The car cancel culture has caught up with the Kia Cadenza and the Kia K900. Executives at Kia Motors America have confirmed to us that neither the Cadenza premium sedan nor the K900 luxury sedan will return for the 2021 model year. The sedans are the latest victims of the American public's ongoing desire to buy crossover SUVs, a trend resulting in the cancellation of more than a dozen 4-door car models from various manufacturers over the past three years.
Just last year, Kia unveiled a refreshed version of the Cadenza (shown in the photo) with new design elements, added technology, and more convenience features, including the Kia Drive Wise collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS).
The last major change for the K900 rear-drive luxury sedan occurred for the 2019 model year when it moved to a new platform shared with the Kia Stinger sports sedan.
But despite the recent improvements, sales of both cars stagnated while Kia turned its attention — and advertising dollars — to the more popular segments of the U.S. market.
"An important part of our growth as a brand is our ability to understand market conditions and recognize our customers' needs," a Kia spokesperson said in a statement. "To that end, as the auto industry shifts its focus from full-size sedans to SUVs, Kia is poised to succeed with a robust range of utility offerings, which includes Telluride, Sorento, Sportage, and Seltos. As we realign our model lineup to meet consumer demands, the K900 and Cadenza will be discontinued for the 2021 model year."
The fact that Kia sees its future in America to be SUVs and performance models is in keeping with the automaker’s recently announced global brand strategy supported by the new brand slogan, "Movement that inspires." In addition to lifestyle-oriented internal combustion engine-powered vehicles, Kia will create what it describes as "sustainable mobility solutions" that will include seven new dedicated electric vehicles to launch by 2027.
"The K5, Forte, and Stinger better represent our future sedan strategy – athletic, engaging and dynamic," a Kia spokesperson told us. "With the introduction of Telluride, the all-new K5 sport sedan and all-new Sorento SUV, our world-class model line is now more appealing than ever and we look forward to serving our customers' needs in the months and years ahead."
Kia Motors America is the source of information for this article. It was accurate on January 27, 2020, but it may have changed since that date.
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