Kia gave us an idea of its upcoming flagship sedan by showing the KND-5 concept car at the Seoul Auto Show in April. Now the first official production photos of the sedan known by its code name VG has leaked out onto the Internet. However, there is no surety whether Kia would keep the name VG when the car is officially launched. The Kia VG will be a successor to the Opirus / Amanti in Korean, European and American markets. However, Kia stated that the car would not be imported in the UK. The mid-size, luxury sedan will get positioned atop the Optima / Magentis in Kia’s lineup. The KND-5 concept car revealed at Seoul was based on the next generation Hyundai Azera.

On the first look at these photos, the production model seems to follow all the outstanding features on the concept car, but well crafted to give a far less aggressive look when compared to the KND-5. The four-door sedan is a stunner when compared with the current Amanti / Opirus models. The production car seems to have similar dimensions compared to the concept that measured 194.5-inch long, 72.8-inch wide, 57.9-inch high and a wheelbase of 111.8-inch. It will get offered with two powertrain options, a new, 2.4-liter, four-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine from Hyundai making about 200hp or a Lamba V6 engine. The car is expected to enter sales in Korea by the year end while sometime in the first half of 2010 for American and European markets.

As mentioned, the new car will replace the Kia Opirus, also known as Amanti in North America. This luxury sedan from South Korean Automaker Kia Motors got launched in April 2003. The Opirus/Amanti was sold only as a sedan has a price of US$26,875. This was Kia’s first offering in the large-car market. The car gets powered with a 3.5 L V6 engine borrowed from its cousin vehicle, the Hyundai XG Grandeur. In 2005, Kia Amanti received further recognition in North America as the J.D power and associates awarded it the “Most Appealing Premium Midsize Car”. The car also successfully outscored several, other reputed pricey luxury cars in IIHS side-impact crash testing. We can expect the new 2011 Kia VG sedan to be a worthy successor to the Opirus. More details about the car will be out during its official launch.