Kia Motors third generation K7, which is expected to be launched in March 2021, will be changed to K8. Which is the reason for this change? Well according to Kia executives, in order to differentiate the new generation, that will represent a great leap forward in terms of the design, tech and of course, the first Kia car to have the brand’s new logo and also to avoid Grandeur/K7 old competition.
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According to the industry sources on the 24th, Kia Motors is already communicating internally the name change for its new car, to be called as ‘K8’ instead of the current name “K7” for the completely redesigned sedan (codenamed as GL3).
The company evaluation about the name change decided that the K8 (GL3) will have an increased marketability when it arrives to the market after it have increased its size as well as reinforced its convenience and safety features compared with the existing K7 (codenamed as YG).
This is the second time that the car name K8 has risen above the water. Kia Motors has already registered the trademark ‘K8’ in 2016. ‘K8’ was initially linked as the car name of the sports sedan ‘Stinger’ which was about to be released at the time, but the company adopted the name ‘Stinger’ locally and overseas to differentiate it from their existing sedan line-up (K3 – K5 – K7).
Kia K8 nameplate patent from 2016
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The K8, which will succeed the K7’s genealogy, is the first new car that Kia Motors will unveil in 2021. It is expected to be announced and mass-produced in March next year and released around April-May. Although the labor-management problem has worsened due to the re-proliferation of Corona 19, the new car launch schedule is not expected to be disrupted.
The K8 will have a larger radiator grille size than before, and a ‘C’-shaped daytime running light that is arranged to change the front impression. It is known that the sporty silhouette will also be added to the side profile with a roof line reminiscent of a coupe. The source also said that the new Kia Motors will be the first to affix a new logo, which has registered trademark rights at the end of 2011, on the new K7.
According to the source, the new K8 is expected to avoid a collision with its direct rival Hyundai Grandeur. Hyundai Motor Company’s Grandeur is a representative of the domestic semi-large sedan and uses the same powertrain and platform as the Kia Motors K7. However, the difference in sales is significant due to differences in brand awareness. The K7’s performance is 35% of that of Granger. In January-October this year, while the Grandeur was sold 124,736 units, the K7 only shipped 44,764 units.
News Source: CarGoStudios
