Kia Quoris

Kia Quoris at a glance

The Quoris marked Kia's move into the luxury class. Built on the BH-L platform of the Hyundai Equus and Genesis, it brought Kia's "tiger nose" grille to a car the size of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Exports began in late 2012, and by June 2013 the car was on sale in markets including the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Chile, Peru, the United States and Canada. The brand's story is told in the history of Kia.

V6 and V8 engines and performance

Every version drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic. Kia's US data for the V8 list 420 hp at 6,400 rpm and 376 lb-ft (510 Nm) at 5,000 rpm, with a 5,038 cc displacement. The old 1cars data give a limited top speed of 240 km/h for both engines. With 313 kW against 2,066 kg, the V8 offers about 152 kW per tonne, while the 3.8 V6 manages roughly 130 kW per tonne in its lighter versions.

The suspension is multi-link front and rear, and an air suspension was optional in some markets. The V8 on US specification runs on staggered 19-inch tyres, 245/45 R19 at the front and 275/40 R19 at the rear.

Interior, comfort and equipment

The cabin uses leather and wood throughout. A 9.2-inch touchscreen with a rotary controller, a configurable digital instrument display and an analogue clock sit in the centre of the dashboard, and a 17-speaker audio system was fitted to the top versions. Rear passengers get seats that slide and recline, a central armrest that controls the seats, climate and media, and screens in the front seat backs. A panoramic glass roof replaced the sunroof after the update of 2015.

The rear seat has generous legroom thanks to the long wheelbase, but the boot, at about 450 litres, is small for a car over five metres long.

Fuel use of a two-tonne saloon

Kia's US estimate for the V8 was 15 mpg in town and 23 mpg on the highway, about 15.7 and 10.2 l/100 km. The V6 versions use less but are still thirsty, as expected for a two-tonne saloon. Servicing is handled by ordinary Kia dealers rather than a separate luxury network.

Safety technology

Kia presented the Quoris as its most advanced car for safety. The equipment included adaptive smart cruise control, a pre-crash system (AVSM) that tightens the seat belts and prepares the brakes when a collision looks likely, blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, a surround-view camera system, adaptive front lighting and a head-up display. Passive safety covers front, side and curtain airbags and a driver's knee airbag. The Quoris was never tested by Euro NCAP, as it was not sold in the European Union.

Rivals: how the Quoris compares

Compared with the S-Class and BMW 7 Series, the Quoris offered similar size and equipment for much less money, but no diesel or hybrid and a much weaker brand image. Its closest relative is the Hyundai Equus, while Kia's own range continued with the large Hyundai Grandeur-based K7 and the sporty Kia Stinger. Set them side by side in the 1cars comparison tool or check the versions in the specifications section.

Sales and the second generation

The Quoris was a slow seller outside Korea. US K900 sales peaked at 2,524 in 2015 and fell to 455 in 2017, despite a Super Bowl advertisement with Laurence Fishburne and LeBron James as brand ambassador. Kia dropped the car in Canada in 2018 and in the US in 2021, citing buyers' shift to crossovers.

The second generation was shown at the New York show in March 2018, with a wheelbase about 60 mm longer, a 3.3 twin-turbo V6 with 272 kW (370 PS) and, in Korea, all-wheel drive. A facelift in 2021 brought a 14.5-inch display. Korean sales reached 11,843 in 2018 but fell to 2,209 in 2024, and in July 2026 Kia confirmed the end of K9 production at the end of 2026.