Manufacturer Kia Motors Production 2010–present Class Large / Executive car | Also called Kia K7 (South Korea) Designer Peter Schreyer | |
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Assembly Hwasung, South Korea (Kia)
Oskemen, Kazakhstan (Azia Avto) | ||
The Kia Cadenza, or Kia K7 in South Korea, is Kia's large car launched in 2010 to replace the Kia Opirus/Amanti.
Contents
- North American launch of the Cadenza 2013 and First Generation 2010 2016
- Marketing
- Second Generation 2017 present
- References
The Cadenza uses the new front-wheel-drive Type-N platform with MacPherson front suspension and a multilink rear suspension. Cadenza will be offered with three gasoline engines ranging from 165 horsepower to 290 horsepower for the 3.5-liter Lambda, included the new 2.4-liter Theta II with gasoline direct injection (GDI) and 201 horsepower. A hybrid K7 700h is available in Korea, with a 159 hp four cylinder and a 35 kW electric motor.
The Kia Cadenza was designed by Kia design chief Peter Schreyer who was chief designer at Audi and uses Kia's corporate Tiger Nose grille.
As of January 2014, the sedan is available in South Korea, United States, Canada, China, Brazil, and Middle East.
North American launch of the Cadenza (2013) and First Generation (2010-2016)
In January 2013, Kia announced that the Cadenza will be available in the United States. It is Kia's version of the Hyundai Azera. Standard features will include leather seats, Bluetooth, a navigation system, Kia UVO, alloy wheels, and other luxury car features. This will be one of four Korean luxury sedans sold in the United States, the other three cars being the Hyundai Genesis, Kia K900 and Hyundai Equus, which are currently on sale in the United States, and are manufactured by Hyundai and Kia.
The car features Nappa leather seats, a feature commonly found on more expensive vehicles such as those from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The Nappa leather is available in three colors: black, beige, or white (the white interior requires all three packages available on the Cadenza: the Luxury, Technology, and White Interior Packages). The driver's seat is both heated and ventilated, and the passenger's seat is heated. The rear seats can also be heated. A dual sunroof is available. The car features the 3.3L, 294 horsepower V6, the most powerful engine available for the Cadenza. The engine is used in the Cadenza's platform mate, the Hyundai Azera, and is a Hyundai-built engine from the Lambda engine family.
Marketing
At launch of the North American Cadenza, Kia used a commercial, depicting a woman arriving at her high school class reunion in a Cadenza, to the amazement of her classmates. The commercial shows the luxury features that the Cadenza has, and features a remix of David Bowie's 1983 song, "Let's Dance", which was remixed by InFiction.
Second Generation (2017-present)
The 2017 model will begin production in Fall 2016, the 2017 Kia Cadenza will be completely redesigned.