This is The All-New Kia K8 aka New K7/Cadenza Replacement. The New 2022 Kia K8 is an Excellent Hi-Tech Sedan with Very Impressive Luxury Interior and Cool Technology.
Kia’s K8 is a beautifully crafted car that has all the looks of a luxury sedan, minus the solid performance and soundproofing. The midsize K8 sedan replaces the K7, known as the Cadenza in the global market.
It launched in Korea this month and is already making a splash, garnering 24,000 reservations in just 12 days during its preorder period. It will come with 3.5-liter engine with liquid propane injection (LPI) alongside the gasoline direct injection (GDI), in which case the six-cylinder unit is rated with a lower output of 237 horsepower (177 kW) and 232 lb-ft (314 Nm).
There’s no word about a diesel for the time being, which could be a sign there won’t be a CRDi-powered K8. The midrange K8 will rely on a smaller four-cylinder, 2.5-liter powertrain producing 195 hp (145 kW) and a peak torque of 183 lb-ft (248 Nm). Both the 3.5 and 2.5 engines will be hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A base variant is also planned with a 1.6-liter engine and is scheduled to arrive in the following months.
As well as featuring the new Kia logo, the frameless diamond grille on the front gives the vehicle a sophisticated and luxurious look, something not often spotted on Kia cars in the past. From the side, the K8 resembles a coupe due to its sloping roofline, hinting that Kia has chosen to inherit the sportier look and younger identity that has set it apart from its bigger affiliate Hyundai Motor.
Once inside, the 24.6-inch gigantic curved display at the center immediately grabs the attention, with the 12.3-inch digital cluster screen behind the steering wheel and 12.3-inch infotainment screen in the center integrated into a single screen. The K8 is a direct rival to Hyundai Motor’s Grandeur sedan, a longtime bestselling model not only for Hyundai Motor but in the entire midsize sedan segment in the country.
Kia will have the all-new K8 on sale next month, initially at home in South Korea before reaching global markets. The revamped posh sedan has already been ruled out for the time being in the USA where the larger K900 has also been axed. Positioned above the Rio, Forte, and K5 sedans, the sporty Stinger is still available stateside and was recently given a nip and tuck with more power for the 2022 model year.
Its price starts from 32.7 million won ($29,000). Kim aims to sell 60,000 K8s in Korea this year and 80,000 per year from 2022.
