LA motor show 2013: Kia K900

Kia has shown its new flagship saloon, named Quoris or K900, at the Los Angeles motor show. The car is the firm's first ever rear-drive saloon.

Kia claims the K900 will have an "extensive" list of equipment and "world-class accomodation". The saloon, which is known as the K9 in Kia's Korean homeland, will adopt either the Quoris or K900 monicker depending on which market it is sold in. The car, which is seen as a rival for the Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW 7-series, is being aimed at Russia, the Middle East and the USA.

"Next year will mark Kia Motors' 20th anniversary in the U.S. market, and the all-new K900 is a symbol of how far the brand has come and the next bold example of the challenger spirit that has benefitted Kia over nearly two decades of growth and maturation" said Michael Sprague Kia's American boss.

"Kia's rise over the last five years has been fuelled by a willingness to challenge the status quo with vehicles such as the Optima, Sorento and Cadenza, which have brought new and more affluent customers to our showrooms and dramatically raised the profile of the brand while maintaining our value proposition. The K900 is the next logical progression for Kia. It demonstrates what Kia is capable of and will help redefine what the Kia brand stands for."

The cabin of top-spec models features the largest screen yet fitted to a Kia and a 900-watt audio system.

Kia has already confirmed the model won't be coming to Europe or the UK. A Kia spokesman told Autocar that the model "would not work" in this country due to its size, and that the largest saloon the company offers in the UK would continue to be the Optima for the time being. 

However, Kia is also deliberating whether to bring a small run of its Cadenza saloon, which sits below the Quoris, to Europe to gauge market response.

In the US and other countries, the Quoris/K900 will be offered with a choice of a 311bhp 3.8-litre V6 or 420bhp 5.0-litre V8 engines, with Kia saying it will "take value to new levels of sophistication" when it launches the new model. The car is based around a chassis comprises of 75 per cent high tensile steel.

Autocar has driven the Korean-market version saloon. Read the Kia Quoris first drive.

Read more 2013 LA motor show news.