2014 Kia Quoris | new car review

Looks

The full-size premium sedan segment is dominated by the Germans, and though many people are comfortable with that, Kia isn’t. With sights set high, the 2014 Kia Quoris aims to challenge the status-quo and topple the Germans off the podium. The Quoris isn’t a downright ugly car, but then again, it isn’t an outright stunner either. Up front it flaunts a prominent tiger nose grille, oblong headlights, and a splattering of LED’s. But it is the Maserati-esque chrome outlined air vents and detailed indents along on the sides that really stand out.

Feels

Being the flagship sedan of the Korean marque, the Quoris does not disappoint as far as materials, design and comfort are concerned. With enough leather to give an animal rights activist a heart attack, aluminium and piano black trim to accompany, along with Quoris embossed on the seatbacks and an analogue clock in the centre console to top it all off, the Quoris looks and feels the part of a premium sedan. Passengers riding in the back are pampered with plush ventilated seats with an extended headrest, multimedia screens and a pull down console that allows them to control various entertainment and comfort features.

Engineering

The Quoris is a technophile’s hide out. With sensors located on either side of the rear bumper, the Quoris keeps an eye out and informs the driver if there are any obstructions in their blind spots. The full-size Korean sedan also makes use of sensors with the Adaptive Cruise Control feature that automatically applies the brakes when approaching a vehicle and then re-accelerates to the set speed once the vehicle moves out of the way, making highway cruising an absolute breeze. The Head-Up Display projects the current speed, navigation directions, and lane departure warning on the windscreen so that the driver never has to take their eyes off the road. And finally, with four cameras located around the Quoris, parking the 5,090mm sedan with the help of an Around View Monitor is no longer a challenge.

What’s on offer?

Under the hood, Kia’s first rear wheel drive vehicle packs in a 3.8 litre, 290 horsepower and 358 Nm of torque breathing V6 engine. The BMW inspired Shift-By-Wire gear lever is connected to an 8 speed transmission and is coupled with an Auto Hold feature making city traffic a little easier to tackle.  To cater to varying driving conditions and optimize body control, the Quoris is also equipped with an Air Suspension setup that automatically adjusts depending on the driving mode selected.

Summing it…

The Korean’s have surely stepped their game up and it’s probably time to look beyond the negative preconceived notions the brand name brings with it. With a price tag ranging from AED 165,000 to AED 199,000, the Quoris is an attractive package from Kia. But it still has a long way to go before it can topple any of the Germans off the podium.