The Facelifted Kia K8 Is A Luxury Saloon That We Won’t Get

Kia has unveiled the facelifted version of the K8 luxury saloon, featuring EV9-inspired design cues.

Following its teaser last month, Kia has finally peeled the wraps off the facelifted Kia K8 sedan. For its 2025 iteration, this sleek luxury saloon gains some EV9-inspired design cues, plus a host of upgraded equipment.

Up front, we can clearly see that the new K8 gets an EV9-esque front face, featuring the same drop-down LED headlights plus a full-width LED DRL that crowns above its concealed front grille. Unlike the EV9, the new K8 doesn’t get the illuminated ‘Tiger Nose’ front grille design, partly due to its ICE-based powertrain setup that still requires openings for air intake.

From the side, the facelifted K8 still retains its predecessor’s sleek, fastback-style roofline, while at the back it gets a full-width taillight unit with Y-shaped ends to add some EV9 qualities to this luxury saloon. 

More changes took place as we got inside the facelifted K8, as it features a host of new equipment and comfort amenities. For starters, the new K8 gets an updated dual-screen setup that floats above its front dash, which appears to be ripped out of the EV9, featuring a full-width ambient light.

The infotainment half of the dual displays now comes with over-the-air (OTA) update support, while at the same time housing the car’s unique AR-powered built-in navigation system.

Helping to further enrich the quality of life inside this luxury saloon’s cabin are the new ErgoMotion front seats, which are not only powered, ventilated, and heated but also feature air bladders on their backrest and the base for optimum comfort. The central armrest and the rear seats are also heated, while more soft-touch materials have been added to all vital touch points of the cabin for maximum comfort and luxury feel.

The facelifted Kia K8 continues to be offered with four powertrain flavours in its native South Korean market.

For the Korean market, the newly-updated Kia K8 is offered with four powertrain options, including one hybrid and one liquified petroleum gas (LPG). Focusing on the standard ICE options, the baseline K8 gets a 2.5-litre 4-cyl SmartStream petrol mill that delivers 195 HP and 248 NM to its front wheels (FWD) via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Meanwhile, the up-spec all-wheel drive (AWD) model gets a bigger 3.5-litre 4-cyl mill rated at 296 HP and 359 NM while using the same 8-speed unit.

As for the sole electrified option, the new Kia K8 hybrid uses a 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbocharged SmartStream engine that is augmented with a single electric motor to deliver a total system output of 227 HP and 350 NM.

According to Kia Korea’s official website, the all-new 2025 Kia K8 facelift starts at KRW 37.36 million (RM119,271) for the baseline 2.5-litre model, while the hybrid model is tagged the highest at KRW 43.72 million (RM141,853).

Given how poor midsize sedans have been doing in our market in recent years, it’s very unlikely that we’ll be able to see local Kia vanguard Dinamikjaya Motors (Bermaz Auto) bringing in the sleek K8 saloon into our market. The same sentiment can also be said for other sporty Kia saloons, such as the new K4, which also comes with a sportier hatch version.