[Taboleo] Chairman's Car Gets Younger... The Secret to Kia K9's Rejuvenation

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] The K9. Once known as the "Chairman's Car" because the late Chung Mong-koo, Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, used it for commuting, it is Kia's large sedan. However, after the youngest sibling, Genesis, which positions itself as a premium brand, began to grow significantly, the K9 had been somewhat subdued. In 2019 alone, it sold 10,878 units annually, but last year, sales shrank to 7,831 units.

Now, after three years, the K9 has returned with a facelifted model called "The New K9." It features a much younger and sportier exterior design, an interior design enhanced with luxury, and various advanced technologies including the world's first applied "Predictive Shift Gear (PSG)" system. On the 12th, I drove the K9 3.8 Gasoline Masters model on a round trip of about 80 km from Gwangjin-gu, Seoul to Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The drastically changed exterior ? is it not overwhelming?

= The K9 is known as a "chauffeur-driven" vehicle, colloquially called the "Chairman's Car." Accordingly, the designs of the previous 1st and 2nd generation models emphasized a dignified presence. However, the facelifted The New K9 has shed that dignity and been reborn with a youthful and sporty sensibility. The front radiator grille has grown larger, giving a heavy yet dynamic impression, and a V-shaped chrome ornament inside the grille adds a youthful vibe. Kia's new emblem further emphasizes youthfulness and sportiness.

The horizontally connected rear lamps and the clean rear design also emphasize a modern feel. The vehicle I test drove was in Snow White Pearl color, and in terms of design, I thought it would be suitable even as an "owner-driven" car.

As the "Chairman's Car," how was the interior?

= The interior has been enhanced with luxury befitting Kia's "flagship." Representative features include a quilting pattern applied to the lumbar support and cushions, and real wood materials. The analog clock positioned in the center also adds to the sense of luxury. The expansive 14.5-inch display was so broad that it was almost overwhelming to take in all the information at a glance. However, the climate control functions are button-operated, showing a design that considers both aesthetics and convenience. With an overall length of 5,140 mm, the rear seats are very spacious. The VIP seat on the right rear has an added "Ergo Motion" function that offers a stretching mode, enhancing comfort.

The handwriting recognition integrated controller placed in the center also caught my attention. Often, when entering destinations on the navigation display while driving, typos occur, but using the handwriting recognition controller allows input exactly as written.

How was the driving experience?

= What I felt during the approximately 80 km drive was "heft." It was not dull but provided a stable driving feel.

The acceleration was similar. The test model was the 3.8 gasoline version with a maximum output of 315 horsepower and maximum torque of 40.5 kg·m. Even when accelerating beyond 100 km/h, it felt heavy yet smooth. The ride comfort was not bad. Perhaps due to the "Preview Electronic Controlled Suspension," which detects road conditions ahead and appropriately adjusts the suspension, I encountered several speed bumps in Pocheon city but maintained stability without significant jolts. External noise and wind noise were barely noticeable, earning it a passing grade in quietness.

What about the world's first Predictive Shift Gear (PSG) system?

= The New K9 is equipped with Kia's world-first applied PSG technology. This system uses information collected from navigation, front radar, and cameras to predict acceleration and deceleration situations ahead, shifting to the optimal gear or activating engine braking in advance. It is a technology that can be used when the drive mode is set to "Smart," the gear is in D, and the smart cruise control function is not activated.

I used the PSG function throughout the test drive. Perhaps because I am a novice driver, I did not notice much at first, but as I became more accustomed to driving, the true value of this feature became apparent. While traveling on the Sejong-Pocheon Expressway, when the car ahead slowed down from a distance, my speed gradually decreased without any input from me. Curious, I looked at the instrument panel and clearly saw the phrase "Predictive Shift Gear." However, in curved sections, the gear shifts did not occur as much as expected, requiring me to brake. Kia explained that this is because the PSG is set not to react too sensitively on regular roads. Thanks to this feature, the final fuel efficiency after driving was 9.2 km/l, slightly exceeding the official fuel economy.

Were other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) useful?

= Overall, they were very convenient. Especially, the lane change assist function applied in the Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2) was beneficial. Although it was not a heavy traffic time, I used it once during driving, and the lane change was stable. Additionally, the Lane Following Assist (LFA) function can be used without speed limits, enhancing driving stability. I was worried about driving a large sedan for the first time, but thanks to these advanced technologies, I felt it was even easier to drive than a compact car without such features.

Is the price reasonable?

= The New K9 is offered in two models: the 3.8 gasoline and the 3.3 turbo gasoline, with two trim levels: Platinum and Masters. The Platinum trim focuses on high-tech features such as the 14.5-inch navigation, HDA2, and fingerprint authentication system, while the Masters trim centers on comfort features like the Preview Electronic Controlled Suspension, Remote Smart Parking Assist, and Ergo Motion seats. The 3.8 gasoline Platinum is priced at 56.94 million KRW, and the Masters at 71.37 million KRW. For the 3.3 turbo gasoline, the Platinum is 63.42 million KRW, and the Masters is 76.08 million KRW. The pricing is reasonable, being higher than the mid-large sedan Genesis G80 but lower than the large sedan G90 in the same class.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.