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The big Koreans are coming


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Well, maybe coming to UK shores.  Might stiffen up the competetion?..........

 

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Here's 1)

 

Kia is planning to introduce a limited run of the Kia Cadenza luxury saloon to European markets as a toe-in-the-water exercise ahead of a possible full launch of the model.

 

The Korean manufacturer currently does not offer the Cadenza, also known as the K7, or the larger Quoris/K9, to its European dealers, and in most territories its biggest saloon is the Optima/K5.

Although the five-metre-long Quoris flagship will remain off-limits for Europe, Kia wants to bring 1000 left-hand-drive examples to the continent.

 

Soon-Nam Lee, vice president of overseas marketing group for KMC, said: “My opinion is that the K9 is very difficult. However, with the K7 we would like to introduce 1000 units for the western European market so we can get feedback from our customers.”

 

Lee added that the second-generation Cadenza, which is due in 2016, could also be offered in right-hand drive, which is not the case with the current version.

 

“We are studying it for the UK, Singapore, Australia and South Africa markets and discussing it with our distributors,” he said.

 

The current Cadenza is a rival for cars such as the US market Acura RL and Toyota Avalon, and at 4965 mm long it’s bigger than a BMW 5-series. Kia reckons there is a demand for well equipped saloons that offer some elements of premium offerings.

 

One aspect of the car that would likely have to change for European markets would be its engine. In the US, the Cadenza is offered only with a 3.3-litre V6 producing 289bhp and 255lb ft.

 

 

 

&

 

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2)

 

The next-generation  Hyundai Genesis saloon  has been teased ahead of its official reveal in Korea later this year.

 

Set to go on sale in 2015, the second-generation Genesis is being built in right-hand drive form for the first time. Hyundai won't be drawn on whether the Genesis will go on sale in the UK, however, saying it would have to evaluate the market before bringing the model here. 

 

Styling wise, the new Genesis marks the first use of Hyundai's 'Fluidic Sculpture 2.0' design language. From these reportedly official pictures, we can see a much larger, more prominent grille at the front and a rear end not dissimilar to current Audi offerings. That's not surprising, as head of design for  Hyunda i Peter Schreyer formerly worked at  Audi , producing notable designs such as the  TT ,  A3  and  A4 .

 

According to internet reports, Hyundai is aiming to emulate the performance and handling abilities of its German rivals with the new Genesis, with prototypes being benchmarked against current  BMW  5-series  models. The firm's Nürburgring test centre has reportedly played a large role in developing the new car.

 

The engine line-up for the new Genesis will mirror that of the outgoing model. That means a 3.8-litre V6 option with  328 bhp  and a 5.0-litre V8 producing 423 bhp. An eight-speed automatic gearbox will be fitted as standard. If the decision is made to bring the Genesis to the UK, Hyund ai would likely offer a diesel engine option alongside the two petrols.

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I doubt it, the Sportage isn't small, ok it's no X5, but that can only be a good thing, the saloon is also very nice, they just need more refined/powerful/economical engines and then they'll appeal to me, if they did the saloon as a hybrid i'd have one, it's a nice looking car.

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