Kia K9 review: a premium rear-wheel-drive saloon

Kia K9: what is it?

What’s that?

It’s the Kia K9.

The what?

Yep. In a nation-let’s say-somewhat dogged by that notorious cuisine association, the name doesn’t exactly travel well for Brits. Not that British opinion is really the point here.

Market focus: Korean domestic market first, then the United States of America

Why not?

Because if you’re after a Kia K9, you can’t handle a Kia K9-at least not in the UK. This car has been developed for the Korean domestic market, and it’s bound for the United States of America as Kia’s first premium, rear-wheel-drive saloon. Britain doesn’t get a look-in.

Darn.

Darn, indeed. The K9 is genuinely a pleasant thing to waft about in-particularly if your wafting happens to take place in central Seoul. Our drive threaded past some of the South Korean capital’s more photogenic landmarks and monuments, through stop-start congestion, 64 km/h speed limits, and the constant zig-zag of Hyundai Grandeur pilots.

Kia K9 on the road: comfort before excitement

So it’s comfortable then?

Absolutely. Kia says it benchmarked the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class, although this K9 is actually larger than either. It’s extremely relaxing to glide around in, helped by a smooth and quiet 3.3-litre V6 making 296 bhp, paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Buyers in America will also be offered a 3.8-litre V6 and a V8 as well.

Comfort is the headline-but so is a certain laziness. The engine doesn’t feel especially eager or punchy, and the gearbox can be hesitant about shifting. The steering, too, came across as overly vague with an odd, slightly gluey sensation, while the body moved around more than you’d want over the suspension.

Still, anyone buying this won’t be hunting apexes; they’ll be edging through endless, intimidating traffic instead. On those terms, the K9 works as a comfy old barge. A sizeable one, too: it tips the scales at 1870 kg, giving it the weighty presence and authority its imposing styling suggests.

Interior quality, refinement and boot space

What’s it like inside?

Better than you might expect, actually. The cabin ambience and the overall sense of quality, refinement and NVH control are excellent, even if a few switchgear choices feel a touch derivative. Some plastics don’t quite match the best German saloon standards, but there’s very little here that’s genuinely objectionable.

And when it comes to outright boot space, you’d struggle to find much-short of a Transit van-that’ll swallow more rubbish in the rear.

Should you buy one?

Should I buy one?

If you’re British, no-because you can’t. If you’re American? Probably still no. Taking on the 5-Series and E-Class is a big ask, and as Kia’s first proper crack at the premium saloon segment, this is a respectable attempt.

But, much like the Cee’d and Pro_cee’d, it’s worth waiting for the next-gen K9; given Kia’s stratospheric rate of progress, that follow-up should be excellent. This one falls just short.