Kia, the company that brought you the Kia Sephia, has unveiled in Korea its latest name with a luxury car attached to it, the Kia Cadenza.
The presumed Amanti replacement is based on the KND-5 concept car and will appear first at the Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Dubai auto shows at the end of the year. The company has not released any specifications on this new big sedan. Nor has Kia mentioned when exactly it might replace the Amanti on the U.S. market. But surely the Cadenza, which Kia is aiming directly at the Ford Taurus and Buick LaCrosse, will be powered by a V6 engine. That's all well and good, but if so why name it after a frivolous and fruity piece furniture?
Oh, C-A-D-E-N-Z-A. Okay, forget it.
dougtheeng says:
06:54 AM, 10/19/09
looks like a pretty sleek looking vehicle to me.
stephen987 says:
06:58 AM, 10/19/09
I like the looks too--it's not QUITE a generic midsize sedan, though the styling is conservative and tasteful.
The Taurus and LaCrosse can use all the competition they can get.
By the way, from wikipedia, a cadenza is "an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display."
I hope they're going for "virtuosic display" and not improvised ornamentation--look at where that got the Chrysler 300.
lostandfound08 says:
07:08 AM, 10/19/09
Funny name, but I think you're confusing "Cadenza" with "Credenza".
altimadude00 says:
08:16 AM, 10/19/09
^Some people don't appreciate humor.
Looks like Kia is finally getting some trickle-down goodness from Hyundai.
sabastian says:
09:23 AM, 10/19/09
It looks like the Opel Insignia.
e10rice says:
09:38 AM, 10/19/09
Is it just me or do none of the Korea car makers have their own style. This looks just like a Ford Taurus or Buick LaCrosse. And Hyundai's Geniuses looks just like a 7 series or lexus. Get your own style Korea.
stephen987 says:
09:40 AM, 10/19/09
@e10rice: Look at the 2003-07 Hyundai Elantra, or the current Kia Amanti. Are you sure you want Korean style?
altimadude00 says:
10:36 AM, 10/19/09
You can thank pedestrian crash standards, side impact crash standards, roof crush strength standards, and aerodynamic efficiency standards for the shape of cars today. I know I'm missing some. But it's no surprise that cars today are looking more and more similar.
Besides, of you look like the other guy, but yours is cheaper, then you might steal some sales from the other guy.
isend2c says:
04:24 PM, 10/19/09
I think it's a good looking car, Overall, if a bit dull. And I DO think that Korean cars have their own style. The Santa Fe, Genesis Coupe, Tiburon, and Elantra (current gen for all) look pretty unique. The Genesis and the Sonata are a bit blah, but can be set apart from some others.
I have such a hard time saying that cars look "the same" or remarkably similar, on the whole. I like cars so I pay attention to the details of them. I point out cars to people and they can't tell the difference between a Citroen and a Ford. Pity.
hondacura4 says:
04:47 PM, 10/19/09
"This looks just like a Ford Taurus or Buick LaCrosse."
E10Rice, how so? I don't see anything about the Kia above that reminds me of either. It doesn't have the high belt line or odd character line of the Buick nor does it have the sleek/low greenhouse or sheer visual mass of the Taurus.
The only things I see that could be considered "borrowed styling" are the rear Audi inspired tail lights and something about the a-pillar/front fender/hood area gives me a very slight hint of the current BMW 7 Series.
xprojected says:
05:20 PM, 10/19/09
e10rice: It's just you.
dg0472 says:
06:52 PM, 10/19/09
@sabastian,
I have to ask: exactly what looks like an Insignia? The front facia is completely different. So is the roofline. Ditto the angle and look of the trunk. It's really getting old and pathetic to see all these people coming on here and throwing names around without pointing out what looks similar. It's worth pointing out that this car was spied in basically production-approved form more than a week before the Insignia was even revealed.
zoomzoomn says:
05:03 AM, 10/20/09
It's kind of scary how good alot of the new Kias and Hyundais are looking these days. They have really come of age and, more importantly they are starting to wear a consistant look that is setting a brand image. One thing about them in the past is that they always did extreme, wholesale changes in styling from one generation to the next. While this is neccessary at times to regain interest in a slow model, it does not allow a line to build as much of a loyal following.
DCuerpoJr says:
03:05 PM, 10/20/09
Impressive! I wonder what the interior looks like.