Kia drops slow-selling Cadenza, K900 sedans

LOS ANGELES — Kia is ending sales of two slow-selling sedans, the Cadenza and flagship K900, to make room for a growing stable of crossovers.

Kia sold 1,265 of the midsize Cadenza last year and just 305 of the K900, a large rear-drive sedan that pushed the brand into luxury territory. As the two poorest-selling Kia products, it is not a big surprise they will be dropped.

"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," Kia said in a statement Tuesday. "As we realign our model lineup to meet consumer demands, the K900 and Cadenza will be discontinued for the 2021 model year."

The Cadenza, which straddled the midsize- and large-car segments, was introduced at the 2013 Detroit auto show and went on sale later that year as a 2014 model. It generated cumulative sales of just more than 44,600. U.S. sales of the K900, launched in 2014, totaled 6,192 through 2020.

The two nameplates join a growing roster of cars -- the Chevrolet Impala and Cruze; Lexus GS; Ford Taurus, Fusion, Focus and Fiesta; Acura RLX; Dodge Avenger; Cadillac CT6; Volkswagen Beetle and Golf; Lincoln Continental and Jaguar XE -- dropped in recent years.

The subcompact Seltos crossover and the Telluride large crossover were introduced in the past two years and have been popular with consumers. The Seltos reached 46,280 sales last year and the Telluride, which was restricted by inventory shortages, hit 75,129 deliveries.

For 2021, Kia has a new-generation midsize Sorento that comes in hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions for the first time. Kia also is working on a crossover-style electric vehicle that is likely to be presented this year and go on sale next year. In addition, the Korean brand is redesigning the compact Sportage and eco-friendly Niro crossover, which comes as a hybrid and an EV.

Even with the discontinuation of the Cadenza and K900, Kia still has a broad car lineup: the entry Rio sedan, the subcompact Soul, the compact Forte, the Stinger sports hatchback and the midsize K5 sedan, which was redesigned and renamed for 2021 after the Optima moniker was dropped.

The Stinger also is one of Kia's low-selling cars, with deliveries of 12,556 last year, raising questions about its viability in the U.S. It does, however, serve as something of a halo vehicle for Kia given its rear-wheel-drive architecture, available twin-turbo V-6 and near-luxury interior.