Several years ago, Kia decided to adopt total lifecycle analysis (LCA) for the carbon footprint of all future products. LCA takes into account the greenhouse gas emissions that accrue from the production and disposal of cars as well as the time the customers use the vehicles. The first new Kia product to get a carbon footprint label from the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) is the Cadenza mid-size sedan, which just launched in its home market.
According to the LSA, production the raw materials for the Cadenza causes the emission of 3.48 tons of carbon dioxide with another 0.531 tons coming during actual vehicle production with 0.012 tons during recycling. The bulk of the total 29.5 tons is emitted during driving, with 25.5 tons being produced during 80,000 miles of driving.
The Cadenza gets more efficient engines than the outgoing Optima along with reduced weight, lower rolling resistance tires and better aerodynamics. We'll get the Cadenza in North America for 2011.