Kia discontinues Cadenza and K900 sedans in the US
Kia only sold 305 K900s in the US last year.
Pour one (well, two) out for the Kia Cadenza and K900 -- the sedans are being discontinued in the US. The news was first reported by Car and Driver on Monday, and Kia confirmed the lineup change to Roadshow Tuesday.
"An important part of our growth as a brand is our ability to understand market conditions and recognize our customers' needs," Kia said in a statement. "To that end, as the auto industry shifts its focus from full-size sedans to SUVs, Kia is poised to succeed with a robust range of utility offerings which includes Telluride, Sorento, Sportage and Seltos. As we realign our model lineup to meet consumer demands, the K900 and Cadenza will be discontinued for the 2021 model year."
This news hardly comes as a surprise. Sedans of all sizes have been falling out of favor in the US as customers step up to crossovers and SUVs , and Kia's two largest four-doors have sold in dismal volumes in recent years.
Kia refreshed the Cadenza early last year, but only managed to move 1,265 examples through December. The Cadenza competed with other full-size sedans like the Nissan Maxima and Toyota Avalon , both of which are relatively small players for their respective automakers. The full-size sedan class used to include nameplates like the Chevrolet Impala and Ford Taurus , but those sedans were recently put out to pasture, as well.
The larger K900 fared even worse, with only 305 finding homes in the US last year. The K900 was always sort of an oddity in the Kia range -- a rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan with optional V8 power. It spawned from the days when Hyundai sold the Equus , but with the split-off and expansion of the Genesis brand, it doesn't really make sense for Kia to offer the K900.
Kia does see a bright future for its smaller sedans, however. The subcompact Rio and compact Forte will carry on, and the midsize K5 got a major overhaul for the 2021 model year. Kia will keep the super stylish Stinger hatchback around, too, and it receives a few key updates for 2021, including a new turbo engine option.
