Recently, we learned that Kia decided to discontinue production of the Kia K9 at the end of this year. As a reminder, the Kia K9 is positioned as a medium to large luxury sedan that has been on sale for 14 years since its launch in 2012. In terms of power, it sells models with 3.8L V6 and 3.3T V6 engines. Reports indicate that Kia will no longer be launching variants of the K9 and has no plans to develop a replacement. There is speculation in the industry that Kia may be preparing to exit the traditional limousine market altogether. As a reminder, the Kia K9 was launched in 2012 with the aim of proving that Kia can compete in the luxury segment. At the height of its debut, the first-generation K9 topped out with a huge 5.0-liter V8 engine, showcasing Kia's top-of-the-line internal combustion engine technology. When the time came to 2018, the second generation model was launched, and the exterior interior configuration was synchronized and upgraded, further enhancing the sense of luxury. Popular in Korea, it is often chosen as the official etiquette tool for company executives. However, after 6,585 units were sold in 2022, the market performance of the Kia K9 gradually cooled, with only 1,581 units sold in 2025. In the first half of 2026, only 734 units were delivered in January-June, and sales fell sharply, which forced Kia to rethink the product positioning of K9. In the luxury large-size sedan market, consumers attach great importance to brand aura and social attributes, while Kia's democratized image is difficult to support its relatively high selling price, and it is almost helpless in the face of Mercedes, BMW, Audi and other traditional giants. At the same time, global demand for sedans continues to weaken, the share of flagship sedans has been seriously eroded by high-margin SUVs, and the living space of K9 has been doubly squeezed. At the product level, although the platform is shared with the Genesis G90, it is limited by cost and positioning, and the interior luxury and intelligent configuration iteration of the Kia K9 are significantly lagging behind, lacking the unique value to impress high-end users. Due to the dismal sales volume, the R&D and manufacturing costs of the platform cannot be diluted, and only more than 100 units are sold annually in major markets such as North America, plunging into a long-term loss quagmire. More importantly, the Kia Group is fully promoting the electrification transformation, concentrating its resources on high-end electric SUVs such as the EV9, and the strategic value of the fuel flagship K9 is approaching zero. The discontinuation of the K9 has become a rational choice for stopping bleeding in time and optimizing the product matrix, which also reflects the collective dilemma of traditional luxury cars under the wave of electrification. (Compiled by Automobile House Yue Changxing).