Kia reveals upmarket saloon

By Luke Madden

19th October 2009

Named after an Italian musical term used to describe an elaborate, ornamental flourish; Kia's latest car, the Cadenza is aiming high. Looking to compete with the Audi A6 and BMW 5-series, the newcomer represents the Korean firm's first foray into the luxury saloon market.

Based on the VG concept shown at the Seoul Motor Show earlier this year, the Cadenza sports a sleek exterior design with hints of BMW 3-Series and Saab 9-5.  Styling touches such as a prominent front grille and aggressive-looking headlights surrounded by LEDs, complement the sporty exterior.

The Cadenza continues to impress inside with a raft of striking design features, including a 'floating' dashboard and a mood-lighting strip to bathe the interior in a warm glow. Luxury gadgets are everywhere with a heated steering wheel, powered extendable seat cushions and ventilated, 'cooling' front seats all included as standard.

There's no word yet on what will power the Cadenza, although the 273bhp 3.5-litre V6 from the original VG concept is likely to be amongst the choices.

The all-new saloon will be officially released at Middle Eastern motor shows later this year, hinting at its target market. But there are no plans to for it to go on sale in Britain. A spokesman for Kia UK said: "Despite its striking appearance and high-tech engineering I do not believe this is the right time to try and extend our range into a sector of the market that is dominated by German brands."