The words luxury full-size family sedan are typically not associated with the Kia brand. If I tried preaching that Kia’s a luxury brand – I might get some strange looks. After a few moments those strange glares might turn to curiosity and intrigue, as the Kia Motors Corporation has rebranded itself into a serious contender that could do no wrong. 

Kia makes quality vehicles. A statement I couldn’t say seven-to-ten years ago is now a reality. And not only do they make quality vehicles, they make them at a price that’s affordable and filled with the latest technology. 

In Kia’s latest venture, they aim to prove that they’re not just a small compact or SUV contender, but one that can make a statement at the full-size flagship sedan level. That brings us to the brand-new 2014 Kia Cadenza. 

Kia intends to bring in a new set of customers by giving them everything they would want in a full-size sedan priced right around the $40K threshold. Its cutting edge design, quality touches, latest technology and performance offers tremendous value that’s hard to beat. 

Kia could be foolish to enter this market and stick to areas they’ve excelled at in the past few years, but this segment of vehicles that include the Acura TL, Buick LaCrosse, Nissan Maxima and Toyota Avalon have gotten a bit stale over time. Leading to possibly the perfect time to jump in and impress.

Initial Glance

The Cadenza is the brainchild of Kia’s Chief Design Officer and newly appointed co-President, Peter Schreyer. Schreyer is well-known for his signature “tiger nose” grille and that’s front-and-center when looking at the new Cadenza. 

Its LED headlights form the rest of the tiger’s face providing a hint of aggressiveness, but Schreyer made sure it’s not too overwhelming. The Cadenza is a family car that leans on the conservative side with its focus on luxury and refinement.

The side of the vehicle continues this hint away from a full-on conventional featuring sporty lines that run across the body of the car in-line with the door handles until it reaches the front wheels, where the line that a nosedive plunge. A little more style is found with its large, panoramic sunroof that’s found in the premium package. These touches of style add a little substance to what would otherwise be a typical full-size snooze fest. 

A Look Inside

I was amazed by the upscale look of the Cadenza’s interior. It’s clean, polished and sophisticated inside – a look that’s mostly found in your premium BMWs, Mercedes-Benz, etc. The premium package also comes with a seven-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LCD screen for its speedometer and tachometer. This LCD screen is a full-colour display that delivers plenty of driving information, but from its look it instantly kicks the Cadenza up a class resembling the instrument panel looks of the new Jaguars. 

You might be impressed so far, but there’s so much more. I tested the Cadenza with the luxury trim, so I was treated with grey perforated Nappa leather seats that go well with its soft-leather dashboard and wood touches throughout the cabin. You will also be pleased to find a heated steering wheel, as well as heated or cool seats. 

Two things that seemed to be out of place in the interior were the wood trim and the analogue clock. It just appeared like Kia was forcing its luxury on the Cadenza rather than it exuding luxury on its own. 

As much as I talked about the special upgrades you can get, the base model provides you a load of typical extras. Without paying anything more, you get voice-activated navigation, Sirius satellite radio, a back-up rear view camera and rear parking sensors, and an Infinity 12-speaker premium sound system.

In terms of space, there’s plenty to go around in the new Cadenza. It holds true to its full-size with plenty of room in the back for three adults and ample head and leg room in the front. The trunk space can fit at least three bodies or four golf bags – whichever reference you prefer.

Under the Hood

The Cadenza is powered by a 3.3-litre, direct-injected V-6 engine that produces 293 hp and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is the same one on the 2014 Sorento and it up there equalling or exceeding its competitors in the power department. 

The Cadenza only comes in a six-speed automatic transmission with the addition of some paddle shifters for your pleasure. There’s no all-wheel drive available for those Canadian winters, as the front wheels steer the Cadenza forward. The front-wheel drive helps save some weight on the Cadenza and frees up plenty of interior space for its passengers.

On the Road

The Cadenza has all the speed you want and more than you’ll ever need for a premium luxury sedan. One the road, the engine jets off smoothly with seamless shifting from its six-speed transmission. You rarely feel the brunt of the road allowing you to enjoy your quite ride. Upon acceleration, the Cadenza gets up to 100 km/h in just under 8 seconds and turns into a nice cruise once you level off in the 80-120 km/h range. 

The real problem seems to come in the handling and steering department. I found the steering to be pretty loose and it had a bit of oversteer leading me to constantly have to correct myself. 

The steering disconnect has to do with the electric-power steering and I have to admit, it bothered me throughout the week. You want a vehicle to turn where you direct it, but at times, it takes time to get used to a different type of steering feel. Keep in mind, I change cars every week, so I would eventually get used to it – the loose steering is just not a preference. I enjoy a tighter ride for full control. 

When it comes to fuel economy, I mostly drove in the city during the first part of the week and mustered a lofty 16.0L/100 km. When I re-set those numbers and drove mostly on the highway I cracked the 10.0L/100 km barrier with a 9.9. Combined you will most likely see 11-13L/100 km numbers which aren’t earth shattering, but not close to the worst either. The Cadenza ends up falling somewhere in the middle in the fuel economy category.

Technology

There’s a lot that comes with the base Cadenza, more than many other base cars. However, if safety technology is your thing – you’ll have to bump up to the premium edition. We’ve already mentioned some optional features you would get (panoramic sunroof, TFT LCD screen), and in addition to those you will receive Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Blind Spot Detection System (BSD), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with auto hold, and finally, Adaptive HID headlights.

The ASCC is radar-based automatically maintaining your distance from the car ahead. Both LDWS and BSD use cameras and radar to denote if you’re veering out of the lane or have a vehicle that you don’t see in your blind spot. This technology can be very helpful, especially when you’re signalling to change lanes. The Cadenza will make a beep to warn you if there’s a car in the way of that lane change. Adaptive lightning is a nice perk to have on those dark drives without street lighting. As you make turns on your drive, the headlamps steer with you around each corner providing some visibility for that area. 

In Summary

The Kia Cadenza has a lot to offer and it has entered this full-size luxury sedan segment in a big way, offering customers a lot for a reasonable price. It has a bit of everything which can be a good thing, but it also feels disjointed at the same time. The Cadenza comes off as a jack of all trades, but not a master of any. 

For an initial creation, the Cadenza is impressive and shows off to the world what Kia can accomplish. The days of Kia being the brunt of jokes are long gone and I would say that it’s worth venturing into a dealership to check out their products. 

The loose steering can make the drive with the Cadenza less enjoyable, but the combination of power, technology, refinement and luxury are hard to resist. The base price goes for $37,995 and if you need to upgrade to the premium package, it will cost an even $7K more. If you’ve always wanted those options and refinement in a car, but couldn’t afford the BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi prices – the Cadenza might be the perfect fit and the best bang for your buck.

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