SEOUL, March 28 (Reuters) - South Korea's Kia Motors plans to sell its upscale Quoris sedan in the United States next year, a top executive told Reuters on Thursday, a critical test for the affiliate of Hyundai Motor to move beyond its image as a maker of value-for-money cars.
"We plan to launch Quoris in the United States in the first half of next year. We are considering whether or not to change the name because some people say it is difficult to pronounce the name," the executive said on the sidelines of the Seoul Motor Show that kicks off on Thursday.
Quoris, sold as the K9 in South Korea, is Kia's first rear-wheel drive luxury sedan, but the model, launched in South Korea and some overseas markets such as the Middle East last year, failed to meet its target - sales reached 7,700 last year, less than half the 18,200 target. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)