Kia, spurred by the success of sibling Hyundai’s Genesis (and possibly Equus), wants a piece of the rear-drive pie. The company is planning a flagship luxury sedan and possibly a coupe, both in the vein of the Genesis duo.

Kia’s rear-drive adventures end there, however: there are no plans to introduce a pickup truck. There won’t be a Miata-sized roadster, either. Kia’s engineers aren’t interested in expanding into new markets, but tackling the segments they’re already comfortable in. And for Kia, this includes sedans (increasingly bigger ones, too) and coupes like the Forte.

The K7/Cadenza is currently their largest luxury sedan right now, which may or may not make it to America—but it’s a front-driver. The new RWD sedan will use the Genesis platform and series of V6 and V8 engines, and will slot above the Cadenza. If it’s built, it will enter the Korean market next May, and in about two years after that Stateside.

Lastly, Kia’s RWD sports car will be shown in Frankfurt in concept form. If people like it, Kia will target the BMW 3-Series—a lofty goal if there ever was one. It should be no surprise that the Kia sports car will be based on the Genesis, which will get a whole host of improvements by 2013 that will carry over to Kia, in their ambitious goal of besting the Bavarians.

And just think, only yesterday everybody was making bad jokes about the Rio. How fast they grow up these days!

[Source: Car And Driver]

Just unveiled in its domestic market of South Korea, the all-new Kia Cadenza is set to be introduced throughout several markets in the months to come, including in the U.S. where it will replace the Amanti.

Contrary to speculation the car does not ride on the Genesis sedan’s rear-drive architecture (sigh…) but rather on an all-new front-drive platform, which Kia says it will use in additional models in the future. The new platform, along with lighter suspension components, will help the car to weight roughly 287 lbs less than the old Amanti. The new vehicle is slightly shorter than the outgoing one, but Kia says the wheelbase has increased to 112-inches, which should afford some extra interior room.

Several engines will be offered, but we expect that once the car debuts in North America it will come with the top-level 3.5-liter V6 with 286-hp and 249 ft-lbs of torque. Kia claims a 0-62 mph time of 7.2 seconds and an average fuel economy rating of 25 mpg.

“With the Cadenza, we have created an all-new, large sedan that will revitalize Kia’s fortunes thanks to its exciting appearance, strong performance and luxurious cabin which will guarantee a much broader consumer appeal, attracting thousands of new customers to our brand,” said Kia Motors President Hyoung-Keun Lee.

The automaker’s top designer Peter Schreyer had this to say, “Our new sedan looks masculine and luxurious. Today, people recognize a Kia at first sight: well balanced proportions, flowing greenhouse and dynamic window graphic plus the big wheels, give this car its confident stance, dignity and elegant personality. The distinctive ‘tiger nose’ front with its signature grille and headlights are evidence of Kia’s new self-confidence. Kia Cadenza is a big step into the future – another quantum leap for Kia.”

The Cadenza is set to launch in North America, however, Kia’s North American operations have not given a timeline for the car’s debut.

GALLERY: Kia Cadenza

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Kia has just revealed the first photos of the Amanti’s successor. Based on the KND-5 Concept, this new full-sized sedan will be called the K7 in Korean and sold as the Cadenza elsewhere. The new car gets a complete redesign with Kia’s new corporate front fascia and an overall look that is more luxurious than the imitation-Jaguar design of the old Amanti.

There is no official word on other details but it has been rumored that the Amanti-successor will be based on the rear-drive Hyundai Genesis platform. If that is the case, we can expect the 290-hp 3.8-liter V8 to be offered, with a slight chance that the 375-hp 4.6-liter V8 could make an appearance.

The car will officially debut at the Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Dubai international auto shows at the end of 2009 and is expected to hit North America later in 2010 as a 2011 model.

GALLERY: Kia Cadenza