Transportation

Car Review: 2015 Kia K900

Published

12 years ago

May 11, 2015

By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist

DETROIT (NNPA) – Eyebrows raised when Kia announced a little more than one year ago the development of the K900. After all, the Korean automaker had just introduced the Cadenza sedan about a year earlier. So why come to market with a full-size luxury sedan that seemed to be out of whack with the automaker’s overall product line?

At the time, Kia executives said they saw room emerging in the luxury sedan market for a $60,000 car as traditional luxury automakers moved up stream. This year, through March, 269 K 900s were sold. That’s not much. but it is a relatively new nameplate and sales gains will be incremental.

Still, no one is saying that Kia’s K900 is a shoddy car. In fact, in a recent ranking of large luxury cars, the Kia K900 came in third out of eight products tested.

Our test car was powered by a 5.0-liter aluminum V8 that made 420 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. It was mated to an eight-speed transmission. It is the only powertrain available. The big sedan had an EPA rating of 15 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg combined.

But though output remains the same the engine does come in two configurations: premium and luxury. In luxury, the transmission shifts by wire gear selector. In premium, it is shifted by cable gear selector.

It is the same thing with the headlights. Premium has HID headlights and luxury has LED headlights. Both have what Kia has branded Dynamic Bending Lights (read adaptable).

We had a Kia K900 with the luxury trim line. Still, either or, the engine moved the 4,555-pound sedan effortlessly. It had four drive modes: normal, eco, sport and snow.

This car was quick, very quick. In sport mode especially, it was easy to get up to speeds that in places, like curving expressway entrances and exits, the K900 wasn’t comfortable.

You don’t take a full-sized sedan into a tight curve at 60 plus miles an hour. Still, the K900 got through it without tires squealing or body yawing.

The car had five-link suspensions with stabilizer bars fore and aft. Though sizable, the setup made the car glide over the road without feeling disconnected. And that adhesiveness with the road was aided by hydraulic power steering. Many manufacturers are switching to electric power steering. We hope Kia holds out for real road feel with the K900.

Kia said the K900 had a swept greenhouse, subdued cut lines along the doors and a high rear deck lid that lent a muscular tension to the sheet metal. The car featured Kia’s tiger grille and side vents. The bottom line is that it looked like the wildly popular Kia Optima, just bigger, a lot bigger. It was 200 inches long with a 119.9-inch wheel-base. It was a spacious interior and that’s where luxury is always conveyed in any vehicle.

Our tester had the VIP package that included a 12.3-inch full LCD TFT instrument cluster. We didn’t like it. But don’t get it twisted, we’ve yet to see a full TFT instrument cluster that we do like, so our reaction was normal. Beyond that the K900’s interior was top grade. Fit and finish were great. The car had gray stained wood to match its black and white motif. The option package also included a heads up display, power headrests in the front, a driver’s power seat cushion extension, reclining rear seats with lumbar supports and lateral adjusting headrests. There was also a panoramic roof.

This car was chauffer ready, too. It had a control panel in the rear seat center armrest. It held switches for the power rear seats that were heated and cooled and they had power lumbar supports. Rear seat climate controls were there as well as the switch for the power rear sunshade. There were also manual side windows shades.

But the 2015 Kia K900 was also a driver’s car. Not only did the blind side alert display in the side view mirrors, it flashed in the heads-up display. That was a more immediate warning right in our line of sight and it also served as a monitor that let us know when someone was in our blind spot on either side at all times.

We had a couple quibbles with the interior. There was one switch to control the panoramic roof and its interior shade. One seemed like too little. It was about pressure, a hard click opened the shade and the roof, a soft one just the shade would open. Another click stopped either the shade or the roof. It just wasn’t easy to master and shouldn’t have to be mastered.

Sunroof controls should be one of the intuitively easiest things to use. The last thing you want is to be caught up trying to get the sunroof and or the shade to do what you want to them do and in effect have one hand over your head while driving. Eh, no.

Our other quibble was really a snippet. The 2015 Kia K900 had a premium Exicon audio system that sounded really good. But we had to put on our glasses and get up real close to read the logo. If you think enough of the system to put the brand name on the speaker, then it should be made easy to read.

Still, the 2015 Kia K900 was a very engaging full size sedan. It had a base price of $59,500. Add the $6,000 VIP option package and a $900 freight charge and as tested our K900 was $66,400.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

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Fate of Bay Area Public Transit Hinges on Regional Transit Measure

Voters in five Bay Area counties will decide the fate of a regional sales tax measure on Nov. 3 that could determine the future of local public transportation. If approved, the Regional Transit Measure would implement new sales taxes in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties starting in 2027. The funding aims to address massive financial deficits facing agencies like BART and Muni, providing nearly $1 billion annually to prevent station closures and service cuts. Read more.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 27, 2026

Post News Group

By Tanay Gokhale, Bay City News

On Nov. 3, voters in five Bay Area counties will vote on a regional sales tax measure that, if it fails, could prompt local transit agencies to close train stations and cut bus service.

If passed, the Regional Transit Measure, or RTM, will impose a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties as well as a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco starting April 2027.

