Kia will be releasing their upmarket models into Western Europe, albeit in limited quantities, with the goal of having them all becoming permanent fixtures by the time 2016 rolls around.
The Optima, known as the K5 in South Korea, is currently the largest of the Kia cars offered in Europe.
The models such as the K7 premium sedan, which is also known as the Cadenza in other parts of the world, and the K9 flagship sedan, also known as the K900 in the USA, are currently not available for sale in Europe.
However, the company is looking to change that by bringing the next-generation Cadenza into the European market.
The plan is to make only 1,000 units available so that the Korean car company can get an idea of how it the fully redesigned Cadenza will be received.
If all goes well, Kia may decide to make the sedan a permanent feature in Europe once the next generation is made available.
Cadenza Redesign In 2016
2016 is when the next-generation Cadenza is expected to be released, at which point it may end up in Europe, as well as in Australia, the UK, and South Africa, as Kia is also looking at the possibility of a right-hand drive variant.
Should the Cadenza make it to Europe on a permanent basis, expect it to include advanced technologies found in the new K900 luxury sedan.
Those include a multi-display TFT LCD instrument cluster, heads-up display unit, VIP rear seats with heating, cooling and electronic reclining.
In order to compete in the highly-competitive European market, the carmaker will also have to think about adding a diesel option to the 2016 Cadenza range.
Still, it’s going to be a tough road for Kia, though, going against the best that the Germans have to offer in the premium sedan segment.
The GT is NOT a full-size sedan (about the size of the G37/Q50) and we aren’t even sure if Kia will keep it essentially as is or just do a 2-door coupe.
The Cadenza and K9/K900 appeal to different market segments, and what the Cadenza needs (for the US) is a hybrid which Kia is working on and a couple of diesel powerplants for Europe (as well as Korea where diesel is becoming more popular).
yea i agree. gt will be slotted between optima/cadenza and quoris. i thought thats beacause hdai is making 4dr coupe based on gen coupe in 2015/2016. so that also means it’ll be rwd and awd option. which also makese me wonder why they’re making 2 cars . i thought peter s wanted more differentiation so why make 2 4dr coupe for 2 brands just differnet designs. what makes gen 4dr coupe sedan stand out over kia gt? and vice versa. i think its silly. they’re making too many cars and rebadging like ford and chrysler are doing. terrible move. simplify the line up. focus on new nitch cars. small suv, small sports car, etc. that do not exist. it’s becoming thin
As Kia moves toward making higher quality vehicles, sales WILL continue falling, get used to it. They have made it VERY clear that they are seeking quality over quantity. For me, that is just fine.
i dont understand what that means. r u saying if they try to make more cars they’ll skip the parts and just ship it out? why can’t they get more suppliers and also increase the quantity? i dont understna dhow selling less will help with quality. more time to build? toyota/honda has been doing it for a long time. what they need is another plant.
problems,
differentiation.
1. where are the hybrids like the prius? to Earth first kind of person?
2. styling must keep on being unique, since the competition copies and pastes into derivative hell. but the sportage is sporty and doesnt sell. Something else is going on obviously.
3. car’s are aspirational and becomes a fashion or life statement. SUbaru’s are for yuppies in vermont who need 4 wheel drive. At least that is what subaru sells. Toyota is for the ultimate practical person, HOnda is ditto. the American brands sell the patriotic way to buy a car. And the German brands aspire to be elite. Where does Hunday and Kia fit in ?Where is that super car that has over 600 HP but is only 40K? Where is that super luxury car but only 50K? The Equus is nice but not a super luxury car. Hunday should have built a huge engine capable of 600 HP. Where is the versatility of the 4WD for their most popular models like the Optima and Soul?
UNless, The Chairman CHong MOng Koo changes he will lead his company into irrelevance. Something has to change.
It means that instead of focusing on quantity, they are going to focus more on quality. Owning a Hyundai or Kia will be more exclusive. Hyundai and Kia are in business to make money, not be the world’ biggest car company…I don’t see why anyone would want them to be. Don’t get me wrong, I love Hyundai and Kia and will never own anything else, but personally I’m okay with sales slowing. Kia is building up their brand perception, and they need to really focus on how their cars are being assembled, and the quality of materials they are using. They need to make sure their cars have bulletproof reliability, user-friendliness, and ergonomics, while continuing to maintain a similar value proposition. Maybe someday, when they have the formula just right and their brand perception is number one, then they can ramp production back up slowly.
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Biggest clue that Hyundai and Kia have no intention of increasing global sales – no new factories are being built, nor are any planned. They have a goal of being a luxurious marque by 2017….something that isn’t going to happen if they just slap cars together to beat sales records. They know what they are doing.