The 2013 Kia Quoris will be sold outside South Korea starting this fall. Fact.
Whether or not it comes to the U.S. is still under debate, but all signs point to the swanky luxury sedan making it here sooner than not. So let’s see what it’s got.
Already on sale in South Korea, where it’s called the Kia K9, the Quoris is being slowly revealed—with English explanations accompanying it. Not only is the car a pretty neat-looking thing, it is the first rear-wheel-drive Kia sedan to ever come from the automaker, sharing its platform with the Hyundai Genesis and Equus sedans and splitting the difference in overall size.
In place of traditional gauges, the Kia Quoris uses a 12.3-inch thin film transistor (TFT) flatscreen monitor behind the steering wheel that projects all the car’s diagnostic information. It also has a full-color head-up display that shows speed, navigation instructions, and the speed limits on roads. Kia says the displays can be customized to fit the liking of the driver.
And because two screens just isn’t enough, there’s a large center screen that works like an infotainment system similar to BMW’s iDrive, using a scroll wheel to navigate between menus.
Of course, there’s more to the Kia Quoris than just technology, like its acres-big back seat, also prominently displayed in new pictures. But, once again, more monitors are displayed back there, built into the front seatbacks. It doesn’t look like a bad place to be, either, and will likely serve the chauffeur-driven elite of South Korea and other pars of Asia well, rolling with Gangnam Style. But how would it do in the U.S.?
Kia keeps hinting that its full-size luxury sedan is bound for overseas duty, slotting well above the soon-to-be-introduced Kia Cadenza that shares its platform with the slightly smaller Hyundai Azera. While it looks like a winner, we question how Kia will be able to sell a big, expensive vehicle here without any pedigree. Before its current lineup, the biggest vehicle Kia sold here was the Amanti. And we don’t blame you if you can’t remember that one for the life of you. There wasn’t much there worth remembering.
However, with the upcoming Cadenza and the likely candidate that is the Kia Quoris, should Kia ultimately decide to bring both here, the automaker looks like it’s going to be making an all-out assault on the luxury establishment. We wish them the best of luck in competing in two ultra-competitive, very well-established segments. Kia’s going to need it.
Source: Kia
