Kia trims its sedan lineup for 2021.
Step into your local Kia dealer, and neither the K900 limousine nor the full-size Cadenza will be available as a buying option. Not that many of you went for those models in the first place, which contributed to the automaker’s decision to drop both models from its 2021 lineup. Last year, Kia moved just 1,265 Cadenzas, and 305 K900s. Both cars competed in dwindling segments, though they did fight on for a little while after most of their competitors dropped out of the market.
What’s more, the K900 made little sense in Kia’s overall stable. Neither Hyundai nor Kia managed to sustain luxury models under their own brands for very long. Remember the Equus or the Azera? I’m betting most of you don’t. Only when the Korean company spun off Genesis into its own luxury brand did the group’s luxury sedans have a fighting chance. For reference, Genesis sold some 2,072 units of its G90 flagship, far surpassing the obscure K900.
The crossover and SUV boom are a huge part of this decision, as you’d expect. As folks buy Tellurides and Sorentos in droves, sedans have been on their way down for many years. That said, Kia does still offer a fairly robust range of four-door options. The Rio is still around as the brand’s economy offering. Kia’s Forte holds down the compact segment against the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. The K5 is a much more aggressive and funky-looking follow-up to the old Optima, and the Stinger is a damn good effort at a sports sedan. “Realigning” the brand, as automakers do from time to time, likely will help Kia focus on its more interesting and profitable models.
So, take a moment of silence of you need to for the K900 and Cadenza. Even with their departure, though, Kia dealers can still offer buyers upward of a dozen different models, and more once you factor in hybrids and EVs.
