Kia offers affordable luxury sedan

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Full-sized luxury cars are bigger and better, but they come with a big price tag too. But what if you could have a large luxury car without the large luxury car price tag?

The new Kia K900 is a bold move by a brand known for much less expensive models. It's long and stylish, has a V8 engine, and it's filled with soft leather and lots of features.

The target of the new large Kia is luxury benchmarks like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which was recently revamped and brimming with new luxury and technologies. But it's also nearly $100,000 before options.

The K900 starts at $60,000. Then again, it also has about zero brand cachet in the luxury arena. Kia officials think that could actually work in its favor in some cases.

"We've found that the recession has not only hit the middle class but also the premium buyers," said Kia spokesman Orth Hendrick. "And they're looking for a new experience, and they maybe are tired of paying $300 for an oil change or always having to burn premium fuel."

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the K900 is doing a lot of flattering. The grill is very Jaguar; the taillights have a Lexus vibe; and inside, the dashboard seems as though it could have come from an Audi. Drivers of late-model BMWs will find the gear selector familiar, and if you know Mercedes-Benz seat controls, you can guess how these were inspired.

But overall, the design works. This new big Kia gets plenty of stares in traffic.

Taking a brand from entry-level and mainstream into premium is a big move. Kia's doing it the right way, but it isn't like they're the first ones to try it.

Fellow Korean brand Hyundai's had a head start with luxury, and their Genesis Sedan is now in its second generation. The Kia K900 shares a platform with Hyundai's larger Equus model.

With the new Genesis, Hyundai has really settled into the luxury game, with fresh styling and new bells and whistles. If Hyundai can successfully do luxury, then conceivably, so can Kia.

"For those buyers who are confident enough to not necessarily need a brand to represent themselves, it's a great choice," said Hendrick.

Only time will really tell if the words "Kia" and "luxury" can coexist in the same vehicle.