The Kia K9 (기아 K9 in Korean) is Kia’s flagship sedan in Korea. In the US, Kia sold this car as the K900, and Kia America’s press site still has K900 pages for the 2015 and 2019 model years.
In Korea, it’s still on sale as The 2026 K9. This guide covers how the K9 and the K900 connect, the two engines, what it costs in Korea, its official fuel economy and the July 2026 reports that Kia will stop making it.
How we checked
Specs, fuel economy and prices come from Kia Korea’s K9 specification page and its current K9 price list. The model history comes from Kia’s global heritage archive. The K9 and K900 link comes from Kia’s owner’s manual portal and Kia America’s press site. Genesis figures come from Genesis Korea’s model pages, K8 figures from Kia Korea’s K8 page, the fuel price from Opinet, and overseas availability from Kia’s US, UK and Australian sites.
We didn’t use dealer sites, reviews or forums. The one news report we mention is named in the section on production plans. Where a figure is our own calculation or conversion, we say so.
The short answer
- What it is: Kia’s flagship sedan, 5,140 mm (202.4 in, our conversion) long, sold in Korea as The 2026 K9.
- The K900 link: Kia’s US owner’s manual portal lists the 2019 K900 under the code RJ, the same code as the current Korean K9.
- Engines: a 3.8-liter V6 gas and a 3.3-liter V6 turbo gas, both with an 8-speed automatic and 2WD or AWD.
- Price in Korea: from ₩60,340,000 for the 3.8 Platinum.
- Abroad: not listed on Kia’s US or UK lineups or its Australian site when we checked on October 28, 2026.
- Its future: a Korean newspaper reported in July 2026 that production will end at the end of 2026. We didn’t find an announcement from Kia.
K9 and K900: one car, two names
Kia’s heritage archive lists the original K9 as a 2012 model and calls it Kia’s flagship full-size sedan. It says the “9” in the name stands for Kia’s highest vehicle class. The archive lists the current car, The K9, as a 2018 model.
Kia’s owner’s manual portal for Korea lists K9 manuals from 2012 to 2026. The 2018 manual is filed under the code KH, while the 2019 and 2026 manuals are under RJ.
On the US version of the same portal, the K900 has one manual, for the 2019 model year, also under RJ. Kia America’s 2019 K900 overview describes it as an all-new second-generation model. We read the shared code as a sign that the 2019 K900 and the current K9 are the same car underneath. Engines and equipment can still differ by market.
You may see other export names for the K9 online. We’ve only listed the K900, because it’s the one we could confirm on Kia’s own sites.
Size and engines
Kia Korea’s spec page lists two engines for The 2026 K9. Kia gives power in PS and torque in kgf·m. The hp and lb-ft figures in parentheses are our conversions.
| 3.8 gas | 3.3 turbo gas | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine size | 3,778 cc | 3,342 cc |
| Max power | 315 PS (311 hp) | 370 PS (365 hp) |
| Max torque | 40.5 kgf·m (293 lb-ft) | 52.0 kgf·m (376 lb-ft) |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Drive | 2WD or AWD | 2WD or AWD |
| Wheels | 18 or 19 inch | 19 inch |
Both versions are 5,140 mm (202.4 in) long, 1,915 mm (75.4 in) wide and 1,490 mm (58.7 in) tall, on a 3,105 mm (122.2 in) wheelbase. The inch figures are our conversions. The price list gives a 77-liter fuel tank, about 20.3 US gallons by our conversion. Kia doesn’t list a hybrid, LPG or electric K9.
Where the K9 sits next to the K8, G80 and G90
In Korea, the K9’s closest neighbors are Kia’s own K8 and two Genesis sedans. Genesis is a separate brand from Kia. Its Korean site calls the G80 a luxury midsize sedan and the G90 its luxury flagship sedan.
| Sedan | Length | Engines in Korea | From, in Korea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia K8 | 5,050 mm | 2.5 gas, 3.5 gas, 3.5 LPG, 1.6 turbo hybrid | ₩37,310,000 |
| Genesis G80 | 5,005 mm | 2.5 turbo gas, 3.5 turbo gas | ₩60,630,000 |
| Kia K9 | 5,140 mm | 3.8 gas, 3.3 turbo gas | ₩60,340,000 |
| Genesis G90 | 5,275 mm | 3.5 turbo gas, 3.5 turbo gas with a 48V electric supercharger | ₩97,480,000 |
Lengths and engines are from each car’s Korean spec page, with the K8’s engines as listed when we checked for our K8 guide on October 17, 2026. The “from” prices are the starting prices shown on Kia’s and Genesis’s Korean sites on October 28, 2026.
By our subtraction, the K9 is 135 mm longer than the G80 and 135 mm shorter than the G90. It starts ₩290,000 below the G80.
The table compares size, engines and starting price only, not equipment. Our guide to the Kia K8 covers the smaller Kia sedan in detail.
