2018 Kia K900 Review

The Kia covers 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds, but its V8 is not as quick as the supercharged/turbocharged six-cylinders from Audi and BMW. Still, the 420 horsepower moves the K900 with ease. Extra power is summoned with just a slight prod of the gas pedal. It sounds good, too.

Around town, the brakes feel like they have plenty of stopping power. An intuitive pedal feel means it is easy to bring it to a halt exactly where you plan. In Edmunds' emergency braking test, the K900 stopped from 60 mph in 130 feet, which is longer than typical, even for a big sedan.

The steering is a sore point. Its effort is too light except for parking-lot duty. It tightens up some as speeds increase, but it never offers much feel to the driver. We also noticed more kickbacks than usual over bumps.

Unlike the BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 but similar to the Lexus LS, the K900 feels soft and squishy through turns. Its actual grip limits are low too, so the tires squeal through corners earlier than you might expect.

The supple gas pedal and easy-to-modulate brakes make the K900 driver-friendly. The automatic transmission shifts smoothly. However, with eight speeds it will downshift up grades.

The front seats (heated and cooled) are wide and plush and even have some lateral support and adjustable thigh support. The armrests could use softer padding. The rear outboard seats are thick and comfy, with optional power recline and ventilation.

It soaks up big bumps without a fuss as if they're not even there. Yet smaller road ripples sometimes send a surprising amount of vibration to the steering wheel and seats, which is unexpected in this class.

In most settings, the K900 is an exceptionally hushed automobile with near-zero wind noise. The V8 is barely above a purr on the highway and never gets obnoxious during acceleration. The large tires exhibit some flap over concrete expansion joints.

The air conditioning quickly blows the entire interior cold even after the car has soaked in the sun for hours. Even during the middle of an Arizona heat wave, the inside temperature stayed at a consistent 70 degrees.

Most controls make sense, but the infotainment system has a learning curve. The head-up display is handy but takes too many steps to adjust its height. The main controller knob is nice for radio tuning. Rear passengers can adjust their climate control.

The large doors and tall roof height make getting in and out up front easy despite the wide doorsills. The step-in height is typical. The large rear doors open quite far. The entryway is wide but not overly tall, so you have to duck your head a bit.

The driver's seat has only eight-way power adjustments, though you can get more with the optional seat upgrade. In general, most drivers should be pretty happy and be able to adjust the K900 to their liking.

Front headroom isn't exactly abundant, but it should prove enough for most people. The K900 offers tons of legroom and elbow space. The center console infringes slightly on the driver's right knee. Rear headroom is not exceptional, but legroom is fantastic.

Outward visibility is good thanks to moderately sized roof pillars and helpful extra rear side windows. The front side windows are tall, too. The rear window is wide if not overly tall. The standard rearview camera has a large screen with multiple views.

The build quality of this K900 is decent but not up to the level of Audi, BMW and Lexus. Some switchgear seems right off the Kia parts rack. The leather and suede-like headliner aren't as soft as those of rivals. Also, we noticed a rattle or two.

The small front door bin has a security door to hide music devices. The front cupholders have an anti-tip design, but the fold-out door pockets don't have bottle holders. The two-tier center bin is a good size.

With 16 cubic feet of cargo space, the trunk is huge, one of the largest in its class. The hidden gooseneck hinges prevent bags and soft items from being crushed. We were able to fit four 16-inch tires in the trunk with room left over.

Child seat placement comes easy with the massive rear legroom. Forward- or rear-facing seats present no issue for 6-foot-tall drivers, with plenty of room remaining for adjusting the driver's seat forward and aft.

The upgraded 17-speaker Lexicon surround-sound system isn't on the same level as the boutique hi-fi systems in the German cars, but it's still very nice with good tonal balance and detail. The control-knob interface for nav-infotainment works fine but is prone to electronic glitches.

Various functions (remote lock/unlock and teen driver limits, for instance) are available through the Kia Uvo smartphone app. The app is fine, but other luxury-brand apps are more useful. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not offered on the K900.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard. But only the Luxury trims offer additional safety aids. The adaptive cruise control's operation is OK, but the automatic brake application can be a bit abrupt.

The V6 Premium's standard equipment includes a 3.8-liter V6 engine (311 horsepower, 293 pound-feet of torque), an eight-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive, 18-inch wheels, heated and auto-dimming side mirrors, automatic xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights and foglights, automatic wipers, a panoramic sunroof, a hands-free trunklid, and keyless ignition and entry.

Interior features include tri-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery and panel trim, power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats, driver-seat memory functions, a power-adjustable steering wheel with heating, heated outboard rear seats, and a power rear sunshade.

Technology includes a rear USB charging port, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 9.2-inch central infotainment display (with console-mounted knob and button controls), a navigation system and a 14-speaker sound system with CD player, HD and satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack, a front USB port and media player interface.

Standard driver aids include front and rearview cameras, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

The V6 Luxury adds soft-close doors, upgraded leather upholstery, upgraded power seats (with 16-way adjustments), power-reclining and ventilated rear seats, a heated wood-trimmed steering wheel with transmission shift paddles, interior wood accents, a head-up display, a 360-degree surround-view monitor, and a 17-speaker surround-sound system. Automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control also come standard.

At the top, the V8 Luxury model adds 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, a surround-view monitor, a credit-card-size smart key, and an upgraded gauge cluster display.

A VIP package available for the V8 model builds on the V6 Luxury's features plus quilted leather upholstery, wood seatback trim, and a "chauffeur" switch on the front passenger seat that allows the driver to easily slide it forward for added rear-seat legroom.