp. Not to mention, have you ever tried to install a car seat in a Sorento? I drove a Sorento for a couple days last week. What a pain in the a$$ putting the car seat in it was. I wouldn’t even recommend a Sorento to someone with kids in car seats. What Kia really needs to do with the K9 is make it easy to install car seats. I want one, but I want to be able to get car seats in and out.
I drive about 60-65 on the freeway…I-90 they like ta go 70-75mph. Ridiculous, dudes. Screw ’em and go slow. It’s part of what was the insanity of I-5 and the Seattle area, all the Tom, Dick and Harry’s that had ta speed around in that rat race. I like smaller areas, usually. Sometimes it’s fun ta go ta Vegas, or Seattle, etc. But I prefer the dinkier areas the most. Less of the ‘Scrubs’ crowd everywhere trying ta keep up the status quo.
Seems I am the only dude outside of the States in here 🙁
Anyways thought you guys would like to know that Kia was the 2nd place biggest sellers in Russia for 2011 ( only Chevvy beat them – and those were 95% rebadged Diawoo’s). This year things looking like a clean fight between Hyudai and Kia with GM coming in 3rd if the first 6 weeks anything to go by. You might like to know also that the Kia Rio and the Hyudai Solaris (Russia only model) are manufactured just down the road from me (St Petersburg) and that my other half i(one of those Russian sexy brides lol) is employed as chief financial manager for Donghe which is part of the Hyundai family. Donghee make the fuel tanks and front/rear suspension support units.
So am I, robinrussia: I’m from Brazil, the cursed land of the most expensive cars in the world… So I guess we’ll never see the New Opirus (K9, KH) over here: it would cost the same as a 5-series…
So I’m confused, what happened to the Kia Cadenza slated for US release in early 2012, Kia can’t be putting out two luxury mis-sized flagship vehicles for Q1, 2012 can they?… Anybody know anything about the Cadenza???
Regarding the headlight shape, Kia made the rectangular headlights angled sharply their own on the Kia Kue concept.
As for the Odyssey, Honda lifted the “dip” in the windowline from the GenCoupe, but people seem to ignore that (as did GM for an Opel MPV).
Kia also did an interesting treatment to the taillights of the Optima so that at certain angles, the top line of the tail light from the side and rear seems to be continuous.
There’s also the oversized lower air scoops that are integrated into the headlights on the Veloster, but people think Hyundai copied that from the Aston One-77 even tho the Veloster concept came out 1st.
And there’s the flame-surfacing of the grill slats that Hyundai originated on the Genesis sedan – which Chryler has taken for the grills on their new products.
Hyundai was also the one to place the headight design totally on the SIDE and not intruding into the natural progression of the hoodline, as on the Sonata, but people overlook that as well.
If the Cadenza is going to be released within the next few months, why was it not previewed at either Auto shows (detroit/Chicago), dealerships appear to know nothing about this car and Kia corporate will not shed any light on it either.
Kia seems to like saving debuts for the New York show. Two years ago they had the Optima, Sportage, Sorento SX, and Forte 5-door all at New York.