2009 KIA K7 / Cadenza 3.5L V6 GDI 6AT FWD (290 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Over the years, Kia made great efforts to approach a premium brand status, and the full size sedan, the Cadenza, was one of their best moves.

The modern styling of the Cadenza was designed to hold up for a longer period of time and nevertheless, it looked attractive and sophisticated.

If you wondered where the nameplate of Cadenza came from, a “cadenza” is the portion of a song where a solo takes place, so probably Kia considered it a great representation.

The interior of the new Cadenza was luxurious, with most of the features being driver oriented.

The luxury feeling was given by the greatly insulated cabin, the soft touch materials and the wood accents.

And since luxury cannot come without comfort, the Cadenza offered premium features such as heated leather seats, a rear-view camera, a 12-speaker surround audio system, power folding mirrors, ventilated seats and a panoramic sunroof.

Safety was not left aside, with a smart cruise control system, blind spot detection and lane departure warning.

While a full size sedan, both legroom and headroom were a little insufficient for the rear passengers compared to other cars in the segment.

The trunk had a good size, being able to carry a decent load.

Most of the mechanicals were shared with the Honda Azera and driving the Cadenza felt engaging and comfortable.

The Cadenza ran on a 3.3-liter V6 engine that was mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The powerplant developed 293 hp and rocketed the vehicle to 100 kph in around 7 seconds.

The Cadenza offered great comfort on long distances while still offering a good fuel consumption for the class.

The starting price varied between $35,900 and $41,900, depending on the trim level.