The consensus is the demand for Kia’s flagship car is significantly hampered by the outdated badge as it doesn’t reflect the car’s sophistication and refinement. Some go as far as to say it’s the K900’s Achilles’ heel because the fullsize sedan is otherwise a solid car that has earned its right to play with the big boys in the luxury segment.
A “fix” is coming soon seeing as how the South Korean brand updated its corporate image last week with the unveiling of a snazzy new logo to better reflect the company’s massive evolution in the last couple of decades. Spy shots of the K900 / K9 facelift have been floating around the Internet since (at least) August 2020, and while the prototypes had the badges all covered up, we’re certain Kia’s range topper will adopt the new badge.
The folks over at Kolesa have speculatively rendered the revised luxobarge, giving it a full-width LED light bar at the back to align the design with other Kia sedans like the smaller K7 and K5. The test vehicles caught in South Korea had extensive camouflage, so it’s too early to predict the design direction the K900 will take for its mid-cycle update.
Kia hopes the new logo and additional tweaks inside and out will help boost sales, especially in North America where the K900 is rarer than some exotic sports cars. Last year, only 305 units were sold, down by 85 cars compared to the year before. Needless to say, 2020 wasn’t a normal year because of the coronavirus pandemic, corroborated with decreasing demand for sedans as people tend to prefer SUVs.
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The K900 remained the company’s slowest-selling car last year in North America and was outsold by all of its rivals. While Kia only moved a little over 300 cars, its German rivals had a significantly better year: Mercedes S-Class (8,589, including coupe and convertible), BMW 7 Series (6,443), Audi A8 (2,376) cars. The K900 was outsold by a ratio of nearly 12 to 1 by the Lexus LS (3,617).
While the facelift is unlikely to move the needle too much, a fresh logo and additional updates should allow Kia to lure in more buyers looking for the unbeatable value proposition of the high-end sedan segment.
Sources: Kia, Kolesa