2015 Kia Sedona Limited Road Test and Review

by Benjamin Hunting

・

February 9, 2015

・

8 min. Reading Time

2015 Kia Sedona ・ Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Minivans might be reviled by enthusiasts, but they're far more practical than the crossovers and SUVs that have taken over the spotlight in the United States thanks to their boxy shape and expansive interior accommodations. Rather than go through the motions as it did with the previous generation of its minivan offering, Kia has dared to import Asian luxury culture into the North American van space by way of the Sedona Limited.

This thoroughly-redesigned people mover takes its cues from the aftermarket, which has been modifying vans from a premium perspective for decades, and lets families enjoy a surprisingly high level of decadence right from the factory. The 2015 Kia Sedona Limited coddles its precious cargo by way of a passenger compartment that puts the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and the Chrysler Town & Country to shame, and it does so at a price that undercuts its Japanese rivals.

Models and Prices

Although this review focuses on the 2015 Kia Sedona Limited, which sits at the top of the brand's minivan food chain, there are several more affordable editions of the vehicle to consider. The entry-level Sedona L (MSRP $26,100) features a respectable level of equipment, including rear parking assistance, sliding and tilting second row seats, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, a pair of sliding side doors, 17-inch steel wheels, fabric that has been treated to resist stains, and USB connectivity for the entertainment system.

Upgrading to the Sedona LX (MSRP $28,300) improves the exterior appearance of the van by way of LED running lights, tinted windows, power folding side mirrors, and alloy rims, and you also get a power adjustable driver's seat, a better stereo system that offers two more speakers, as well as a 4.3-inch LCD display (also paired with a rearview camera). The Sedona EX (MSRP $32,300) goes even farther in the aesthetics department by way of unique LED forward lighting accents, and fog lights. It also introduces power assistance for the van's side doors, three zones of automatic climate control, a cooled glovebox, a power liftgate at the back of the vehicle, heaters for the Sedona's side mirrors, additional USB power plugs, leather seats, and HD radio fed through a louder stereo system.

The Kia Sedona SX (MSRP $36,300) trumps the EX by way of its power front passenger seat, driver memory feature, improved leather upholstery (which wraps around heated first and second row, and ventilated first row buckets), a larger eight-inch touchscreen, voice control over a standard navigation system, LED taillights, a full color driver information display, a blind spot warning system, and adjustable drive modes. To this formidable array of gear the Sedona Limited (MSRP $39,700) adds 'lounge' seats in the second row, along with a heated steering wheel, a pair of sunroofs, wood trim, parking assistance front and rear, and 19-inch rims.

The vehicle I drove for a week was a 2015 Kia Sedona Limited that featured the Technology package (surround view camera system, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, HID headlights, and a lane departure warning system). The total window sticker for my tester came to $40,595.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Design

The 2015 Kia Sedona is an all-new design.

Kia has made much of the 2015 Sedona Limited's stylistic separation from other minivans, but while there are a few crossover-like aspects to its appearance - including a purposeful snout that bears the brand's purposeful, chiseled grille - there's no real way to hide the vehicle's slab-sided roots. And why bother? Minivans aren't meant to be beauty queens, but I have to say that Kia has done a nice job of adding enough detail to the Sedona Limited that it doesn't feel nearly as utilitarian as it might in lower spec. It's at least as 'handsome' as a comparably-sized crossover, and as someone who generally prefers square-shaped vehicles to more amorphous, and anonymous, sheet metal, I'm inclined to like the Sedona's looks.

I found the passenger compartment of the Kia Sedona Limited to be its most distinguishing characteristic. As evidenced by the recent K900 sedan, Kia has become quite adept at creating a high-end interior while preserving a reasonable price point, and the Sedona's wood trim, leather seats and accents, and tight fit-and-finish elevate the Limited model above more expensive minivans from Honda and Toyota. The design of the Sedona's cabin is well thought-out and attractive, not to mention surprising given the task-focused nature of the segment.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Comfort and Cargo

The 2015 Kia Sedona is an all-new design.

The 2015 Kia Sedona Limited's second row of accommodations are the van's clear conversation piece. Although they reduce the vehicle's passenger capacity from eight to seven, the luxury liner-style reclining seats found in the middle of the cabin (complete with fold-out ottomans) are a radical departure from what we're used to getting in an American-market van. Comfortable, even decadent, these seats steal the show, especially when completely stretched out.

At first blush, the idea of business-class second row van seats seems like a no-brainer, but Kia has been forced to pay a price for such hubris, and that's collected in the cargo department. Standard versions of the van can haul up to 142 cubic feet of gear with the third row folded flat into the floor and the 'normal' second row seats tilted forward to squeeze almost flat against the backs of the first two positions. This isn't possible with the Barcaloungers, which can slide front, back, and side-to-side, but not fully collapse. If you find yourself hauling more goods than passengers, you might want to avoid the Limited trim and stick with the EX's not-inconsiderable charms instead. In either model, the final row of seating is going to be appreciated by children but eyed warily by adults - there's not a lot of room back there, but it's much better than walking, and that can't be said for a number of seven-passenger crossovers.

The dual sliding doors made it easy to get in and out of the vehicle, and while I appreciated their power-open feature (and that of the tailgate) when my hands are full, power-close is something I am less enamored of. It's confusing for those who aren't used to the slowness of this technology, and I had passengers who got caught in an open/close loop as they simply tried to access the van from the outside by repeatedly tugging on the door handle.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Features and Controls

The 2015 Kia Sedona is an all-new design.

