Kia killing its two big sedans for 2021 as segment shrinks

2020 Kia Telluride test drive

The 2020 Kia Telluride is a huge deal. It’s the brand’s largest model ever, and was designed to take on big players like the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu took it for a spin to see how it measures up.

Kia is discontinuing its Cadenza and K900 models for 2021, leaving the landscape for full-size sedans in the U.S. pretty bare.

Kia sold 1,265 Cadenzas in 2020
(Kia)

The four-doors accounted for just 1,265 and 305 sales, respectively, in 2020 making them the brand’s least-popular vehicles by a large margin.

The K900 was Kia’s near-luxury offering.
(Kia)

Their departures are the latest from the full-size sedan segment, which many brands including Ford, Chevrolet, Buick and Kia’s sister company Hyundai have also abandoned as the market continues its shift toward SUVs.

NBA star LeBron James had been a spokesperson for the K900 before moving to General Motors to promote the GMC HUMMER EV pickup.

Among mainstream brands, only Toyota, Dodge and Nissan still offer models that technically compete in the full-size class, although many midsize sedans have grown to more or less fill the gap.

Even some premium makes including Cadillac, Lincoln, Acura have called it quits on big cars, although they continue to hold flagship status at brands like Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce … for now.

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