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First Drive: The 2017 Kia Cadenza

Sep 5 by 18 Comments

“We’ve previously been blown away by the value-packed Kia vehicles we’ve had the chance to feature. That’s why when I was invited to Virginia to drive the redesigned 2017 Kia Cadenza — I didn’t expect anything less than amazing!”

2017 Kia Cadenza

First Drive: The 2017 Kia Cadenza

The setting was beautiful and worthy of a serene movie set — the Salamander Resort & Spa is a stunning 340 acre property complete with state-of-the-art horse stables, equestrian competition courses, and of course, a 5-star resort, spa and restaurants. This is the place Kia chose to unveil the equally-stunning 2017 Kia Cadenza.

A while back we had the chance to spend some time with the Kia K900, and while it was beautiful and extremely comfortable, we all agreed that it was simply a bit “too much” on all ends. Too big, too expensive, too fancy. But guess what? The new baby K900 may be the perfect solution for that.

2017 Kia Cadenza

2017 Kia Cadenza

The 2017 Kia Cadenza is by all means a luxury sedan. From the gorgeous exterior lines that shout modern and cutting-edge, to the supple diamond-quilted Nappa leather seats, to the incredible Harman Kardon sound system, Kia’s new luxe ride inches closer to the K900’s features, but in a more compact, sleeker and less-expensive package.

Following a delicious breakfast overlooking the horse stables, a brief product introduction took place so we could learn what makes the new Cadenza so special, and let me tell you — it’s a lot. The base-model Cadenza starts at only $32,000 and features plenty of amenities that are otherwise optional with the competition, while the fully-loaded SXL model I drove was decked out and came in at about $44k.

2017 Kia Cadenza

2017 Kia Cadenza

The keywords, power, poise and value come to mind when reflecting upon my experience behind the wheel. My driving parter, Paul and I had a great time touring the beautiful roads and small towns surrounding Middleburg, VA., and we were able to get a great feel for the Cadenza. I’d like to tell you that we took it easy most of the time, but with a 3.3-liter V6 engine with an “estimated” 290 horsepower paired to a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission, it was nearly impossible to not “step on it” here and there!

Sure the exterior is gorgeous, and the driving experience is smooth and relaxing, but the one place where you’ll spend most of your time is on another level. The interior of the 2017 Cadenza reflects that of a car much, much more expensive. It features leather, wood, hand-stitching, and the well-laid out controls that we’ve come to appreciate and love from the Kia lineup. Besides the now common features like heated and cooled seats, lane departure warning, and the awesome UVO infotainment system, new for 2017 is a heads-up display so you never take your eyes off the road, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

2017 Kia Cadenza

2017 Kia Cadenza

After spending most of the day driving this beauty, and often stopping to capture the gorgeous scenery, it was time to head back to the Salamander Resort & Spa and watch U.S. Olympians and their respective thoroughbreds show us their incredible skills on the Kia-studded equestrian course.

2017 Kia Cadenza

It’s easy to get a feel for a particular vehicle after a few hours on the road, but it’s certainly not enough time to discover all the features and benefits the way they’re intended to be used. That’s why I can’t wait to reunite with the 2017 Kia Cadenza sometime soon and get to experience it with the entire family. As we know, it’s the kids that are the real judges, right?

The 2017 Kia Cadenza will go on sale in October of this year.

Don’t forget to check out our other awesome Kia experiences!

2017 Cadenza
2017 Cadenza
2017 Cadenza
2017 Cadenza
2017 Cadenza
2017 Cadenza

 

 

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Filed Under: Pit Stop Tagged With: 2017, cadenza, k900, kia, luxury, salamander, virginia

Comments

  1. Melanie Smith says

    September 6, 2016 at 10:45 am

    This is the car of my dreams! It looks really confortable.

  2. tara pittman says

    September 6, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    Looks like a wonderful car. I might just need to test drive this one.

  3. Amy Jones says

    September 6, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    I love the design, this car looks amazing.

  4. Chei says

    September 6, 2016 at 9:01 pm

    Wow! This is a amazing car! One of my dream car!

  5. Samantha says

    September 6, 2016 at 11:41 pm

    Kia is a great company! Reasonable prices and amazing cars! We love our kia~

  6. Rachel Mouton says

    September 7, 2016 at 7:00 am

    The Kia Cadenza is a beautiful car! It looks like y’all had a great time 🙂

  7. Liz Mays says

    September 7, 2016 at 10:13 am

    It’s just about the right size for me, I think. I may have to give that a test drive and see what I think.

  8. Enricoh Alfonzo says

    September 7, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    the Kia Cadenza looks absolutely amazing! I love the design and interior features. Would love to drive this car

  9. Lisa Hodges says

    September 7, 2016 at 8:11 pm

    Looks like a great car and wonderful job on the detail and pics!

  10. Caroline Barnes says

    September 8, 2016 at 5:57 am

    This car looks really nice. Love all the features. I do need an AWD for where I live though.

  11. Katy says

    September 8, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    I’ve honestly never looked at Kia’s as a luxury vehicle, but your pics make it look so nice. I had no idea they had so many amazing features.

  12. Tami says

    September 8, 2016 at 2:43 pm

    Hubby has been talking about getting me a new car. I figured I’d buy a newer version of my Camry, but this car is looking pretty good!

  13. Elizabeth O. says

    September 8, 2016 at 8:04 pm

    It looks gorgeous from the outside and even better once you see the interior! I really love the fact that it’s so spacious as well, perfect for the kids.

  14. Rosey says

    September 8, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    Nice to see a preview of the car. It looks like it’s one to consider for a test drive, definitely.

  15. CourtneyLynne says

    September 8, 2016 at 9:28 pm

    What a fabulous car!!! I just love kias!

  16. Tiffany Hathorn says

    September 8, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    The car looks really cool. So do the things that you got to see. Nice!

  17. Doran @ Haute Beauty Guide says

    September 10, 2016 at 12:12 am

    OOOOhhhh looks like a super fun car to drive. All those features look cool.

  18. Marielle Altenor says

    September 11, 2016 at 8:37 pm

    What a luxurious and spacious car! We are looking to get a car in the next year or so and this one would be amazing for our family!

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