2020 Kia Cadenza Safety and Reliability

The NHTSA has not had the opportunity to test the Cadenza yet, but the IIHS has a complete list of ratings. It scored Good in all the major categories, with only the LATCH system's ease of use scoring a Marginal rating.

Safety-wise, the Cadenza is very well specced. It comes standard with nine airbags, ABS brakes, traction and stability control, and a rearview camera. The standard driver assistance package has been thoroughly revamped. Both models come with Kia's Sensor Fusion technology, incorporating forward collision warning, forward collision avoidance with pedestrian/cyclist detection, smart cruise control with stop & go, and high beam assist. In addition to this nifty tech, the Cadenza also gets lane following assist, blind-spot collision avoidance, lane change assist, highway driving assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, and safe exit assist. The last two aren't usually found in this particular segment. The navigation-based cruise control will lower the car's speed automatically before an upcoming corner, while the safe exit assist will make sure the road is clear before it allows the rear doors to open.

The Cadenza has been recall-free for two years, with a single problem recorded for the 2019 model. Unfortunately, it's quite a big one. The recall was issued earlier in 2021 for both the Cadenza and Sportage, and customers were urged to park their vehicles outside until the problem could be rectified.

The reason? The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit may short-circuit, leading to a fire. So far, no actual fires have been recorded, as Kia noticed the problem well in advance. Each Cadenza is sold with an impressive five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a ten-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.