The Kia Cadenza (also known in South Korea as Kia K7) () is a

full-size Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars. It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as ...

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

sedan manufactured by

Kia Kia Corporation (, formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業) and Kia Motors Corporation) is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second larges ...

. It was launched in 2010 to replace the Kia Opirus/Amanti. As of January 2014, it was sold in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, and the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. A total of four engines were applied to the car as options, including the 2.4L Theta II MPI engine, 2.7L Mu MPI engine, 2.7L Mu LPI engine, and 3.5L Lambda II MPI engine, and a 6-speed automatic transmission as the gearbox.

First generation (VG; 2009)

The Cadenza uses the new

front-wheel-drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional l ...

''Type-N'' platform with MacPherson front suspension and a multilink rear suspension. The Cadenza was offered with three gasoline engines ranging from 165

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

to 290 horsepower for the 3.5-liter ''Lambda''. A new 2.4-liter ''Theta II'' with

gasoline direct injection Gasoline direct injection (GDI), also known as petrol direct injection (PDI), is a fuel injection system for internal combustion engines that run on gasoline (petrol) which injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber. This is distinct f ...

(''GDI'') that produced 201 horsepower was also available. A hybrid K7 700h was available in Korea, featuring a 159 hp four cylinder engine and a 35 kW electric motor. The Kia Cadenza was designed by Kia design chief Peter Schreyer who was chief designer at

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...

and uses Kia's corporate ''Tiger Nose'' grille. In January 2013,

announced that the Cadenza will be available in the

. It is Kia's version of the

Hyundai Azera The Hyundai Grandeur () is a full-size sedan manufactured and marketed by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 1986, over seven generations. From 1986 to 1996, the Grandeur was the flagship for Hyundai's South Korean range before the H ...

. Standard features will include leather seats,

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is li ...

, a

navigation system A navigation system is a computing system that aids in navigation. Navigation systems may be entirely on board the vehicle or vessel that the system is controlling (for example, on the ship's bridge) or located elsewhere, making use of radio or oth ...

, Kia UVO,

alloy wheels In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. Alloys are mixtures of a metal and other elements. They generally provide greater strength over pure metals, which are usually much soft ...

, and other

luxury car A luxury car is a passenger automobile providing superior comfort levels, features, and equipment. More expensive materials and surface finishes are used, and buyers expect a correspondingly high quality (business), build quality. The term is ...

features. This was one of five

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

luxury sedan A luxury car is a passenger automobile providing superior comfort levels, features, and equipment. More expensive materials and surface finishes are used, and buyers expect a correspondingly high quality (business), build quality. The term is ...

s sold in the

at the time, the other four cars being the

Hyundai Genesis The Hyundai Genesis () is an executive car manufactured and marketed by Hyundai Motor Company over two generations from 2008 until 2016, before it was renamed the Genesis G80. It is a five-passenger, four-door, rear- or all-wheel-drive sedan. ...

, Kia K900 and

Hyundai Equus The Hyundai Equus () was a full-sized, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by Hyundai Motor Company from 1999 to 2016. It was produced over two generations in a four-door, five passenger configuration. The na ...

. The car features

Nappa leather Napa leather (often called Nappa leather) is a leather noted for its soft feel, derived as it is from calves, lambs, and kid goats, which have soft hides. It is a generic term in the leather field and has no distinct test for characterization. A ...

seats, a feature commonly found on more expensive vehicles such as those from

BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...

and

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

. 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.

Powertrain

Gallery

File:0 Kia K7 (VG) 4.jpg, Kia K7 (pre-facelift) File:KIA CADENZA (VG) China (cropped).jpg, Kia Cadenza (facelift) (China) File:2016 Kia Cadenza in Platinum Graphite, Rear Left, 08-02-2022.jpg, Kia Cadenza (facelift) (US)

Second generation (YG; 2016)

Released in Fall 2016, the second generation Kia Cadenza was redesigned by Peter Schreyer. The car is offered with a revised 3.3-liter V6 that generates . Aside from the 6-speed

automatic Automatic may refer to: Music Bands * Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band * Automatic (American band), American rock band * The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band Albums * ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...

, the Cadenza is offered with a new in-house developed 8-speed automatic with a drive mode select system.

2019 update

The Cadenza received a facelift in June 2019. Mechanical changes include a new 2.5L SmartStream G engine replacing the 2.4L Theta II GDI engine while the 3.5L Lambda II MPI engine replaces the 3.3L Lambda II GDI engine in some regions. For styling, the update includes a new grille and hood, new front and rear bumpers, new wheel design and a new 12.3 inch infotainment touchscreen. The Cadenza was discontinued in Canada after the 2019 model year, and in the US after the 2020 model year. Kia cited the market transition from large cars to crossovers and SUVs. Production ended in January 2021 to make way for a new model, the Kia K8.

Powertrain

Safety

The Cadenza received a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) is an American nonprofit organization. It was established in 1959, and it is noted for its safety reviews of vehicles in various simulated traffic situations, ...

(IIHS).

Gallery

File:2019 Kia Cadenza Limited, rear right, 11-01-2022.jpg, Rear view File:20190723 K7 Premier Hybrid Front Side.png, K7 facelift front (South Korea) File:20190723 K7 Premier Hybrid Rear Side.png, K7 facelift rear (South Korea)

Sales

References

{{Kia North America

Cadenza In music, a cadenza, (from , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist(s), usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display ...

Cars introduced in 2010 Cars discontinued in 2021 2020s cars Full-size vehicles Sedans Front-wheel-drive vehicles Hybrid vehicles