Large car segment buyers like a stylistic, smooth-riding car that’s loaded with standard features. The 2017 Kia Cadenza is certainly a car that hits the what-buyers-want targets. Second-generation Cadenza features high-quality materials and top-level craftsmanship. The 2017 sedan’s roominess (close to a half-inch of additional legroom for rear seat riders) made an hours-long road trip extremely comfortable. Cadenza’s slightly stretched wheelbase compliments a stiffer, lighter chassis comprised of more than 50 percent advanced high strength steel -- more than double the amount of AHSS from the first-generation Cadenza. The full-size sedan is offered is three trims: Premium, Technology, and Limited.
Powering the Cadenza is a 3.3-liter V6 releasing 290 horsepower at 6400 rpm and 253 pounds-feet of torque at 5200 rpm. The engine mates to a Kia-designed eight speed automatic transmission, marking a Kia-first application on a front wheel drive vehicle. A new for 2017 feature: a Head Up Display that provides information (such as the roadway’s speed limit, blind-spot vehicle alerts, turn-by-turn navigation directions) onto the windshield in the driver’s sight-line. The test driven 112-4-inch wheelbase Cadenza Limited collects estimated mpg of 20 city/28 highway and carries a MSRP of $44,390.