Kia’s K8 sedan is a glimpse into the brand’s new styling language as it also prepares to enter a world where SUVs and other utilities have become the dominant forces in automotive sales.
Kia unveiled the refreshed K8 luxury sedan in South Korea this week.
Kia is preparing to embark on an ambitious gamble as the company not only enters the world of electrification but also launch a new wave of models to try and rapidly expand their presence in global sales. One of these is the updated Kia K8 which is sold in the South Korean home market.
While the model is most likely not coming to the United States anytime soon, the K8 is providing a glimpse into some of Kia’s plans for interior design and technology with some of the K8’s features potentially making their way into models that will appear in the U.S. including a new wave of EVs that will provide some backup to the EV6 and the EV9.
Exterior styling embraces new design
The funky-looking sedan got a major refresh with the front and rear end getting tweaked for the new model year.
The exterior styling of the refreshed K8 embraces core elements of Kia’s new design language with the front end getting vertically stacked headlights and a narrow light strip that connects the lighting elements together. The Kia badge itself has also been relocated. The rear styling has also been lightly reworked and while the taillights are carried over, the rear bumper has been tweaked for a cleaner appearance and the fake exhaust tips have been removed.
Kia designers also focused on using the opportunity to create the illusion of increased length with the front and rear overhangs being stretched slightly when compared to the old model. The K8’s exterior styling also provides a small glimpse into what other new Kia models might look like though its sedan shape will most likely be limited to international markets due to the U.S.’s strong appetite for utility vehicles.
U.S. buyers should pay attention to the K8’s interior
The K8’s interior gets higher quality materials and new technology but it could also be previewing what buyers might see in Kia’s next generation of EV models.
While the exterior of the K8 doesn’t offer much for Kia’s U.S. customers to see, the interior is a different matter altogether with some of its design elements potentially bleeding over into future U.S. models. The cabin is noticeably more upscale than before with Kia designers moving the climate controls below the air vents and adding soft-touch materials and higher-quality plastics to other areas of the interior. The steering wheel gets a four-spoke design with the Kia logo being moved slightly off-center and plenty of satellite buttons.
Kia has said in the past that it wants to give customers a better driving experience and some of the changes that the K8’s interior is bringing to the table are a potential preview of what the company has in store for other models. Strategic use of interior colors, materials, and technology will all help Kia hit those goals in certain vehicle segments where young buyers often place technology and style high on their priority list when buying a new vehicle electrified or otherwise. As a result, Kia could perhaps borrow a few of the K8’s toys to make some of their models pop more in showrooms.
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Kia’s new vehicle push comes full circle
Kia’s upcoming EV models will attempt to expand Kia’s EV footprint and bring the brand into lower price points.
In addition to the K8, Kia is also preparing to launch several other new models including the K4 as well as the EV3 and EV4. Unlike the K8, the K4 is coming to the U.S. and while it remains to be seen if the EV3 and EV4 EVs are coming to the U.S. market, the two EVs would give the brand contenders in the compact EV segment while also lowering the entry-point for buyers looking to enter the EV ranks.
Looks a lot better than either of our ‘Luxury’ brands. I’m talking to you Cadillac and Lincoln.
I remember a number of years ago someone ‘warned’ of Korea; they were right.