Kia Cuts Entry Price Of K900 to $55,400

2015 Kia K900 (Credit: Kia)

If you’ve been thinking about buying a Kia K900, now might be a good time to make your move. The Korean brand recently announced that it is offering a more budget-friendly version of its flagship luxury sedan with the aim of encouraging more people to take the plunge. Before, you couldn’t get into the K900 for under $60,000 but now the new Premium trim comes with a starting price of just $55,400.

Sadly, the K900 has not been a huge sales success. Despite presenting a more affordable way to enjoy the luxuries of life, buyers have shied away from the sedan. Only 93 K900s were sold during the month of December, bringing the total for 2014 to a measly 1,330. For comparison, Toyota reported that 1,020 LS sedans were sold during December of 2014, while the total for the year was 8,559.

Going with the Kia K900 Premium does come with a price along with the savings, in the form of a reduction of standard features. The car sheds the exterior chrome trim pieces, LED headlights, sound system with 17 speakers, and Nappa leather that used to be included, all in the name of making it more budget-friendly. If you still want those features and the possibility of even more, it will require shelling out the “big bucks.” Just remember that getting a vehicle from Lexus, BMW, Audi, etc. with the same equipment will set you back much more.

Lest consumers think that Kia has offered a meek luxury sedan, the K900 does pack a 5.0-liter V-8 engine that pumps out 420 horsepower, making it a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. All that power goes to the back wheels even, which makes it even more comparable to established luxury sedans. For right now it seems that Kia has an uphill battle on its hands. Like it or not, the brand is dealing with the fact that car shoppers in general see it as a budget brand, especially those who are used to purchasing more expensive vehicles.