Kia has officially unveiled the facelifted K7 in
Korea and gave it a new name to show that this is more than a regular mid-life
makeover. Marketed as the K7 Premier in Korea, the executive sedan will arrive
later this year in North America as well where it will be sold as the 2020
Cadenza.
Exterior highlights include the new aggressive
grille that’s similar to the one on the Chinese-market Kia K3, the sleeker LED
headlights with a DRL signature that “embraces” the grille, new LED taillights
that span the entire width of the car, and redesigned bumpers.
The interior received its fair share of updates as
well, chief of which is the new wide format 12.3-inch Uvo infotainment system
with navigation that fits snugly atop the redesigned center console and under
the upper edge of the dash. Kia has also fitted the K7 Premier with a digital
cockpit, a redesigned multifunction steering wheel, and new shift-by-wire
transmission lever. Even the shape of the air vents has been modified.
The facelifted Kia K7 Premier’s cabin is said to
combine high-quality materials with improved refinement thanks to a quieter
environment made possible by the revised sound insulation of the windows and
the underbody. Plenty of tech is present onboard as well, including a head-up
display system, AI-powered voice control system, and DriveWise driver
assistance package.
The latter includes systems such as Blind-spot View
Monitor, Lane Following Assist, navigation-based Smart Cruise Control Curve,
Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, and Parking Collision Avoidance
Assist-Rear).
Significant changes take place under the hood as
well, with the K7 Premier gaining a new Smartstream 2.5-liter GDi gasoline
engine and eight-speed automatic transmission — the latter comes standard with
all powertrains. Alongside the new 2.5-liter gasoline unit, the K7 Premier will
also offer a 3.0-liter V6 (available in an LPG version as well), a 2.4-liter
hybrid, and a 2.2-liter diesel. No specifications have been released yet.
The Kia K7 Premier will be released this month in
Korea when customers will be able to pre-order it.
