2011 Kia Sportage Sx Sport Utility 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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2015 Kia K900 proves Korea's other brand has arrived

Kia entered the US market in 1993 with the Sephia, a compact economy car you probably don't (want to) remember, and two decades later it has stepped on stage at the LA Auto Show to unveil a rear-wheel-drive, fullsize luxury sedan called the K900. 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.
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.
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.

Kia GT4 Stinger concept is a 'totally selfish design'

After a trio of teasers, Kia has finally unveiled its GT4 Stinger Concept at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. Let's get one thing out of the way right off the bat: Kia says in its press release that "there are currently no plans to bring the concept to production." Of course, that's a qualified statement: the automaker then follows that up by noting it "has a history of delivering production vehicles that bear a strong resemblance to the concept that preceded them." So cross your fingers, kids - this looks like it could be a preview of the company's first real sports car.
Through those three teasers, we've learned and seen more of the GT4 Stinger, and we largely like what we see. It's a 2+2, rear-drive coupe with a detuned version of the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder used in the Kia Optima GTS racer from the Pirelli World Challenge. The concept's engine is said to be good for a healthy 315 horsepower, though the race-tuned Optima GTS can deliver upwards of 400. A six-speed manual handles the power, while staggered Pirelli PZero tires provide the grip. Those Pirellis wrap around a set of 20-inch wheels, complete with showcar-friendly center locks, while 15-inch Brembo brakes and four-piston calipers mean the Stinger should be able to stop with as much authority as it will go. What the teasers haven't been able to put into perspective, though, is GT4 Stinger's size.
The footprint issue is an important one, as it hints that a production GT4 would be more of an FR-S/Subaru BRZ fighter than a rival to the Genesis Coupe.

2015 Kia K900 debuts as brand's RWD flagship model

Despite the fact that executives at both Hyundai and Kia alike have said on numerous occasions that the two companies are separate entities (and largely, they are), there's still a lot that's shared between the two brands. Common platforms and powertrains are found in a number of different Hyundai and Kia products, though the end results have typically been cars that, to the consumer's eye, are quite different. So when Hyundai got its first rear-wheel-drive sedan, the Genesis, a few years ago and followed it up with the larger, more luxury-oriented Equus, it was only a matter of time before sister company Kia got a slice of the RWD pie. And the first product to use this architecture is this, the new K900 sedan that makes its debut at the LA Auto Show.
Kia will offer the K900 with both V6 and V8 power.
Think of the K900 as something of a mix between the Genesis and Equus. All three share the same platform, but the K900 share the Equus' 119.9-inch wheelbase, as well as its front and rear tracks measured at 63.8 and 64.1 inches front and rear, respectively. But unlike the V8-only Equus, Kia will offer the K900 with both V6 and V8 power, like the Genesis. In fact, the K900 will offer the same two engines, although tuned slightly differently, as the Genesis: a 3.8-liter V6 producing 311 horsepower (no torque output is listed as of this writing) and the company's 5.0-liter Tau V8 producing 420 horsepower (oddly, Hyundai rates the Genesis and Equus at 429 hp with this same engine, though that's with premium fuel). Eight-speed automatic transmissions are standard with either powerplant, with Eco, Normal and Sport shift settings.