Kia KH large sedan not for Oz

Kia is set to join the large car segment with a brand new rear-wheel drive sedan, codenamed the KH, which will be launched in the first half of 2012 in Korea.

Other parts of the world will get the new KH large sedan later in 2012, but because the car is only being manufactured in left-hand drive, it will not be coming to Australia.

The first official sketches of the new car have been released, showing front and rear three-quarter angles, along with a profile sketch that exposes the vehicle's upmarket aspirations.

The styling of the new sedan was overseen by ex-Audi designer Peter Schreyer and like most new Kia vehicles has a distinct European influence. The sedan's styling was first hinted at by the four-door Kia GT concept displayed at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show.

As Kia's first-ever rear-wheel drive sedan, the new model unites "innovative design with high-tech features," according to the company, and can be expected to be packaged will a veritable cornucopia of radars, proximity sensors and touch screens.

It's expected that a selection of engines will be offered with the new model, including a range of four-cylinder turbo petrol and turbodiesel units, and possibly even the V8 engine from the Hyundai-built Genesis premium sedan -- upon whose platform the new KH is based.

Previously going by the name K9, the new model has been undergoing testing at Hyundai/Kia's Namyang R&D centre at least as far back as the middle of last year, when it was spotted by motoring.com.au, as it circled the proving ground in camouflage and accompanied by a competitor from a German prestige brand.

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