2017 Kia Cadenza launched

Kia had a surprise for everyone at the New York Auto Show. The brand finally unveiled the new Kia Cadenza to the world. This new facelifted Cadenza was expected for a while and it looks quite similar to the one launched in Korea last year. 

The new Kia Cadenza is still based on its cousin – the Azera from the sister company Hyundai. Though, I must say, the Cadenza looks better of the lot. The car will be equipped with the same 3.3 liter V6 engine like the previous model and will produce 290 BHP and 338 Nm of torque. This engine will be coupled with a front-wheel-drive system like its predecessor so there are no surprises here in this department. However, with the whole turbo engines being released by Kia currently, one would expect a more fuel-efficient turbocharged engine in the Cadenza as well, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Hopefully, in the future there will be turbocharged variant as Kia has a history of listening to its customers.

There is one major difference though in the new Cadenza as compared to the previous model. The new model is equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission compared to the predecessor which was running on a six-speed automatic gearbox. Well, there you go. Kia made the Cadenza more fuel efficient by adding two more gears. It is the first time a Kia has been equipped with a front-wheel-drive and eight-speed transmission and hopefully this will follow in other Kia models as well. 

Coming to the looks, the new Kia Cadenza has a brand new refreshed exterior which is beautiful from every angle. The evolutionary design makes it look like a Lexus ES from all angles. The interior is mostly the same like the predecessor with less fake wood trimming. The car will be arriving by end of this year.

Click here for Kia specs and prices

Editor's Picks:

First Drive: 2016 Lincoln MKX

Comparing the Corolla vs Civic vs Sentra