Kia Sedona Still a Minivan, But a Good One

DANA POINT, CA – First things first: Kia is calling the new-generation Sedona a multipurpose vehicle.

But let’s be real: It’s got sliding doors. It’s a minivan.

You can’t blame Kia for wanting to recast the vehicle, though. After all, the cool moms have abandoned the look-at-me-I-have-kids vehicle in favor of CUVs. So those automakers remaining in the segment, which aren’t many, are trying to make their models more intriguing.

Toyota has a “You better pay attention, mister!” microphone in its “Swagger Wagon” (aka the Sienna) and Honda, well, it gives you a vacuum!

CUVs now are so popular as kiddie haulers that Kia decided, perhaps smartly, to give the new Sedona a more CUV-like appearance and proportions.

Will this sway some people? We’ll see. The Sedona, with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs than its predecessor, does look better in person than in pictures, though.

But American moms, and dads, shouldn’t fear the minivan. Those sliding doors are ultra-cool and the Sedona, thanks to its clever rear-seating configurations and plenty-powerful engine, is one of the sharpest minivans available today.

Unfortunately our time here in the ’15 Sedona, on sale now at U.S. Kia dealers, is brief. But we like what we experience cruising the Pacific Coast Highway for 13 miles (21 km) through Orange County.

Kia expects the bimodal buyers of minivans, young families and older Boomers who’ve owned multiple generations, to appreciate the increased mid-range torque of their new Sedona and the aforementioned seating.

The 3-step variable induction system added to the Sedona’s new powertrain, Kia’s 276-hp 3.3L gasoline-direct-injected V-6 borrowed from the Cadenza sedan, helps with the latter issue by adjusting intake runner lengths to optimize torque under varying loads.

New Engine Plenty Powerful

We experienced this improvement first hand in the Newport Beach area. Minivan engines, including the Sedona’s outgoing 3.8L V-6, normally lose their breath climbing even moderate hills, but there is never a lack of power in our short route in the Sedona.

Every new car or light truck seems to get more rigid and lighter, and the Sedona is no different, with 76% of its steel either high- or ultra-high strength. The Sedona also has 36% better torsional rigidity than the Odyssey, Kia says. Ultra-high-strength steel tubes to reinforce its A-pillars help distribute impact loads.

Every minivan today needs a gimmicky feature, and the Sedona’s rear-seating configuration fits the bill.

The top SX Limited grade gets a “First Class” second row as standard, with bucket seats that not only slide forward and backward, as is typical, but also side-to-side, a feature once found on the now-discontinued Mazda MPV.

With the seats pushed inward, the entry path to the third row is widened. With the seats pushed outward toward the doors, a large space is created to store an item such as a wheeled duffle bag in between.

Unfortunately, these seats, thanks to robust padding, don’t move easily. Still, the feature is a plus for those who hate removing minivan seats to reconfigure interior space.

The “First Class” second-row footrests don’t fold down easily from the up position, but the articulating headrests, inspired by airplane business-class seating, are a stroke of genius, keeping your head from flopping over during a nap.

One disappointment: In the nearly nine years since the Sedona was last all-new, the larger portion of the third-row split seat remains too heavy to easily fold down into the floor and lift back up. A power-fold option would solve the problem but is not available.

The other four grades of the Sedona, the base L model, the LX, EX, and SX, have standard Slide-n-Stow seats that fold upright for easier third-row passenger entry and to create a large load floor for cargo. We don’t personally fold them up but a demonstration makes it look easy.

Interior Classy, Materials Top-Notch

A change for the Sedona is the loss of a floor-mounted center console that is detached from the center stack. The feature was considered a pass-through but, as Kia aptly states, how many people actually walk between the front seats?

A quick glance around the cabin finds excellent fit-and-finish, except for puckering leather, a nagging problem for Hyundai/Kia. Despite this issue, the Nappa leather is handsome, with white piping and orange stitching as accents.

The center stack has lots of large hard buttons, but they’re almost unnecessary as Kia’s touchscreen remains one of the industry’s best, with great contrast and clarity.

Befitting a ’15-model vehicle, the Sedona has lots of optional advanced safety technology, such as a surround-view monitor, smart cruise control and lane-departure and forward-collision warning systems. All are available on the SX Limited grade’s $2,700 tech package.

A notable deletion is a rear entertainment system. With mobile devices so plentiful now, Kia believes kids and adults would rather plug-and-play their personal phones or tablets.

The ’15 Sedona keeps the outgoing model’s low base price of $25,900, well below the refreshed ’15 Toyota Sienna’s $28,600 and the ’15 Odyssey’s $28,975, but higher than the ’15 Dodge Grand Caravan’s $21,195 entry point.

But most Sedonas sold likely will be mid-grade LXs or EXs, which range from $28,100 to $32,100 and include standard rear sonar sensors, 8-way power driver’s seat (LX), leather upholstery and a power liftgate (EX).

An SX Sedona is $36,100 and comes with navigation and infotainment. An SX Limited with the First-Class seating and unique bumpers starts at $39,700, the latter a big change for an automaker that used to promote the more value-oriented side of minivans.

But Kia is right in noting the upper end is where the growth is in minivans. Families and empty-nesters loyal to the segment want everything.

The ’15 Sedona, at first glance, comes pretty darn close to meeting their needs.

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'15 Kia Sedona SX Limited