The Kia Potentia was a large rear-wheel-drive saloon that Kia built from April 1992 to May 2002. It was the company’s first car in the executive class, based on the fifth-generation Mazda Luce, and it was meant to take on the Hyundai Grandeur.
Kia Potentia at a glance
| Maker | Kia Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | April 1992–May 2002 |
| Class | executive saloon |
| Based on | Mazda Luce, fifth generation |
| Engines at launch | 3.0 V6, 2.2 four |
| Engines from 1994 | 3.0 V6, 2.0 four |
| Engines from 1997 | 2.0 four, 2.5 V6 |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual or four-speed automatic |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive |
| Length, 1992 car | 4,925 mm, wheelbase 2,710 mm |
| Length, New Potentia | 4,955 mm |
Based mainly on the Korean Wikipedia article; no free photograph of the Potentia was found, so the page keeps the cover already on the record.
History of the Kia Potentia
Kia launched the Potentia on 28 April 1992 into a Korean large-car market dominated by the Hyundai Grandeur. The name comes from the word potential. It was a class above the Concord, and it was built on the fifth-generation Mazda Luce, which Mazda also sold abroad as the 929.
First generation (1992–1997)
Two engines were offered at launch: a 3.0-litre V6 and a 2.2-litre four-cylinder, both petrol. The V6 with a four-speed automatic cost 31.3 million won, the 2.2 with an automatic 21.6 million and the 2.2 with a five-speed manual 19.8 million. On 17 January 1994 Kia added the President, the top trim with the 3.0 V6, and a 2.0-litre four, widening the choice. After the larger Enterprise was launched, only the 2.0 DOHC model remained. The car was 4,925 mm long on a 2,710 mm wheelbase, with MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link rear.
New Potentia (1997–2002)
A facelifted car with a sportier look went on sale on 28 May 1997 as the New Potentia. With the Enterprise above it, the Potentia moved down from the large to the upper-mid-size class. The five-speed manual was dropped, leaving a 2.0-litre four and a 2.5-litre V6, and a passenger airbag was added. The new car was 4,955 mm long, kept the same wheelbase and was sold only with a four-speed automatic.
Sales fell as the Hyundai Grandeur XG, the first-generation Renault Samsung SM5 in its six-cylinder form and other rivals arrived. The Potentia was discontinued in May 2002, merged into the Optima Regal, which was its replacement and a class below. Kia’s upper-mid-size class stayed empty until the front-wheel-drive K7 arrived on 24 November 2009 and took on the Grandeur again.
Design and features
- First executive Kia: the company’s first large rear-drive saloon.
- Mazda base: the fifth-generation Luce platform, shared with the Mazda 929.
- V6 power: a 3.0-litre engine at launch and a 2.5 in the New Potentia.
- Two lives: the original car of 1992 and the sportier New Potentia of 1997.
Kia Potentia versions
- Potentia 3.0 V6 (1992–1997): the top engine with a four-speed automatic.
- Potentia 2.2 (1992–1994): four-cylinder with manual or automatic.
- Potentia 2.0 (1994–1997): added with the President trim.
- New Potentia (1997–2002): 2.0 four or 2.5 V6, automatic only.
The Potentia sat above the Kia Capital and was replaced in effect by the Optima; its luxury successor was the Opirus. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.
Sources
- Kia Potentia, Korean Wikipedia: dates, engines, prices, dimensions, facelift, end of production
- Mazda Luce, English Wikipedia: the model the Potentia was based on
