The Korean automaker expects this gearbox to provide “quick and crisp shifts” and that’s going to be important in a segment where everybody is trying to offer increased sportiness on the road.
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“Styling highlights include new 18″ and 19” wheels, fully redesigned bodywork from Kia’s design studio in California, the signature “Tiger Nose” grille in a slightly tweaked, hexagonal shape, and LED lights. A new underbody fairing and front air curtains also have been added which help lower the Cadenza’s coefficient of drag from 0.29 to 0.28.
Mechanical updates over the outgoing Cadenza include a more extensive use of high-strength steel in the car’s construction, as well as the use of aluminium in various chassis and steering components. Moving further back, we can see a sportier roofline, a dynamic greenhouse, and plenty of chrome trim. Higher trim models in the Cadenza’s lineup will receive the “Intaglio” grille with vertically oriented, faceted blades.
I wouldn’t blame you if you have a hard time remembering the Kia Cadenza exists. New to the 2017 Cadenza is a heads-up display, higher-res Surround View Monitor, Smart Trunk which conveniently opens the trunk lid if the sensor detects the key fob for more than three seconds, and a wireless smartphone charger.
Kia says the Cadenza will arrive at dealers later this pricing. Drive Wise packages adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, forward-collision warning and autonomous emergency braking.
Under the hood of the 2017 Kia Cadenza is a 3.3-liter V6 engine that has been revised to deliver improved fuel economy.
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. With an estimated 290 hp on tap (exact power output and fuel economy figures will be released closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date), the engine sends power to the front wheels via Kia’s first FWD-based eight-speed automatic transmission.
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In terms of connectivity, the Cadenza features Kia’s latest generation UVO system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, while audiophiles will enjoy listening to music through a 12-speaker Harman/Kardon system. Despite having two extra cogs, the eight-speed transmission, which was designed in-house, is lighter than the unit in the outgoing model.
