LA MOTOR SHOW: Kia's first rear-drive V8

Hyundai/Kia is the phoenix rising from the ashes of the US economic disaster.

Car sales and profit per car – two incredibly important indicators – are up and still climbing since 2007 for both brands, which combined now account for about 10 percent of US total passenger vehicle sales.

Kia specifically has outpaced every auto brand in sales percentage growth in the US during the past few years, taking sales from every manufacturer from Toyota to Honda and Chevrolet to BMW.

Customer perception of Kia has been trending markedly to favourable as has intention to purchase for the past decade. Business and marketing schools will study Kia and Hyundai’s success as closely as they will study the bumblings of Chrysler and GM.

The business of Kia in the US is impressive, and the growth story depends on product. At last week’s Los Angeles motor show, Kia revealed its new large sedan – the K900 – featuring a 313kW 5.0-litre V8, eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive within a 3045.5mm wheelbase.

If you’re thinking BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class size, so is Kia.

There is no confirmation on retail pricing, but Kia suggests the V8-powered K900 will hit US showrooms at around $US60,000 -- smack on BMW 550i sedan pricing and above pricing for Hyundai Genesis V8, a car which the K900 shares significant components from its platform to 3.8-litre V6 and Tau V8 powertrains.

The list of standard luxuries is long, extending from driver-selectable settings of Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes to a panoramic sunroof and LED headlights and Nappa leather upholstery including a heated steering wheel.

The interior presentation is high quality and impressive when cross-shopping K900 against Toyota and Honda, but will the ambitious Korean compare favourably against Lexus, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar?

Maybe not, but Kia is prepared to sweeten the deal with real incentives from a blow-your-mind 900-Watt Lexicon high-fidelity audio system to the latest safety technologies such as Lane Departure Warning System and Advanced Smart Cruise Control.

For Kia Australia, the K900 seems an unlikely addition to a vehicle line-up and sales strategy focusing on small to mid-size models with sharp pricing. Hyundai Australia is more likely to launch the second-generation Genesis with V8 and AWD options after it arrives in the US in 2014.

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