Earlier today, Kia dropped the first official renderings of its new rear-wheel drive flagship sedan that will launch in the Korean market in the second quarter of 2012, and these are spy shots of the production model, codenamed “KH”, that was captured while completing the test phase in northern Sweden.
Even though Kia is trying out the full-size sedan in Europe, the South Korean automaker made it clear in a press statement today that the flagship model is “not coming to mainland European markets or the UK”.
Kia said that the “KH”, which will most likely be baptized the K9 in Korea, will be offered in overseas market, though the company did not elaborate further.
A U.S. spokesperson told Autoweek today that “Kia Motors America is still evaluating plans for KH in the U.S. market, and there is nothing further to announce at this time.” Nevertheless, it’s hard to believe that Kia would develop a flagship rear-wheel drive sedan and not offer it in the lucrative North American market.
The KH will likely share its platform architecture and engine range with Hyundai’s Genesis sedan, meaning it should be offered with a 3.8 liter V6 with 333 horses, a 4.6 liter V8 delivering 385-ponies and a 5.0 liter V8 with 429 horsepower.
However, we wouldn’t be surprised if Kia also offered the KH with a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 engine which made its debut at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in the sporty GT concept.
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