The Elite 98 guns are polished stainless not matte and the engravings are laser etched. There is also a new Elite model (the Elite 2000) in a black polymer finish. The Elite's trigger pull is shorter than the regular Kahr pistols. I think that is a negative not a plus, in this kind of self-defense type of gun.
I have an MK9 and I can't imagine the trigger on the Elite model could be smoother. Shorter maybe, but smoother, no. I remember the first time I dry fired the MK9. I thought, man this is sweet. It felt like a very smooth DA revolver which was Kahr's intent.