Kia to Release Two Midsize Sedans in the Next Six Months

December 21, 2010

Kia is going to replace its slow selling Amanti sedan this year with a model that is named the Cadenza. The Cadenza release was originally planned for April, but now Kia officials are saying that it will be sometime in the first half of 2011.

The Amanti replacement comes at the same time as the new Optima is being launched. The base Optima LX and midrange EX models have already begun to arrive in dealerships. Some are worried that launching two similarly sized sedans at the same time could create a problem, but Kia executives claim that the two sedans are aimed at different buyers. According to Orth Hedrick, director of product planning for Kia Motors America, the Optima is targeted more at mainstream buyers of midsize sedans, while the Cadenza is aimed at a different group. The Cadenza’s look and size places it in the same category as the Toyota Avalon and Buick LaCrosse.