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We get nose to 'Tiger Nose' with the Kia K900 (pictures)

Kia enters the large luxury sedan market with the North American launch of the 2015 K900.

Antuan Goodwin
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Antuan Goodwin
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1 of 17 Josh Miller/CNET

2015 Kia K900 V8 sedan

LOS ANGELES -- Kia enters the large luxury sedan market with the North American launch of the 2015 K900. This Equus-based sedan will try to compete with the likes of the BMW 7 Series, the Mercedes Benz S-Class, and the Audi A8.
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2 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Headlights

The headlamps feature quad-LED projectors for the high- and low-beams and use diffused LED daytime running-light strips.
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3 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Tiger nose

Kia's "Tiger Nose" corporate grille is stretched over the larger sedan's frame.
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4 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Two engine options

Behind that grille turns either a 5.0-liter Tau V-8 or a 3.8-liter Lambda V-6.
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5 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

19-inch chrome wheels

Just behind the standard 19-inch chrome wheels is the fender vent, which also uses an italicized version of the "Tiger Nose" grille.
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6 of 17 Josh Miller/CNET

Fuel economy

Fuel economy hasn't been stated, but we expect the estimates to be similar to those of the Hyundai Equus' or Genesis 3.8 sedan's.
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7 of 17 Josh Miller/CNET

8-speeds

The K900 is the automaker's first rear-wheel-drive model, making use of an eight-speed automatic transmission.
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8 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Visibility

LED taillamps help tailgaters see the K900, while a standard rear camera helps the driver see pedestrians. Optionally available is a four-camera Around View system.
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9 of 17 Josh Miller/CNET

Interior

The interior is where the K900 differs most radically from the Equus.
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10 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Dashboard clock

You can tell that this is a luxury sedan, because of the conspicuous analog dashboard clock.
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11 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Digital instrument cluster

The instrument cluster is a 12-inch TFT display that can be reconfigured by the driver.
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12 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Shift lever

The eight-speed automatic transmission is controlled via this shift lever. Just below it a Drive Mode selector is visible.
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13 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Infotainment controller

Rather than a touch screen, the Kia makes use of a physical control knob on the center console.
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14 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

UVO infotainment

A 7-inch display is where the driver interacts with the UVO infotainment and navigation system.
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15 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Portable media station

Some things never change. Every Kia uses this same USB and auxiliary input; the K900 is no exception. This is a good thing.
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16 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Rear console

Rear-seat passengers can control their own climate with this console. Here's also where the rear passenger massage and reclining seat is operated.
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17 of 17 Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Head-up display

The K900 is also available with a standard, full-color head-up display where speed, navigation, and safety system features can be easily viewed.

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