Four 2017 Kia Cadenza Facts From the New York Auto Show Floor

The Kia Cadenza was always kind of a forgotten car in the South Korean automaker’s lineup. It’s not that it was a bad car – it was a Big Test winner, in fact – it’s just that it easily got lost in the shuffle between the luxurious, LeBron James-approved Kia K900 and the upscale but budget-friendly Kia Optima. With the all-new 2017 Kia Cadenza, revealed this afternoon at the New York International Auto Show, Kia hopes to rectify that with a bolder design, more upscale features, and some semi-autonomous driving tech. Here are four minor details you may have missed from the new Cadenza launch.

Seoul by way of SoCal: The Kia Cadenza may be built in South Korea, but it was designed by Kia’s crack design team in California.

Carryover Engine, but new transmission: The Cadenza’s 3.3-liter V-6 may have carried over with just a minor power bump, but the transmission is new. The 2017 Cadenza’s eight-speed automatic is the first front-wheel drive application of that transmission from Kia, and we’re likely to see it proliferate across most of the lineup in the next few years.

Contouring Seats: To be completely honest, I’m not sure if this is a first or not, but Kia says the front seat cushions in the Cadenza are capable of twisting left and right (in addition to the usual range of motion) in order to help make the driver and passenger more comfortable.

Semi-Autonomous Tech: Kia’s “Drive Wise” semi-autonomous self-driving tech launches with the new Cadenza. The self-driving suite includes emergency braking, radar cruise control that can function in stop-and-go traffic, and lane keep assist tech.

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