Kia hits Middle East with redesigned sports car K8

South Korean automaker, Kia Corporation, is set to unleash its new elegant sports car, K8, in the Middle East region, the first model to arrive following the rebirth of the Kia brand.

For Kia enthusiasts and lovers of sports cars in Nigeria, the coming of the K8 to Africa is a matter of time as the Middle East is grouped along with the continent in the global auto market.

The K8 represents a new model name for Kia and is the first to show the brand’s new design identity as well as the contemporary new Kia logo.

A statement by the company says the official launch of the K8 in the Middle East region will take place on September 15, 2021.

Aside from Korea, the car will be mainly sold in the GCC with KSA being the focus market, the firm says.

It notes that with a focus on modern, premium quality and dynamic performance, the K8 moves forward in the sports sedan space and will build on the success of the K7 (known as Cadenza in some markets), continuing Kia’s rise towards excellence in the segment later this year.

A modern and innovative sedan, the K8 combines sportiness, high-tech and performance with a progressive and sleek exterior design.

It quotes Yaser Shabsogh, Chief Operating Officer at Kia Middle East and Africa, as saying, “Being Kia’s flagship sedan in the MEA region and a representation of our new brand direction, the K8’s launch is a hugely significant moment.

“This is the first model to showcase Kia’s latest design identity and new logo, but this is only scratching the surface of what this model is capable of. Every inch of the K8 has been designed to excite, from the striking design to the sophisticated technology and sublime performance.”

The K8 is said to have been designed with the future in mind, taking on an all-new name and the first model to be launched following Kia’s recent rebrand.

One can find at the front sits a new signature frameless ‘tiger nose’ grille that gives the K8 presence and authority.

The frameless grille, which is integrated within the front bumper to give a clean yet expansive look, features an intricate diamond lattice designed to express the movement of light.

The front lamps include a turn signal that resembles a star could.

Symbolically pointing the way forward – and sitting proudly at the very front of the K8, just above the reimagined ‘tiger nose’ grille – is Kia’s contemporary new logo that expresses ‘symmetry’, ‘rhythm’ and ‘rising’ elements, embodying Kia’s confidence and a renewed commitment to customers.

The elongated K8 (5,015mm) features a sporty side profile with a dynamic character line that runs the length of the sedan and takes inspiration from yachts sailing across calm waters. A chrome finish runs along the DLO (Daylight Opening) line and the bottom of the doors, and finishes its journey at the rear lamp – adding confidence and gracefulness to the side of the sports sedan.

Completing the progressive yet elegant front and the side profile is a dynamic and muscular rear-end that re-interprets the sedan of today as a modern ‘fastback’ passenger car. Strong, dropping shoulders add to the drama of the K8 at the rear, while a clean tailored spoiler beautifully finishes the sporty, low roofline.

Running below the spoiler lip is a futuristic-looking horizontal taillight that carries across the jewel patterned arrangements from the front and side and connects the K8’s next-generation LED rear light clusters.

The 3D vertical clusters hug the corners of the K8, emphasizing clean, angular lines at the rear and further adding depth and width to the rear of the car.

The Kia’s new logo and first-ever K8 badge sit at the rear just below the horizontal light dash.

Kia also says the introduction of an all-new model name – the K8 – is part of the brand transition and represents the premium space in which the new sports sedan will occupy.

It says the K8 will offer a comfortable yet high-performance driving experience that will complement the simple, ergonomic ‘first class’ interior.

The new model signals an upward journey in design, technology, and modernity, delivering a class-leading package that redefines the meaning of the sports sedan.

One auto critic, Christopher Smith, writing on the new car (motor1.com), states that there is no denying that Kia is aiming to get noticed, in a market segment where competition seemingly disappears by the day.

“Whether its new design language is a hit or miss remains to be seen. K8 sales will ultimately tell that tale,” he notes.