Kia · 2021–present
Kia K8
The Kia K8 is an executive car / full-size car manufactured by Kia since 2021. Internally designated ‘GL3’, it was the successor to the K7/Cadenza.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Kia K7 (Cadenza)
All Kia K8 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Overview
Pictures of the K8 were released on 17 February 2021. Two months later, t was released in April 2021 in South Korea, as it was first offered for sale along with an online launch. Features include a driver-centre layout with a curved display and 12-inch head-up display, updated infotainment plus HVAC systems, lighting synced with the navigation system, driver's ergo motion seat, and multi-function centre armrest and headrest. It is similar to the mechanically identical twin, the seventh-generation Hyundai Grandeur/Azera, which was launched a year later in fall 2022, because it shares the Hyundai-Kia's mid-size platform called the N3. 2024 facelift. A refreshed K8 was revealed in South Korea on 9 August 2024. The facelift features a redesigned front end with a wide LED light bar connecting the headlights, an updated interior with a new dashboard and enhanced connectivity, and the same powertrain lineup as the pre-facelift model.
K8 Hybrid
Kia K8 Hybrid was released on 4 May 2021, offering a 1.6-litre turbo hybrid engine in addition to the conventional engine, 17-inch machined-face wheels, an emblem that indicates the vehicle is electrified, and a dedicated cluster graphic.
Powertrain
The K8 will be offered with a 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 300 PS (296 hp; 221 kW), or the base 2.5-litre inline four making 198 PS (195 hp; 146 kW). An optional 3.5-litre LPI (Liquid Propane Injection) engine will be offered that makes 240 PS (237 hp; 177 kW). It is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, which is claimed to improve the V6 engines’ fuel economy by up to 6 percent.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Kia K8
- Manufacturer
- Kia
- Production
- April 2021 – present
- Designer
- Karim Habib
- Model years
- 2022–present
- Assembly
- South Korea: Hwaseong (Hwaseong Plant), Uzbekistan: Jizzakh (ADM-Jizzakh)
- Class
- Full-size car (E)
- Body style
- 4-door sedan
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, Front-engine, all-wheel-drive
- Platform
- Hyundai-Kia N3 platform
- Related
- Hyundai Grandeur/Azera (GN7)
- Engine
- Petrol:, 2.5 L Smartstream G2.5 GDI I4, 3.5 L Smartstream G3.5 GDI V6, Petrol hybrid:, 1.6 L Smartstream G1.6 T-GDI I4, Petrol LPG:, 3.5 L Smartstream L3.5 LPi V6
- Transmission
- 6-speed automatic, 8-speed automatic
- Wheelbase
- 2895 mm
- Length
- 5015 mm (Pre-facelift), 5050 mm (Facelift)
- Width
- 1875 mm (Pre-facelift), 1880 mm (Facelift)
- Height
- 1455 mm (Pre-facelift), 1455-1480 mm (Facelift)
- Kerb weight
- 1540 -
- Predecessor
- Kia K7/Cadenza
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104223817CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_K8CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1369785320 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kia_K8_Hybrid_GL3_HEV_white_(1).jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Damian B Oh · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Manufacturer website (link only) — https://www.kia.com/kr/vehicles/k8/microsite.htmlLink only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.