Al Majid Motors Co., the official distributor of Kia vehicles in the UAE, has launched the all-new 2017 Kia Cadenza saloon here. The second generation of the Korean carmaker’s large saloon has been completely redesigned and reengineered, and we were pretty impressed when we drove it a couple of months ago in South Korea.

Boasting a much restrained and elegant design compared to previous models, the new Cadenza has a single contour line running along the length of the car’s profile, connecting the Z-shaped motifs in the headlights and the taillights. The signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille has been tweaked and is now offered in two different variants; ‘Diamond Butterfly’, which has the diamond-patterned mesh seen on all Kia vehicles, and the ‘Intaglio’, which comes with vertical slats.

The 3.3-litre Lambda V6 is available in 284 horsepower and 270 horsepower variants, with the former mated to an eight speed automatic transmission and the latter to a six-speed gearbox. The ride quality is also quite impressive, comparable to that of the Toyota Avalon or the Chevrolet Impala with which it will compete. Meanwhile, a lighter chassis, extensive use of aluminium and retuned ront and rear subframes with larger bushings to improve lateral stiffness have all led to the car being dynamically better than its predecessor. And it comes equipped with class-leading features like head up display, a smart trunk that automatically opens the trunk lid if the key fob is detected for more than three seconds, wireless charging, blind spot detection, smart cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, forward collision warning, lane departure warning system and around view monitor.

“We are confident that the rejuvenated Cadenza will boost our sales, thanks to a whole new host of technical design and luxury improvements,” says Amei Ramesh, general manager Al Majid Motors Co., Kia.

The new Cadenza is now available across Kia showrooms in the UAE with the price ranging from Dh84,900 to Dh129,900.