Kia redesigned its minivan and didn’t hesitate to make some significant changes. Borrowing a time-honored line when it comes to remodeling, the 2015 Kia Sedona arrived new and improved.
Some auto reviewers are calling the Sedona the best-looking minivan in the segment. Part of the reasoning is Kia revamped the Sedona to look more like a sport utility vehicle than a minivan.
And that’s a smart idea, considering few male drivers are very excited getting behind the wheel of a minivan. The new Sedona hoodline is flatter with less slope, and so are the side panels. Up front, it also features a multi-faceted grille with accented LED headlights.
Although one might initially get fooled into thinking the Sedona is an SUV following a quick glance, closer inspection reveals this is indeed a minivan. But Kia is still trying to put a different spin on the Sedona, saying it is “crossover-inspired” and labeling it a “multi-purpose vehicle.
2015 KIA SEDONA
* Performance: 3.3-liter, V6, 276 horsepower
* Mileage estimate: 18-25 mpg
* Estimated price: $26,100-$39,700
* Warranty: five years/60,000 miles; drivetrain: 10 years/100,000 miles; roadside assistance: 5 years/60,000; corrosion: 5 years/60,000
The Sedona delivers the usual list of features that make driving a minivan appealing – sliding doors, spaciousness, flexible seating options, plenty of safety and up-to-date equipment. The redesign has added more room, power, refinement, less interior noise, and additional safety features.
The interior changes were significant. The new Sedona provides more head and legroom throughout its three rows of seating that can accommodate eight people. The dashboard layout is improved and there is now a full center console between the front seats. There are also more soft-touch surfaces than ever before.
The seat comfort is impressive, even in the third row, where adults can sit in relative comfort. In the SX-L model there are comfortable lounge-style captain’s chairs that offer great legroom for even taller passengers.
The Sedona has 33.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat and that space increases to 78.4 cubic feet when the rear seat is folded. When both the second and third rows are folded to the floor, there is 142 cubic feet of space in all of the Sedona’s five trims except the SX-L.
There is only one engine choice with the Sedona, a 3.3-liter V6 engine that produces 276 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. It’s pretty powerful, going 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds, making the Sedona one of the quickest in the minivan class. Maximum towing is 3,500 pounds with an optional hitch installed.
Notable among its driving impressions this year is a new quiet ride at virtually all speeds. There’s no great improvement in the handling; the Sedona remains a decent ride that absorbs uneven road surfaces well and is average in navigating tight turns.
Both the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna remain the stars of the minivan class. However, the less-expensive Kia Sedona definitely earns a place in the second tier, along with much-better selling brands like the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.
