Kia has released teaser sketches of the upcoming all-new Cadenza large sedan, showing an evolutionary design with bold new cues.
First and foremost is a new take on the hallmark Tiger Shark nose, showing a new inset moulded grille that takes on a virtual waterfall design (different from today’s flush sitting, honeycomb grille), complete with a curl at the bottom edge where the cascading water would meet the bottom of the cliff. The tabs top and bottom remain, drawn in to create a menacing curled-lip sneer look. Factor in larger, sleeker headlamps mounted higher on the shoulders, and the new face of Cadenza takes on a visually more aggressive look.
It also looks as if the LED driving lights will be drawn up as a faux lightning bolt, no doubt to compete against the boomerangs and arrowheads shown off by other luxury marques, and the foglights will take on the ice-cube-tray cluster design shown in the current Optima. The snout finishes off what Kia calls an elongated hood, which usually showcases a larger engine compartment (presumably to accommodate larger engines, though we doubt the line will deviate from the current 3.3-litre V6 that puts out 293 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque).
The sides and rear show less dramatics, with the window profile nearly identical to the current model, and the rear displaying taillamps similar to the current car, with the only perceived change a chrome strip along the bottom edge of the trunk lid. The car does boast a larger footprint and should have improved driving dynamics in correlation with what Kia describes as a lower, wider stance.
The interior is boldly changed as well, to offer higher levels of luxury and refinement, with the increased body width played up through reworked trim lines and the manner in which panels flow away from seat occupants to enhance the feeling of spaciousness. New materials and presentations are meant to play up the upscale elegance of the new generation Cadenza.
The car is due to go on sale worldwide in 2016, probably as a 2017 model, shortly after a public debut at one of the winter or spring auto shows.
