When it comes to full-size luxury sedans, petrolheads and non-car guys think of the majestic Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 for that matter. Then again, South Korea also makes a huge lot of luxobarges, including Kia and its K7.
Dubbed K7 in South Korea and Cadenza everywhere else in the world, the current generation of the nameplate replaced the woeful Kia Opirus/Amanti when it entered mass production back in 2010. Howbeit, it seems like time has come for a successor.
Our carparazzi spotted the second-gen in Northern Sweden, undergoing the typical Scandinavian cold weather testing on ice tracks carved on what appears to be the archetypal frozen lake. The Kia Optima’s bigger brother is slated to be revealed in 2016, so it’s only natural for engineers to chop-chop and fine tune the all-new K7/Cadenza.
As expected from Kia’s new design language, we’re able to spot a duo of Cee’d GT-inspired ice cube-style fog lights, while the black camo blanket up front hides what looks to be a revised version of the “Tiger Nose” front grille. From the side profile, the 2016 Kia K7 does appear svelter than the outgoing generation.
Round the rear, we can spot a number of Kia Sportspace wagon concept styling cues, with the mandatory chiseling fit for a luxury sedan. In terms of power plants, do expect a 3.3-liter twin-turbo GDi V6 engine with at least 365 PS and 514 Nm (379 lb-ft) of torque.
It’s still not known if a turbo diesel engine will also be offered, but it’s a given we’ll be granted with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Our carparazzi spotted the second-gen in Northern Sweden, undergoing the typical Scandinavian cold weather testing on ice tracks carved on what appears to be the archetypal frozen lake. The Kia Optima’s bigger brother is slated to be revealed in 2016, so it’s only natural for engineers to chop-chop and fine tune the all-new K7/Cadenza.
As expected from Kia’s new design language, we’re able to spot a duo of Cee’d GT-inspired ice cube-style fog lights, while the black camo blanket up front hides what looks to be a revised version of the “Tiger Nose” front grille. From the side profile, the 2016 Kia K7 does appear svelter than the outgoing generation.
Round the rear, we can spot a number of Kia Sportspace wagon concept styling cues, with the mandatory chiseling fit for a luxury sedan. In terms of power plants, do expect a 3.3-liter twin-turbo GDi V6 engine with at least 365 PS and 514 Nm (379 lb-ft) of torque.
It’s still not known if a turbo diesel engine will also be offered, but it’s a given we’ll be granted with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.