Executive Class
Kia’s full-size Cadenza oozes luxury sedan sophistication
It’s a crime, I tell you. We’re in a golden age of automobile design and engineering and yet some truly outstanding cars are dying on the vine because of some warped public perception (instigated by the manufacturers themselves) that sport utility vehicles and crossovers are better, hence more desirable.
One of the most egregious examples of consumer indifference is Kia’s new, second-generation Cadenza, a full-sized sedan that has luxury car potential at a price that is anything but extravagant. Yet only 71 have been sold through the first seven months of 2017. (Not that the entire large-car segment in Canada is doing gangbuster business; sales through July are fewer than 14,000 units. Over the same time period, more than 123,000 mid-size SUVs and crossovers have been sold.)
OK, the name sounds like it should be a piece of furniture or a musical instrument, and it’s only available in front-wheel drive, but otherwise Kia seriously upped its game with this one. Yes, the South Korean manufacturer is better known for its lower-priced hatchbacks and compact sedans as well as highly regarded crossovers, but it’s not as if it’s foolishly reaching for the stars here. The second-generation Cadenza is as much an “executive” four-door as the others: Toyota Avalon, Chevy Impala, Nissan Maxima, Buick LaCrosse, Ford Taurus and Chrysler 300/Charger. Don’t forget, Peter Schreyer, Kia’s chief design officer, spent more than 20 years at Audi and Volkswagen; he knows a few things about premium automobiles.
Plus, the model’s price range is exceedingly attractive. The base version starts at just $36,295, while the Premium is $41,495 and the topline Limited — the model I’m testing — is offered at $45,795. Replace the Kia name with that of an upscale (i.e., German) manufacturer and charging another $20,000 or more would seem perfectly logical.
It must be said, though, the Cadenza is a family-oriented sedan, much like the reputation that follows Buick’s products. There is nothing inherently sporty about it, despite having a Sport mode to go along with Eco, Smart and Comfort. This is not to say the Kia is slug-like, far from it. It will move along quite smartly when the gas pedal is given a healthy prod. Acceleration to 100 km/h is just a tick less than seven seconds, a perfectly acceptable figure.
Powering the Cadenza is the same 3.3-litre V6 that was in its predecessor, only slightly re-tuned, says Kia, for improved fuel efficiency and power. It produces 290 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, both numbers down a bit from the first generation, with the engine now mated with the company’s first front-wheel-drive-based eightspeed automatic transmission. Not that there was much wrong with the old six-speed, but the new, lighter unit was developed to provide more responsive shifts and, as a result, a more fun-to-drive experience. Kia is right on the money on the first count, if just a tad optimistic on the second.
No such quibbles pop up when it comes to the sedan’s driving dynamics. The Cadenza is built for comfort, delivering an exemplary ride that makes long-distance travel a pleasure. Kia’s engineers put a lot of effort into enhancing the car’s overall structural stiffness as well as its suspension. More aluminum was used, and the front and rear subframes were retuned with new larger bushings that improved lateral stiffness.
Stylistically, the Cadenza sports a pleasing, non-offensive look, with the exception of its face, now sporting a concave and curved derivation of Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille. For the 2017 sedan it has evolved into a new hexagonal shape that, in the words of the automaker, helps the car “achieve more visual width with extended lines below the headlights.” It’s a bit of an acquired taste.
With the new redesign comes a slightly larger cabin. The roofline has been extended rearward by 50.8 millimetres, which has made for a sportier profile while maintaining rear headroom and slightly improving trunk space (452 L). As for the amenities found within the cabin, let’s just say that the Cadenza Limited is very generously equipped from both luxury and technology standpoints. It includes a full quilted-leather interior, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and a head-up display that shows speed, turn-by-turn navigation directions and posted speed limit (though it doesn’t catch every speed limit change). The surround-view monitor has been updated with improved software and higher resolution. And that’s just a sampling.
Safety doesn’t get short shrift either. Driver assistance technologies include “smart” cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning and blind-spot detection.
Whether consumers still can’t wrap their heads around Kia inching upscale (sibling company Hyundai faced a similar battle) or there’s a concerted lack of effort on the part of the company to properly market the sedan, the Cadenza languishes at the bottom of the large-car heap. Maybe it’s that, with few sporting pretensions, it seems to be skewed toward a more mature audience. Whatever the reason, the Cadenza is a value-laden, comfortable-riding, family four-door that deserves far more respect than it is currently getting.