Kia Cadenza unveiled in Korea, ready to replace Amanti

Kia has dropped the first official photos of its new top of the line sedan, which has been officially dubbed the K7 in the Korean Domestic Market and Cadenza outside of South Korea. The Cadenza is essentially identical to the KND-5 concept that debuted at the Seoul Motor Show earlier this year, and to our eye that's a good thing after viewing the rather ungainly Amanti for the last several years.

The Cadenza carries forward the design language that we've seen on recent Kia concept and production cars like the Forte and second generation Sorento. The nose gets a bit more sculpting than the compact sedan, and the overall effect is much more upscale than before. The biggest change from other recent Kias is the relocation of the "hockey-stick" contour line from the rocker panel area to just below the beltline. Look for the Cadenza to make it's global debut at motor shows in the Middle East in December. You can see more pics in the gallery below or check out some b-roll video after the jump.