Kia Cadenza comes alive

Kia has taken the wraps off of its new luxury sedan, the Cadenza.

The Korean automaker has only sent out a brief outline on the new vehicle thus far, but we do know that it will replace the ho-hum Amanti in Canada and that the styling of the sedan is based heavily on the KND-5 concept car shown earlier this year at the Seoul Motor Show.

We’re suitably impressed with Kia design chief, Peter Schreyer’s, take on the car. With the Soul, Forte, and now the Cadenza, the automaker’s dialed-up its styling efforts considerably in recent years.

The ‘Cadenza’ name comes from an Italian musical term, “used to describe an elaborate, ornamental flourish for a concerto or aria.”

We’re anxious to know whether the sedan is front- or rear-wheel drive (a competitor to its Genesis cousin at Hyundai?) and what kinds of powertrains lurk under the hood. Kia only said that the car’s “driving performance, allied with a raft of competitive passenger-friendly high-tech features, will make it a leader in the large, luxury sedan market segment.”

Features mentioned by Kia include headlamps with LED surrounds, a futuristic ‘floating’ dashboard, interior mood lighting, a heated steering wheel, powered extendable seat cushions and ventilated front seats

The Cadenza makes its overseas premiere at motor shows in the Middle East towards the end of the year.