Kia K9 sedan, camouflaged Sportage spied testing

Kia was doing a bit of vehicle testing around Mammoth Lake, Calif., last weekend, and Autoweek reader Kristoffer Gjevre was there to capture the convoy. His photos show a camouflaged small SUV/ crossover and a completely undisguised K9 sedan backed up by Hyundai Santa Fe and Veloster support vehicles.

Based on the roofline and A, B and C pillars, that small crossover appears to be a Kia Sportage -- and the heavy concealment at the front and rear of the vehicle suggest updated fascias may be in the works. Gjevre added that the dashboard was concealed as well, so we'd be on the lookout for interior updates down the road.

The K9 sedan was, by contrast, exposed for the world to see. The rear-wheel drive K9, which shares a platform with the Hyundai Genesis, has been on sale in South Korea since May 2012.

Kia's United States lineup will grow by one sedan when the 2014 Kia Cadenza, known overseas as the K7, goes on sale in May. Kia has no official plans to bring the K9 to America, but spotting one testing on our shores can't be a bad sign.

By Graham Kozak