First look: Kia goes big at Seoul

KIA has unveiled a large sedan, the KND-5 concept, that is destined for production as the Kia VG in September – but not for Australia.

The big Korean front-wheel-drive car was shown for the first time at this week’s Seoul motor show.

Kia Motors Australia (KMA) product manager Nick Reid says the VG sedan is left-hand drive only at this stage, and given the lack of Australian success of similar vehicles such as the Hyundai Grandeur - and the decline of the large-sedan market generally - it was unlikely to import the VG even if it was offered in RHD.

The front-wheel-drive VG concept is powered by the same 206kW, quad-cam 3.5-litre V6 Lambda II engine unveiled in the Sorento and in the VG is also linked to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The VG was designed under the guidance of Peter Schreyer, and resembles recently announced production models, the Cerato sedan and Sorento SUV. There’s more than a little hint of Audi and BMW in its lines, too.

The VG concept is 4945mm long, and the show car sits on 20-inch wheels.

According to Kia, the VG concept will go into production later this year. The VG will be launched initially in Korea, but Kia plans to gradually roll out the VG to other markets such as the US, where it will replace the Amanti sedan.

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