What I liked most about the 2015 Kia Sedona Limited's feature set was its ability to combine a no-nonsense control layout with an overall premium feel. There aren't any gimmicks inside the van - you get an analog speedometer and a tachometer, with a driver information screen in between, but not elaborate TFT dashboard - just controls that work and features that make sense. The vehicle's touchscreen is bright and easy to navigate, although I could never figure out why it would regularly overlay the climate settings over the top of whatever screen I was browsing,. Three rows of hard buttons and dials grace the center stack, and on the console there are easy-push buttons for the heated and cooled seats as well as for the vehicle's drive modes. If I had any complaints, it would be that there are a few too many dials on the steering wheel (four in total), confusing my simple mind and occasionally causing me to change the radio station rather than lower the stereo volume.

Those riding in the rear of the van of course get their own climate controls, but instead of having them mounted at the back of the vehicle's large center console they are positioned near the ceiling, just behind the front passenger seat. It's a bit of a weird spot - the controls are easy enough to spot, but reaching them is a hassle unless you happen to have the right-hand seat scooted all the way forward.

Finally, I 'd like to applaud the van's top-down camera system, which managed to keep its lenses remarkably clean despite the wet winter weather and copious amounts of road salt that made up my daily drive. I find that a rearview camera is often enough when maneuvering a large vehicle into a tight spot, but the top-down system removes the guesswork from urban parking and probably prevents a sizable number of bumper dings in the process.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Safety and Ratings

The 2015 Kia Sedona is an all-new design.

The 2015 Kia Sedona comes standard with dual forward airbags, seat-mounted side impact airbags up front, and side curtain airbags along the entire length of its cabin. It also features electronic traction control and stability control right out of the box.

Optional with the Kia Sedona are features such as a rearview camera, a surround view camera system, a blind spot monitoring system, a lane departure warning system, a forward collision warning system, and the Uvo telematics system that can automatically notify first responders in the event of an accident.

2015 Kia Sedona Limited Crash-Test Ratings: The Sedona enjoys a rating as a 'Top Safety Pick' by the IIHS, which gave it the best possible score of 'Good' in each of its crash tests. This is in direct contrast to vans like the Nissan Quest, Chrysler Town & Country, and the Dodge Grand Caravan, which fared much worse in small overlap crash testing. The NHTSA has yet to crash test the Sedona.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Engines and Fuel Economy

The 2015 Kia Sedona introduces a new 3.3-liter V-6.

Gone is last year's 3.5-liter, six-cylinder engine, and in its place the 2015 Kia Sedona introduces a smaller, more powerful, and more efficient V-6. The 3.3-liter unit that is standard with all versions of the minivan produces 276 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque, managed by a six-speed automatic transmission.

Fuel mileage for the base Sedona is listed at 18-mpg city and 24-mpg, but the Limited trim that I drove sees its efficiency drop to 17-mpg city and 22-mpg highway - apparently due to the extra weight of all that luxury gear. This makes the Sedona Limited thirstier than the 2014 edition of the van, and not quite competitive when compared against its main rivals. Strangely, the Sedona EX gains an extra mile per gallon on the highway over the base model, thanks to the inclusion of an electric power steering system.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Driving Impressions

As much as the collective marketing departments of the world would like us to think otherwise, you can't really buy a minivan that's all that interesting to drive. Ignore the hype regarding 'swagger wagons' and 'R/T' badges, because at their core minivans are heavy, feature a high center of gravity, and are tuned to prioritize miles per gallon over smiles per gallon.

I mentioned this up front because while the 2015 Kia Sedona is absolutely ordinary in its driving experience, it would be a mistake to penalize its bland character out on the road. While some will spend more money for less interior space to preserve the illusion that the crossover they're driving is somehow exciting than a minivan, the Sedona Limited asks you to engage in no such make believe. Instead it offers a stable ride, respectable acceleration from its revised V-6 drivetrain, and a smooth-shifting automatic transmission. I plunged the Sedona Limited through snowbanks and across slushy intersections and alleyways and never felt as though the van was anything other than controlled and comfortable at all times, which further reinforced my opinion that all-wheel drive systems are a nice-to-have, not necessary-to-have option for minivan buyers.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Final Thoughts

The 2015 Kia Sedona's bland character on the road is more than balanced out by its incredible interior amenities and its stylish, and practical, passenger compartment. Vans are meant to haul people, not ass, and if I was going to fault the Sedona Limited's drivetrain it wouldn't be for its lack of power, but rather its lack of frugality at the fuel pump.

Kia has played it smart with the new Sedona, choosing to focus on interior amenities and style rather than further the myth that you can have fun behind the wheel of a van. I'd rather arrive at my destination with my seven passengers coddled and rested than hear them curse me out for attempting some misguided traffic slalom along the way. More importantly, consider the value proposition made by the Kia Sedona, which even in its Limited trim level manages to come in at thousands of dollars less than a comparably-equipped Sienna or Odyssey - minivans that don't come close to the same level of cabin luxury, regardless of price. The K900 might have proved the point that affordable high class automobiles aren't the stuff of fantasy, but the Sedona takes that same philosophy and puts it into the hands of the masses.