Nice handling, smooth ride and dependable power are just some of the words that come to mind to describe the new Cadenza 2014, just presented to the press on dreamy Del Mar, Ca.
Over two days at this affluent coastal Southern California community, executives of the Korean manufacturer showed their confidence that the newly arrived will continue to push up a brand that has come a long way from the days when people used to mix it up with Ikea.
According to Michael Sprague, executive VP for Marketing and Communications for the company, at classy boutique hotel L` Auberge del Mar: "this is the most technologically advanced Kia ever coming to the US market".
The car will go from $35.100 for a Premium version to $38.100 for the Luxury model and $41.1000 for a more sophisticated -and briefly tested- Technology, fully loaded.
It rivals Avalon, Maxima, Lacrosse and Taurus, TL and Lacrosse among others in this segment, but according to Kia, when it comes to price Cadenza sits on the lower part of a stair that just goes up from there.
A new key element for the new model is its connectivity at zero cost, possible because Cadenza uses your smartphone paired with UVO infotainment system to give you a cloud like myriad of choices such as road assistance, vehicle diagnostics and even parking finder for those of us who easily forget where is that we left our car at the mall, and makes things easy when it comes to telecommunicate just by downloading an app to your phone.
Henry Bzeih, Chief Technology Strategist, Connected Car & Infotainment (besides having one of the largest titles ever known) has a 100% confidence that this time Kia has an indisputable proposition.
"We discovered, talking to people, that they wanted all services in terms of connectivity but where not willing to pay, so we gave them for free", says. At least for 100.000 miles/10 years.
But all of this talk may come cheap if the car actually doesn't perform over the pavement.
So that is what we tried to find out taking it for a brief and curvy ride from Del Mar to Temecula wine country and back, to test it.
The new Cadenza has an upscale look without being ostentatious. This part of the plan about making a model that appeals to the new idea of smart is the new rich, was, in our view, a success.
When it comes to power, it´s 3.3 L engine gives you a confident push entering the highway or simply taking on a steep hill, which does without hesitation with it´s 293hp and, most important these days, without breaking the bank at the gas station. It´s average MPG is 22 (19 City 28 Hwy).
The ride is soft and the grip is firm, as the car manages to take on the turns with stability and precision, thanks to an effective Multi-link rear suspension.
The top of the line Technology model comes with a very useful blind spot detector and a little annoying lane departure warning system that were really helpful when trying, busily, to find our way after getting inexplicably lost.
Finally, the interior is very roomy and its navigational system has easy to understand graphics, although the control panel feels a little bit boring.
The overall result is a very positive note for the car and its performance, and a new hit for the brand.
Courtesy of Kia Newsroom
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