Kia K900 and Cadenza will leave the US in 2021
January 28, 2021The Korean company Kia will revise its lineup.
Kia has made the decision to ditch the two sedans, the K900 and Cadenza, in 2021, ending US market sales. The news came as no big surprise as none of the vehicles were critical to Kia’s U.S. business. The Cadenza generated just 1,265 Kia sales in 2020, and the K900 only 305 sales. For reference, the next smallest displacement model in Kia’s lineup for 2020 was the Stinger hatchback, which sold 12,556 units.
Keeping sales of the K900 made little sense given the development of the Genesis brand, the young luxury brand of the Hyundai-Kia group. Genesis’s flagship luxury sedan, the G90, far surpassed Kia’s sales last year, with 2,072 units sold. The Cadenza segment has also shrunk dramatically in recent years, with models such as the Ford Taurus, Chevy Impala and Hyundai Azera receding into the background.
As expected, Kia said in a statement that the “makeover” is related to a shift in consumer demand to SUVs. But unlike the big three American automakers, Kia still offers a fairly sizable portfolio of sedans, including the subcompact Rio, compact Forte, midsize K5, and the Stinger hatchback, which rivals entry-level luxury models.
