Kia Shares A Glimpse Of Its Luxurious Mercedes Rival

In the United States, Kia is known for its budget-friendly vehicles and practical family SUVs. In South Korea, however, the automaker offers an extensive lineup of cars, including an executive sedan called the K8. Due for a facelift, Kia has given us our first look at the refreshed luxury car with a teaser that showcases the new design.

The current K8 is a handsome-looking car, with a prominent grille, slim headlights, and lovely lines. But Kia is abandoning this in favor of an EV9-inspired front end. This design language, known as ‘Opposites United,’ has been applied to several ICE-powered Kias in recent months, such as the Sorento and the Carnival.

More Distinctive Styling To Stand Out From Rivals

This new fascia treatment will give the K8 the presence it needs to compete in the South Korean luxury car market. The EV9-esque face gives the sedan a bold and squared-off look, which is what luxury sedan buyers seek. The ‘Starmap Signature Lighting’ is very distinctive, with its lightbar that spans the width of the fascia, and Kia says this creates “a more sophisticated and luxurious feel.”

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Round back, the K8 retains the familiar taillight shape that debuted in 2021. The design looks sleeker than before, with more refined and cleaner lighting elements. Aside from that, it’s difficult to see any other changes, although we’re confident Kia will offer new wheel designs, updated trim, and a heavily revised interior.

What Else Can We Expect?

The K8 has to compete not only with the likes of BMW and Mercedes (both popular in South Korea) but also its cousin, the Hyundai Grandeur/Azera. So far, 130,000 K8s have been sold in its home market since it was introduced. The new styling will go a long way to keeping those numbers up. So what else is Kia likely to update? For that, it’s best to look at the Grandeur. The Hyundai-badged luxury sedan came out in 2022, trailing its corporate cousin by a year. The Kia will likely adopt a few of the Grandeur’s features, but this remains to be seen.

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Kia K8’s Cabin Looks Like A Fantastic Place To Sit

There’s loads of rear legroom.

Although offered exclusively with front-wheel drive, the K8 (and Grandeur) are available with four engines. This includes a 2.5-liter four-pot, a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid, a 3.5-liter V6, and an LPG-powered 3.5-liter V6. Sadly, there’s no chance of the Kia ever reaching our shores. Years ago, Kia did offer the K900, but it was pulled from our market in 2020, following dismal sales (305 for the entirety of 2020). The K8 is a replacement for the Cadenza, but Kia elected not to replace the Cadenza locally, choosing to focus on crossovers and SUVs instead. Those seeking something similar will have to settle for a Genesis G80, which shares some of its engine options but has a sportier RWD/AWD setup.