Kia K8 Is The Funky Luxury Sedan That’s Too Good For America

The full-size Kia Cadenza was discontinued in the United States due to slow sales, but the large sedan lives on in other markets as the K8. The Kia K8 was already an attractive looking vehicle, and it just got more interesting with a mid-cycle refresh. Kia completely changed the front end styling, made improvements to the interior, and offers several different powertrain options, more than the Cadenza ever came with in the US.

Though there is almost zero chance Kia will bring the K8 to the US market, we think it’s a compelling sedan that could challenge luxury vehicles like the Lexus ES. Here’s what’s new about Kia’s flagship sedan.

Same Name, New Face

The outgoing K8 had small, horizontal headlights and a unique diamond-shaped version of Kia’s tiger nose grille. This facelift replaces that front end with a more corporate one that more closely resembles Kia’s electric vehicles such as the EV9. Large vertical headlights are connected by an LED strip and the new Kia logo now lives on the hood rather than the bumper. As with other recent Kia vehicles, the K8 rides on some funky looking wheels. At the back, the styling changes are minimal, but the fake exhaust tips are now gone.

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Inside, the K8 gets some notable enhancements, including revised climate controls, new screens, LED ambient lighting, and a more open center console with two wireless phone chargers. It may come from a mainstream brand, but this interior looks luxurious.

A Choice Of Multiple Engines

In the US, customers could only get the Cadenza with a V6 engine sending power to the front wheels. The K8 offers much more in the way of choice. There’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder base engine with 195 horsepower or a larger 3.5-liter V6 with 296 hp, the latter of which is available with all-wheel-drive. Korean customers can even get the V6 with liquid propane injection (LPI), which reduces the output to 237 hp.

Related

RUMOR: Kia’s Electric 600-HP Stinger Replacement Has Been Canceled

Reports from Korea suggest Kia has no intention of putting the EV8 into production, and that’s a real shame.

Frugal drivers can opt for the K8 Hybrid, which pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and an electric motor to deliver 227 hp. All variants will go on sale this month, but not in the US.