Stronger, Lighter Cadenza Debuts

NEW YORK – Kia reveals the second generation of its Cadenza large sedan today at the 2016 New York International Auto Show.

“Everything you see and touch in the Cadenza’s cabin has been improved, but it’s underneath where the Cadenza truly shines with a stiffer and lighter chassis, 8-speed transmission and vastly improved driving dynamics,” Orth Hedrick, vice president-product planning, says in a statement.

Unlike the recently redesigned midsize Optima sedan, which largely carried over its former appearance, the second-gen Cadenza sees some more pronounced styling changes.

Most notably, while Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille remains, it now is concave and in a hexagonal-shape.

Lower-priced trims and high-priced trims get different grilles: a 3-D-pattern diamond-butterfly grille or an “Intaglio” grille with vertical faceted blades.

Other styling updates for the car include piano-key taillights and chrome accents on the trunklid, side mirrors and rear quarter windows.

The new sedan is the same length as the outgoing model but is wider and lower, with a longer wheelbase for increased rear-seat legroom.

The car’s profile is changed by pushing the roofline rearward, which Kia says “slightly” improves trunk space.

The Cadenza’s interior has higher-quality materials, for example on door panels, and higher levels of craftsmanship than its predecessor, Kia says.

A new wraparound dashboard visually widens the interior space, while quilted seat bolsters with diamond-shaped stitching on available Nappa leather seats dress up the cabin.

Four interior colors now are available, with a new dark-brown shade added for ’17. The white color package remains but adds a new black woodgrain-style trim with a pearlescent finish.

Seats and seat-heating elements have been reengineered for greater comfort.

The car’s body now has double the amount of high-strength steel compared with the outgoing Cadenza body, 50%.

Stronger side panels with more tensile strength better resist dents, Kia claims, while the chassis lightens up with aluminum in lieu of steel in certain areas, such as front steering knuckles.

The Cadenza still is powered by a 3.3L direct-injected V-6, but it has been retuned for better fuel economy. Kia estimates 290 hp (down from 293 hp in ’16) will be transmitted to wheels via the new 8-speed AT, which is said to have crisp shifts and be lighter than the ’16 model’s 6-speed automatic.

Ride comfort is improved via Amplitude Selective Damping shock absorbers, with a Hydraulic Rebound Stopper in the absorbers for a smoother ride over harsh surfaces, Kia says.

The steering ECU goes from a 16-bit to a 32-bit processor for better responsiveness and on-center feel.

The Cadenza will be Kia’s first vehicle to launch with its autonomous-focused Drive Wise sub-branding. Drive Wise packages adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, forward-collision warning and autonomous emergency braking.

A new Kia safety technology is a smart blindspot system, which automatically applies the brakes to the front wheel opposite the direction of an unintentional lane drift.

A heads-up display, surround-view monitor and harman/kardon audio system with Clari-Fi music restoration technology are optional features, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is Kia’s UVO infotainment system.

The Cadenza has been one of Kia’s lower-volume models, not surprising as sales of other large sedans also have been weakened or slowed by bigger midsize models as well as a move by the segment’s traditionally older buyer base toward CUVs.

Cadenza sales hit 8,626 in 2013 and 9,267 in 2014, but fell 20.8% last year to 7,343. Toyota’s Avalon, the best-seller along mass-market nameplates in WardsAuto’s Lower Luxury group, saw a 10.7% decline last year to 60,063. The Cadenza’s platform mate, the Hyundai Azera, fell 23.4% in 2015 to 5,539 deliveries.

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