The tax would raise an estimated $980 million annually for 14 years to fund the region’s public transit agencies, which are struggling with massive financial deficits. Revenue would go to BART, Muni, Caltrain, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Bay Ferry, Golden Gate Transit, and other transportation agencies operating in the five counties.

In California, a regional measure for a new sales tax would normally require a two-thirds majority approval if the state Legislature directly places it on a ballot. Transit advocates, however, chose to collect signatures to make the sales tax a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would lower the threshold to a simple majority of votes cast across the five counties.

The RTM received more than 241,000 signatures, exceeding the 186,000-signature threshold required to qualify for the ballot.

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Commentary

Why AC Transit Director Joel Young is My Choice for AC Transit Board Ward 3

Former AC Transit Director Patrisha Piras is endorsing incumbent Joel Young for the AC Transit Board of Directors, Ward 3. Piras highlights Young’s tenure as the longest-serving member of the current board and his role in securing over $600 million in funding for the district. Young has previously served as board president and is credited with advancing clean-energy initiatives and workforce development programs. Piras cites his institutional knowledge as vital for navigating current financial challenges to ensure regional connectivity. Find out why Young is being recommended for another term.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Patrisha ‘Pat’ Piras Special to The Post

As a former AC Transit Director for more than a decade, I know firsthand what it takes to serve effectively on the AC Transit Board. That is why I am proud to endorse Joel Young for election to the AC Transit Board of Directors, Ward 3.

Joel’s dedication to AC Transit and the communities they serve has been unmatched. Throughout his years on the Board, he has been a tireless advocate for riders, employees, and residents who depend on reliable, affordable public transportation every day. The majority of his colleagues have shown their trust, respect, and confidence in him by electing him as Board president.

As the longest-serving member of AC Transit’s current Board, Joel has played a pivotal role in securing more than $600 million in funding for the District, advancing clean-energy transit initiatives, strengthening workforce development programs, and helping position AC Transit as a national leader in innovation and sustainability. His leadership has extended beyond the Bay Area, representing AC Transit on the national stage and advocating successfully for investments that strengthen public transportation across the country, even with the current federal administration.

At a time when transit agencies face significant financial and operational challenges, Joel brings the experience, institutional knowledge, and steady leadership needed to help guide AC Transit forward. He understands that public transportation is about more than buses and infrastructure. It is about connecting people to jobs, schools, health care, and opportunity while ensuring that our communities remain accessible and economically vibrant.

Joel Young has a proven record of working with others to deliver results, protect transit service, and fight for the resources needed to meet the evolving needs of our region. His dedication, leadership, and commitment to public service make him exceptionally qualified to represent AC Transit Ward 3.

I strongly endorse Joel Young for the AC Transit Board of Directors and encourage Ward 3 voters to support his election by Nov. 3.

Patrisha “Pat” Piras is a former AC Transit director.

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Featured

Opponents Smear Effective African American Transit Director as Election Nears

Incumbent Joel Young is defending his seat on the AC Transit Board against allegations of harassment stemming from a public interaction in 2026. Supporters of the director cite his record of securing $600 million for bus services and leading civil rights initiatives as evidence of his effectiveness. They argue the accusations regarding a group photo interaction have been politically weaponized by opponents to influence the Ward 3 election.

Published

4 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

Post News Group

By Kitty Kelly Epstein

I am an academic and a community activist. I take women’s issues, including workplace harassment and discrimination, seriously. I have been following the AC Transit Ward 3 election and have become concerned about what I believe is a serious injustice.

Joel Young is an effective AC Transit director. He has secured more than $600 million for local bus service and fare affordability. He led the Freedom Bus Project, integrating civil rights history, art and transit. He was presiding over the board of AC transit when it won the 2023 Outstanding Public System Award, and he raised $1 million for the hydrogen fuel cell bus program. These are just a few of his accomplishments.

I reviewed the allegations of unwanted physical contact and harassment made by AC Transit Director Sarah Syed against Director Joel Young, I believe the events of Sept. 24, 2025, have been characterized in a way that does not accurately reflect what occurred.

That interaction took place during a group photo after celebrating the life of a longtime Board member who passed away. From the video I reviewed, it appears that individuals were consoling one another and exchanging hugs in a public setting surrounded by numerous witnesses.

Young’s interaction with Syed appears consistent with those expressions of sympathy and it appears that Young was attempting to extend a gesture of goodwill toward Syed.

I am concerned by how this incident has been recently used as a political tool to influence the outcome of the AC Transit Ward 3 election and support Young’s opponent.

Syed and her supporters launched a targeted political campaign, first through the Alameda County Democratic Party and subsequently by organizing a letter from a group of majority-white elected officials who have endorsed Young’s opponent against Young, who is Africa American.
Furthermore, this manufactured controversy distracts voters from the critical issues facing AC Transit. The public deserves a substantive debate on service reliability, ridership recovery, passenger and operator safety, financial stability, regional equity, and future transportation infrastructure. The electorate should be evaluating which candidate possesses the judgment, experience, and vision to lead AC Transit forward – not reacting to a distorted personal interaction.

Regardless of one’s political views or preferred candidate, allegations of harassment should never be weaponized for electoral purposes. We all know that exaggerated or unsupported accusations can undermine public understanding of, and trust in, efforts to address genuine sexual harassment and violence.

Kitty Kelly Epstein