Kia's New Sedan Debuts in Saudi Arabia

Dubbed the Cadenza, Kia’s future sedan, which replaces the Amanti in the U.S. in late 2010 as a 2011 model, will debut at the Riyadh Motor Show in Saudi Arabia next month.

In the video above, which is not available in English, you can see the sedan in all its glory during a more than 3-minute-long mini-movie that shows off some of its optional features and a rather attractive design. Kia went so far as to hire the former head of Audi’s design to give it its slick look.

Whatever the new sedan is called in the U.S. — probably not Cadenza — it will have a front-wheel-drive platform with a likely 290-horsepower V-6 engine and six-speed automatic. The U.S. version will probably debut at a future auto show like Detroit, Chicago or New York but not this week’s L.A. Auto Show.  

Kia Cadenza Will Make Debut in Saudi Arabia (Wheels Blog)

Recall Alert: Nearly 140,000 Kia Vehicles

Kia has issued a recall for 139,844 Kia vehicles from the 2006 and 2007 models years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Affected models include the Amanti, Rondo, Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, all of which could potentially have been built with damaged stop-lamp switches.

This could result in the brake lights not illuminating during braking, or continuing to illuminate after the brake pedal has been released. Also, the shifter may jam in the Park position, the electronic stability control light may illuminate the “ESC Off” indicator, and depressing the brake may not deactivate the cruise control. Any of these malfunctions could create a dangerous driving situation.

Dealers will replace the stop-lamp switch free of charge. Owners can contact Kia’s customer center at 800-333-4542 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.