(ATTN: CHANGES photo, headline and lead; ADDS sales target and CEO comment in paras 2-3)By Choi Kyong-ae
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) — Kia Motors Corp., South Korea’s second-biggest carmaker, said Thursday it is targeting to sell 70,000 units of the all-new K5 in the domestic market next year.
Kia K5 midsize sedan went on sale on Thursday after receiving pre orders of 16,000 units in the past month through Wednesday, the company said in a statement.
“The sale of sedan models has been on the decline due to rising demand for sport utility vehicles. The new K5 with a sporty design and advanced safety features will attract young customers in their 20s and 30s,” Kia Chief Executive and President Park Han-woo said in a press conference.
The third-generation K5 midsize sedan is available in four trims — 2.0-liter gasoline, 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline, 2.0-liter LPi and 2.0-liter gasoline hybrid engine models — the company said in a statement.
The K5’s starting price is 21 million won (US$18,000), and it goes up to 33 million won depending on options.
The new K5 comes with a wider “tiger nose” grille and a strong bumper incorporating large air intake vents and multibeam LED headlamps. It also has a bold character line that runs up along the sides that Kia claims exudes both power and elegance.
At the rear, the side character line trails into the back and merges with the rear lamp graphics. The roof has a bit of a fastback look, ending at the trunk lid.
It has partnered with Kakao Enterprise, an artificial intelligence of Kakao Corp., to adopt a voice recognition system with which the driver can control the air conditioning system, open or close car windows and turn on or off seat heaters, a steering wheel heater and several others, the statement said.
Kakao Corp. is the operator of the nation’s most popular messenger app KakaoTalk.
Safety features include lane keeping and following assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist and blind-spot collision-avoidance assist systems, it said.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr(END)