We’re climbing up the Coquihalla Connector, just outside of Peachland, on our way to Merritt. This is one of the steepest parts of the highway and more than one overworked family sedan has met its end before reaching the summit, as the assorted patches of blackened asphalt at the side of the road attest. If you want to keep up here, you’ve got to give it some welly.

Yet here we are, cruising comfortably at 160 kilometres per hour—well over the limit—and the rev counter is just a titch over 2,500 rpm. The car is hardly working, and we’re traversing the highway pass in complete comfort and silence. I can’t recall a more effortless drive over the Connector, and quite frankly, our illegal speed comes as a surprise—it just kind of sneaks up on me.

Even more surprising is the fact that I’m behind the wheel not of an über-expensive BMW, Jaguar, or Mercedes but of a made-in-Korea Kia K900.

Available in two trim levels, the K900 is powered by either a 311-horsepower V-6 or a 420-horsepower V-8. Our tester, the Elite model, had the latter engine, and in tandem with a silky-smooth eight-speed automatic transmission, you couldn’t ask for a more agreeable power train. Seemingly endless power reserve, silent in operation, smooth linear power delivery—what’s not to like? It even gets competitive (for this corner of the market) fuel economy: 10.3 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway. It’s desperately thirsty in the city, however.

But there’s more to this one than a nice drive train. Stylistically, it gets my vote as one of the slickest-looking upscale sedans on the market. Very much in keeping with contemporary styling trends, the K900 has what the company describes as a “graceful silhouette” and would be completely at home parked beside a BMW 7 series or a Mercedes S-Class. I could do without the unnecessary front fender chrome accents and I’m still trying to make up my mind about the front grille, but these are observations more than criticisms.

No qualms about the driving experience, however. As well as a nicely coordinated drive train, the K900 has an upscale interior that has all the mod cons without being overly complicated. Leather upholstery is standard, as is a rear-window sunshade, XM satellite radio, hill-start assist, and the usual comfort features we’d expect from a luxury sedan. The Elite version also has heated/cooled seats front and back (with three settings!), blind-spot detection, heads-up display (HUD), a huge sunroof, and GPS. This latter system is a little on the unusable side, but most are, as far as that goes. Loved the HUD, which allows you to keep track of your speed (ahem) much more efficiently than the usual analogue dials. If I had my druthers, I’d iron out the fuel-management system (which is a tad on the hyperactive side and has the transmission continuously “hunting” for optimum fuel economy), and high-speed handling could still use some refining, but again these aren’t deal-breakers.

Moving to the back seat, elbow room is cavernous—limousine proportions, with a generous 3,137 litres of overall interior space (that’s a lot). Trunk space is 450 litres, which is about in keeping with this type of vehicle and about the same as that of, oh, a Honda Accord. And on the Elite model, rear-seat passengers get their own heat/ventilation and seat controls. You’ll look long and hard to find more commodious rear-passenger seating, and riding in the back is definitely like being in the lap of luxury.

What’s interesting about the K900 is that companies like Kia and Hyundai have been building these kinds of government/diplomatic/top executive saloons for years—Kia’s top-of-the-range Amanti was sold in Canada until 2010, and the Hyundai Grandeur has been sold in Asia for years. This isn’t uncharted territory for them.

The K900 shares its platform with the Hyundai Genesis and Equus—no surprise there since Hyundai is the parent company, and the K900 kind of falls between the Genesis Technology model and the Equus; all three are equally luxurious. Pricewise, the K900 Elite starts at just under 70 large. After various delivery charges and levies, you’re nudging $72,000. The V-6 version is more affordable, with a $51,600 starting price. Aside from assorted comfort features and goodies and a 110-odd horsepower difference, the two offer similar driving experiences. But for high-speed highway driving comfort and performance, the Elite takes it, hands down.

Is it worth that extra $20,000? It is if you can afford it.