Something weird happened to me this morning. As per my usual routine of attempting to wake-up with a strong cup of coffee and thumbing through the latest news online, I stumbled on something that woke me up faster than the double-shot espresso I had in hand. At first I thought it was an ad for a new Jaguar, but ‘lo and behold, it was actually a promo for….a Kia.
Now I know what you’re thinking, that perhaps I’d ‘accidentally’ substituted the hot water in my coffee for vodka, but I really hadn’t…not today anyway. It was a promo for the new Kia Quoris, which had been shared on social media, and I can honestly say, I never thought a photo of a Kia could stir me from slumber the way this did. Kia has indeed come a very long way in the last decade or so, and it all started when design-guru Peter Schreyer stepped through their doors.
Malaysians got their first taste of this renewed ‘energy’ and life from Kia when the Forte was launched some years ago. Far from being a flash in the pan, the Forte was soon followed by the Optima K5, and the new Cerato, which we declared as one of the most underrated cars in the country. Even the new Sorento SUV is starting to look like a strong contender to the more established SUV brands globally.
It was not always so though, and anyone over the age of 35 reading this will remember just how detestable Kia cars were when the likes of the SCoupe and first-generation Rio roamed the earth. But those days seem well and truly over. I’d even used Kia as an example in this article of a carmaker that despite the odds, had improved to a point where they were competing with the big boys in just about every segment of the car market, and that includes European brands.
From the cheapest Picanto to the most expensive Optima, Kia really is making a lot of people sit up and take notice, and not just consumers, but rival carmakers too. The new Quoris or K900 is an amazing looking car. Not only is it rear-wheel drive (a direct stab to a couple of German automakers perhaps?) but it’s powered by a stonking 3.8-litre V6 engine that puts out 290bhp and 360Nm of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels via a 8-speed automatic transmission.
More importantly for the segment it resides in, and especially for those who believe that size does matter, measuring in at 5095 x 1900 x 1490 (LWH in mm), the Quoris is actually longer, wider and taller than a BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class (4907 x 1860 x 1462 and 4879 x 1854 x 1474 LWH in mm respectively).
We’re still waiting with bated breath if the Quoris will make its way to our shores in the near future since it’s already available in North America. Then again, based on the amount of kit that comes stock-standard, and given the market segment it resides in, chances are it’s not going to be cheap. Granted at around US$60,000 it will probably be cheaper than the aforementioned German duo, but it’s still a whole different level that Kia needs to penetrate.
It’s a completely different ball game where the Quoris hopes to play, and while it looks more than up to the challenge of taking on the big boys head-on, is the local market really ready for a Kia in that price range? I for one hope it eventually makes its way here, even if in limited numbers. We’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime if you want to see the Kia Quoris in action, check this video out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iue-eXK7uY
Photo Gallery: (images from Kia Worldwide: http://www.kia.com/worldwide/vehicles/quoris/product.aspx)
