Kia Releases Sketches of Future Luxury Sedan

It doesn’t appear that it will take Hyundai’s sister company, Kia, very long to try out its hand in luxury with the upcoming Kia VG sedan. Like the Hyundai Genesis sedan, the Kia VG will be aimed at a higher end luxury segment than what the company is used to targeting, but seeing the direction of both the VG concept vehicle that made its debut back in April and the trio of recent design sketches Kia showed off this week, it looks like the new VG may be up to the task. The VG will initially be limited for sale just in South Korea, but at some point next year the car will make its way to the U.S to replace Kia’s current flagship luxury sedan, the Amanti.

Usually, a vehicle first gets sketches and then is made into a concept vehicle before entering production, but the folks over at Kia introduced the VG concept at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show and just released the sketches this week. The transition from concept vehicle to production model sketches has been kind to the VG as most of the basic design has stayed the same. Replacing the gaudy, chrome mesh of the concept, the sketched VG shows a much more production-friendly grille with a design that has come to be a signature for recent Kia models. Adding a more aggressive look, the painted “eyebrows” inside the VG concept headlights may be replaced with some sort of LED daytime running light that gives off a menacing scowl. Projector beam headlamps and LED taillights finish off the upscale look of the VG.

One of the biggest changes the production model will likely see compared to the concept vehicle is the flush door handles that will probably be replaced by a more conventional pull-style handle. The concept’s rounded front fenders and stylish side character line appear to be making the transition in addition to the design of the rear end that is very reminiscent of the Audi A5. Adding to the car’s luxurious appearance, the VG sports chrome trim along the rocker panels as well as the rear fascia which also gets an integrated single, chrome-tipped exhaust outlet. Both the sketches and the concept vehicle showcased large, 15-spoke alloy wheels, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a design like this on the production version possibly measuring 20 inches as an upgraded option.

Based on the concept vehicle, Kia plans to give the VG a cabin filled with luxury appointments and high-end technology, but, like most concept vehicles, we’re not expecting all of the design to carry over. We suspect some of those concept-only designs will include the rear-seat entertainment screens built into the back of the front seats, HVAC and window controls seemingly inspired by the buttons of a Motorola Razr phone and a front panoramic roof that consisted totally of glass. As far as the layout of the instrument panel and the innovative, reconfigurable instrument gauges, we expect those items will carry over to the production model of the five-passenger sedan. The gauge cluster will consist of two digital displays showing the speedometer and tachometer, but the latter display can also show song titles and other such information. The display will also be able to show live weather conditions, but this will most likely require something like Sirius satellite radio with traffic and weather alerts.

Judging by spy shots of the vehicle testing out in the open, the VG is going to be a bit larger than the car it will replace in both length and width which means the cabin will be more spacious and luxurious than the current Amanti. As evident by the concept vehicle, the VG will most likely have a cockpit type layout with a pair of large gauges for the driver, a sporty three-spoke steering wheel double-brow hood for the instrument cluster and center stack. Amenities that may be offered on an optional basis on the new VG include the keyless, pushbutton ignition and the large touch-screen display to control navigation, audio and other entertainment controls. Similar to just about every luxury car on the market, the Kia VG will also utilize a central control dial on the center console armrest for easy operation of multiple vehicle functions.

Unlike the Genesis, which many thought would underpin this new luxury sedan, the VG will be smaller and will only offer front-wheel drive, but the 3.5-liter Lambda V-6 is expected to offer plenty of power producing somewhere around 300 ponies. The sole transmission Kia is expected to use on the upcoming VG is a six-speed automatic with both a sport and manual-shift mode. It appears that gear selections could be displayed in the center of the speedometer display as well as on top of the gear selector via a small digital display. With the safety technology that was incorporated into the Amanti, we would expect that multiple safety system will be used on the VG as well such as electronic stability control, traction control and tire pressure monitoring system. Like the current Amanti, the VG will probably share its underpinnings with the next-generation Hyundai Azera.

The 2010 Kia VG goes on sale this September in South Korea, but we expect it to join the automaker’s North American lineup early next year as a 2011 model. No word yet as to whether the VG name will stick or if the Amanti name will carry over. In normal Kia fashion, the VG will probably be priced thousands of dollars less than its competition which should run fairly close to the pricing of the current Amanti sedan that starts just over $25,000. Chances are that the VG would be positioned against mid-level luxury sedans like the Volkswagen Passat, so pricing in this range would give it a definite competitive advantage.