Kia Motors has been known for making very safe, reliable cars, that have good fuel economy. What it hasn’t been famous for is making luxury vehicles. But, in the last couple of years they have been trying to change that, launching a few models that are different from everything else they’ve made before. These efforts are especially noticeable on the 2014 Cadenza, which is supposed to offer much more luxury features than all other Kia models. It had its world premiere at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and it’s expected to become available for purchase in the United States in May 2013.
The 2014 Cadenza is a full-size 4-door sedan, and the manufacturer is advertising it as a vehicle that is most suitable for executives. Kia is trying to convince them that the Cadenza is a better choice than the Buick Lacrosse and the Toyota Avalon, which are supposed to be its main competitors in the North American market.
Under the hood of the Cadenza, you will find a 3.3-liter V6 direct injection engine, producing 293 horsepower, along with 255 lb.-ft of torque. It comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission, and a multilink rear suspension. It’s a front-wheel-drive car that uses the Type-N platform. It’s engine is more powerful than the ones that the Lacrosse and the Avalon use, and it’s offered with a 100,000-mile or a 10-year powertrain coverage, along with a 5-year or 60,000-mile basic warranty.
Inside, the Kia Cadenza has leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, keyless entry with push-button ignition, as standard features. The base model includes a backup camera, a navigation system, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. As far as infotainment is concerned, there is an 8-inch touchscreen, along with a 12-speaker Infinity audio system, and the UVO voice command.
If you are looking for more luxury and high-tech features, and you can afford to pay for them, you can buy the Premium or the Technology package. The Premium package includes a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a 7-inch TFT screen, heated steering wheel, adaptive HID headlights, a panoramic sunroof, and Napa leather upholstery. You can have all that for an additional $3,000. The Technology package, which costs $6,000, offers 19-inch aluminum wheels, a lane-departure warning system, a blind-spot detection system, as well as an electronic parking brake.
When it comes to the exterior design, the Kia Cadenza is a very modern-looking, stylish car, with chrome accents in the rear and at the bottom of the doors, and a signature Kia grille that looks quite stylish and makes for a pretty dynamic, sporty look.
Overall, the Cadenza is another Kia vehicle that is very reliable, safe and has a good fuel efficiency, like all Kia models, but it has something that the Korean car maker hasn’t offered until now. It’s the luxury features that make it stand out from previous Kia vehicles, such as the Optima, the Cede and the Sorento, which have been the most popular Kia models in recent years. As far as price is concerned, it’s expected to cost over $33,000.
