Kia is discontinuing the Cadenza and K900 in the United States. Two large Kia’s by European standards. Sister brand Genesis appears to be getting the monopoly in that part of the market in America.
A look at the range of well-known brands in markets far away is often interesting. For example, Kia supplies quite large sedans in the US that we do not know here in Europe. At the top of the pecking order we find the Cadenza and the K900. The latter in particular is a car that you would not immediately associate with Kia: an outright attack on cars such as the BMW 7-series, Mercedes-Benz S-class and Audi A8, but for a more favorable price. An impressive appearance. A step lower is the Cadenza, which in the US is targeting successes like the Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima.
Kia Cadenza
Although the Cadenza received a major facelift just a year ago, it was apparently not enough to attract the Americans to the showroom. Only 1,265 units left an American Kia showroom in 2020. The K900 has not even made it further than a few hundred units for years. Reason enough for Kia to pull the plug. That reports Car and Driver. Possibly not least because Kia is going to reposition itself within the Hyundai Group. Genesis, come in!
Genesis G90
The luxury brand Genesis will undoubtedly have to compensate for the missed potential of Kia in the higher segments in the US. The G80 can be seen as the somewhat more luxurious and higher placed alternative to the Cadenza, while the G90 is at the top of the food chain, just like the K900. Both have a much more sensational design and the emphasis is more on the ‘premium’ experience. Apparently it also appeals to the Americans more; the G90 already sold roughly 7 times as well as the K900, the G80 is doing considerably better than the Cadenza with around 7,000 units per year. Still not huge numbers, but there is more potential.
Incidentally, this does not quite mean the end for the Cadenza and the K900. They are still sold in their home country South Korea, where they are called K7 and K9 respectively. Kia remains at the lower end of the market in the US with the Rio sedan, Forte, K5 and Stinger.