Kia is planning a small-scale introduction of more upmarket models in Western Europe as the South Korean carmaker wants to have these models as permanent fixtures from 2016. At the moment, Kia’s largest car offered in Europe is the Optima , a family sedan which is known as the K5 in South Korea.
The BMW 5-Series-sized K7, also known as the Cadenza in certain countries including the United States, and the luxurious K9, available as the Quoris in export markets, are not available in Europe.
That will change soon as Kia will bring the Cadenza in Europe to see how the market receives it. “We would like to introduce 1,000 units to get feedback from customers,” says Soon-Nan Lee, the company's vice-president for overseas marketing.
Depending on the success of the Cadenza, Kia may decide to make the next generation model a permanent fixture in Europe. “In 2016 there will be the next Cadenza and this is the car we could bring to Europe. We are studying right-hand drive for Australia, the UK and South Africa and other markets,” the executive added.
If the next Cadenza arrives in Europe, it could borrow advanced technologies from the Quoris , including active safety systems, a sophisticated head-up display unit, a multi-display TFT LCD instrument cluster and VIP rear seats with heating, cooling and electronic reclining.
Kia won’t have it easy in Europe though, in the premium segment where it will compete against Germany's finest. Furthermore, it would have to offer diesel engines on the next-generation Cadenza in order to stand a chance in the highly-competitive European market.
By Dan Mihalascu
