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2014 Kia Cadenza goes on sale this month priced from $35,100*

Kia's sedan lineup is about to get much more luxurious with the addition of the new Cadenza and range-topping Quoris models, but the Amanti-replacing 2014 Cadenza will be the first to hit dealers this month with a starting price of $35,100 (*not including $800 for destination). For those keeping record, that's more expensive than Hyundai's version of this car, the Azera, and about $1,000 more than the Genesis, but it sounds like the new front-wheel-drive Kia will be getting a few more advanced features than its Hyundai counterpart.
In base form, the Cadenza comes standard with leather seating, navigation and a premium Infinity 12-speaker audio system, and the $3,000 Luxury Package adds nappa leather seats with a ventilated driver's seat, a seven-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) display, heated rear seats, power tilt and telescoping steering column, adaptive HID headlights and a panoramic sunroof. On models already equipped with the Luxury Package, buyers can also add on the Technology Package, which includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, lane departure warning and hydrophobic glass on the front doors - previously, Kia stated that the Cadenza would be getting this water-repelling technology on the windshield, but this press release specifies that it will be applied to the front side windows. And if these two packages aren't enough luxury for you, Kia's cherry on top is a no-cost White Package that adds white nappa leather seats, woodgrain trim and a premium headliner.
All in, the 2014 Cadenza will run $41,100 with every option box checked, so we can only imagine how much the Qurois is going to cost when it makes its debut. Scroll down for the press release detailing the pricing for the new Cadenza.

Kia's promised "four-door coupe" Cub concept... isn't

Kia appears to have pulled a quick one on the world with its Cub Concept. As it turns out, the machine isn't the four-door coupe they promised at all. Instead, the little showcar is a five-door hatch with suicide rear doors. That's certainly fine by our reckoning, but it isn't quite what we were expecting to see on display at the Seoul Motor Show. The concept was penned at the company's design studio in Seoul with direction from Peter Schreyer, and it gets its thrust from a 204-horsepower, 1.6-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine. With 195 pound-feet of torque on hand, we suspect the Cub would have little trouble hustling down the road.
Indoors, the Cub serves up black leather seats with yellow accents as well as a new Driving Information System that uses a gesture camera to control various operations. Right now, there are apparently no plans to put the Cub into production anywhere in the world, but we wouldn't be surprised to see some of the hatchback's elements make their way to the show room floor.

Kia shows Cee'd GT and Pro_cee'd GT ahead of Geneva debut

Kia has been releasing a lot of new models lately, showcasing improvements in both design and luxury, but a pair of introductions at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show could bring the automaker into the performance mindset. The five-door Kia Cee'd and three-door Pro_cee'd will be getting new GT trim levels that bring a little more horsepower and sportier styling to the compact hatchbacks.
For added power, the 1.6-liter direct-injected inline-four packs a new turbocharger that bumps engine output to 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque (an increase of 68 hp and 74 lb-ft), which is good enough to quicken the cars' 0-60 times to under eight seconds flat. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that there are any suspension upgrades, but the cars do get a dual exhaust system and 18-inch alloy wheels. Red brake calipers and a unique front fascia finish off the exterior styling, while Recaro buckets and a "GT" embroidered steering wheel can be found inside.
Both the Cee'd GT and Pro_cee'd GT will be on sale by the end of this year, and although we don't expect to see these cars in the US, adding a GT model to the Rio or Forte doesn't seem like it wouldn't be that hard.