CADENZA I WHEELS
Kia designs another winner.
THE KIA booth at any auto show is alive with a lounge/cool vibe. Designer sketches of some of the best-looking cars in production float on the walls, and the hipster gaze of president and chief designer Peter Schreyer gazes out from a super-sized photo.
Schreyer is Kia’s rock star. The skinny black suits, the chunky astrophysicist-meets-Cary-Grant glasses and his up-to-the-minute personal esthetic seem to flow through the cars coming off Kia’s production line. In 2006 Schreyer left behind a 25-year career at Audi/Volkswagen to swank up the Kia fleet. Out popped the funky Kia Soul, the cheeky Kia Sportage and the oh-so-German-looking Forte 5.
These are cheery days for design at Kia. I always look forward to testing their cars. The designs are never dowdy, the functionality is first rate and they throw buckets full of features at drivers as part of the standard package.
The Cadenza, Kia’s front-wheel-drive, full-size sedan, was my latest ride and once again proves that Kia can mimic German goodness at cut-rate prices. Exterior styling is sleek, the interior is cut like a good suit, switches and buttons have a premium feel. For $44,995 my premium edition of the Cadenza included most of the trinkets one could ever hope for.
The base Cadenza at $37,795 includes navigation, rear camera, heated front seats, and LED headlight enhancements, on a long list of standard features. The premium package adds panoramic sunroof, front ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, leather and warnings for blind spot and lane departure. For years these sorts of creature comforts and safety aids resided only on the top of the line Benzs and BMWs. But here we are in a midpriced Korean sedan feeling pampered like Gwyneth Paltrow.
One engine choice is available, a 3.3litre V6 producing a sensible and usable 293 horsepower. Power delivery is robust without being stupid fast. The automatic can be controlled with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, but it works just fine on its own. Braking is good, the interior is quiet, and while the Cadenza doesn’t exactly erase the sensation of riding over bumps, it hits a good balance between having some road feel and delivering a luxury ride.
The weak link in Cadenza performance is the electric power steering, and it is universally criticized in reviews. To call it numb is almost too descriptive. It has no “on centre” feel. Turn it right, turn it left — it all feels the same, vague and over assisted. It’s a shame; throw in a sharp steering set up, and the Cadenza would be a world-beater.
There are so many things done right. The cabin at night is as glamorous as a boutique hotel. Graphics on the instrument cluster are stylish and readable, the navigation screen is clear and the system is easy to operate. It’s based on touch-screen operation and reacts predictably to inputs. The infotainment system can also be worked with voice control and works logically. Overall a great design that won’t send you ripping through the driver’s manual to get out of trouble.
A lot of thought seems to have gone into the design of the centre stack and console. Buttons are kept to a minimum, but the important ones are where you expect them. Between the driver and the passenger the console is placed at a congenial height, not a barrier but at a good level to rest an elbow, and with deep storage beneath. There is no height adjustment on the passenger seat. Boo! And oddly there are just two heat settings as opposed to three on the driver’s side.
In the backseat, it’s as airy as a greenhouse under that big panoramic sunroof. Legroom is generous, and as mentioned before, the heated seats make for a toasty ride in chilly weather. A big trunk, capable of storing 451 litres of stuff, is expected in the category.
The Cadenza felt like a full-out luxury car to me, but in the Kia lineup, I guess you could call it “luxury-lite” after their recent launch of the K900. The K9, priced at nearly $70,000 at the upper reaches, is built to compete with BMW, MercedesBenz, Jaguar and Cadillac.
So think of the Cadenza as a stepping stone, a sexy and slinky one, to convince buyers that Kia has a knockout punch when it comes to luxury.