2026 K9 prices in Korea
Kia Korea’s K9 prices are dated October 1, 2026. Each engine comes in two trims, Platinum (플래티넘) and Masters (마스터즈). Each trim is also offered as a “Best Selection” version with packages already added.
| Version | 3.8 gas | 3.3 turbo gas |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | ₩60,340,000 | ₩66,880,000 |
| Best Selection I (Platinum with packages and AWD) | ₩68,990,000 | ₩74,750,000 |
| Masters (AWD standard) | ₩75,200,000 | ₩79,940,000 |
| Best Selection II (Masters with packages) | ₩82,290,000 | ₩87,030,000 |
On the Platinum, AWD is a ₩2,470,000 option. A built-in dash cam (빌트인 캠) costs ₩740,000 on every version. Kia Korea’s K9 page lists its most expensive example at ₩90,240,000: a 3.3 turbo Best Selection II with the dash cam and rear dual monitors.
The price list notes that equipment varies by version and options. Prices can change, so get a quote rather than relying on these figures. We haven’t converted them to dollars, since exchange rates move.
Official fuel economy in Korea
Kia lists each version’s government-reported fuel economy (정부 신고 연비) in km/L, split by engine, drive and wheels. Versions with the built-in dash cam are listed separately, with the same or slightly lower figures.
| Version | Wheels | Combined, km/L | US mpg (our conversion) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 gas 2WD | 18 or 19 in | 9.0 to 8.6 | 21.2 to 20.2 |
| 3.8 gas AWD | 18 or 19 in | 8.4 to 8.2 | 19.8 to 19.3 |
| 3.3 turbo 2WD | 19 in | 8.7 to 8.6 | 20.5 to 20.2 |
| 3.3 turbo AWD | 19 in | 8.1 to 8.0 | 19.1 to 18.8 |
Kia notes that these come from a standard test mode and that real-world economy varies with road conditions, driving style, load, maintenance and outside temperature. They aren’t EPA or WLTP figures, so don’t compare them directly with a US window sticker or a UK brochure.
The estimator below uses Kia’s figures for each setup. Its default fuel price is Opinet’s national average gasoline (휘발유) price on October 28, 2026. Kia’s Korean spec page doesn’t name a fuel grade, so enter the price you actually pay. Our guide to gas stations in Korea explains fuel types and how to check prices.
K9 fuel cost estimator
Sources: combined, city and highway figures from Kia Korea’s specification page for The 2026 K9; default price is Opinet’s national average gasoline price on October 28, 2026. Last checked: October 28, 2026. Costs, mpg and L/100 km are our calculation. Real-world economy varies with road, driving style, load and temperature.
Is the K9 sold in the US, UK or Australia?
When we checked on October 28, 2026, the K9 wasn’t listed on Kia’s US vehicle lineup, its UK new car range or its Australian site. Neither was the K900. That’s what each site listed that day, and we only checked those three markets.
The K9 is one of five Korean-market models in our list of Hyundai and Kia models missing from the US, UK and Australian lineups.
Reports that production will end
On July 6, 2026, the Korean business daily Hankyung (한국경제) reported, citing industry and union sources, that Kia plans to stop making the K9 at the end of 2026. It also reported that Kia isn’t developing a facelift, a new generation or yearly model updates.
When we searched Kia’s global newsroom on October 28, 2026, we didn’t find an announcement about this. Kia Korea still lists The 2026 K9, with prices dated October 1, 2026. So for now, the end of production is reported, not confirmed by Kia.
If you’re buying a new one, ask which model year the car you’re offered is. We’ll update this guide if Kia announces anything.
Owning a K9 in Korea
Car tax. For a private passenger car over 1,600 cc, the annual car tax is ₩200 per cc, plus 30% local education tax. By our calculation, a new 3.8 (3,778 cc) comes to ₩982,280 a year and a new 3.3 turbo (3,342 cc) to ₩868,920. The tax falls as the car ages. Our guide to car tax in Korea for foreigners explains both the yearly tax and the tax you pay at registration.
Buying used. The current generation arrived in 2018, and Kia’s Korean manual portal switches from KH to RJ with 2019 cars. By our reading, a 2018 K9 could be either generation, so ask the seller which one it is before you compare prices. Our step-by-step guide to buying a used car in Korea as a foreigner covers the paperwork.
If you only know a Kia by its US or UK name, our Hyundai and Kia name lookup table lets you find the Korean name.
Last checked: October 28, 2026. Sources: Kia Korea, K9 specifications (in Korean); Kia Korea, K9 prices and price list (in Korean); Kia Heritage Archive, K9 (2012); Kia Heritage Archive, The K9 (2018); Kia owner’s manual portal (Korea and US); Kia America media site, 2015 K900 and 2019 K900 overview; Genesis Korea, G80 and G90 (in Korean); Kia US vehicles, Kia UK new cars and Kia Australia; Opinet (fuel prices, in Korean); Hankyung, July 6, 2026 (in Korean). K8 figures are from Kia Korea’s K8 spec page. hp, lb-ft, inch, gallon and mpg figures, length and price differences and tax figures are our own conversions and calculations.