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2015 Kia Sedona Review and First Drive

Christian Wardlaw
by Christian Wardlaw
September 29, 2014
3 min. Reading Time
2015 Kia Sedona SXL Silver Paint 19-inch Chrome Wheels Front Quarter Left ・  Photo by Christian Wardlaw

2015 Kia Sedona SXL Silver Paint 19-inch Chrome Wheels Front Quarter Left ・ Photo by Christian Wardlaw

As a father of four, I understand minivans, and I understand why most crossover SUVs are utterly inadequate substitutions for minivans when you absolutely require a third-row seat. Trouble is, people don’t want a minivan. They’re boring, and they broadcast domesticity louder than a 4-bed, 2-bath in the ‘burbs. Kia hopes to change that with the completely redesigned 2015 Sedona.

For starters, Kia won’t call the new Sedona a minivan. Instead, the company wants you to think of it as a multi-purpose vehicle, or MPV. I’m not sure that’s going to fly. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, well, you know that aphorism, and it applies here.

If you can get over the fact that the 2015 Kia Sedona is equipped with sliding side doors, you’re going to be impressed with this stylish new people mover. It might be the first genuinely attractive minivan in, like, ever, and Kia has sprinkled thoughtful details throughout.

Pricing and Equipment

With a starting price of $26,795 (including the $895 destination charge), the redesigned 2015 Kia Sedona L is at least $1,000 less expensive than the cheapest 2015 Toyota Sienna and $3,000 less expensive than the most affordable version of the 2015 Honda Odyssey. Plus, it comes with a dramatically superior standard warranty, and includes five years and 60,000 miles of free roadside assistance. Remember that when you’re with your family on a busy freeway and you get a flat tire with your Odyssey or Sienna.

At the opposite end of the price spectrum sits the Sedona SXL, at $40,595. Install all the extras on this model, and the price tops out at $44,795. That’s more than $1,000 less than a loaded Odyssey Touring Elite and more than $3,000 cheaper than a loaded Sienna Limited.

In between the Sedona L and Sedona SXL, Kia offers the Sedona LX ($28,995), Sedona EX ($32,995), and Sedona SX ($36,995). As buyers upgrade to more expensive versions of the Sedona, highlights include leather, 8-way power front seats with heating and ventilation, triple-zone climate control, keyless entry with push-button engine starting, and a smart power liftgate that opens automatically when it detects the key within proximity of the rear of the vehicle. A premium audio system, a navigation system, and a dual pane power sunroof are available, and cold-climate dwellers can appreciate heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, heated side mirrors, and a wiper de-icer system.

Depending on the model, the Sedona also offers UVO2 eServices infotainment technology with a reversing camera, 911 Assist, and the ability to set various alerts related to speed, curfew, and geographic boundary limits. Front and rear parking sensors and a blind-spot detection system with rear cross-traffic alert are also available, and the top-of-the-line SXL can be optioned with a surround-view monitor, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Comfort and Cargo

All three rows of the Sedona’s seats are comfortable for large adults, supplying good legroom and decent foot space, though taller people may discover limited headroom in the rearmost seating area.

My SXL test vehicle’s second-row lounge seats reflected thoughtful design beyond their ottoman-style leg rests and fold-in headrests, features similar to first-class airliner seats. They slide laterally in toward the center of the van, placing children closer to the center of the vehicle for improved safety in a side-impact collision. They also slide far back in the cabin, creating expansive legroom and the ability to fully recline the seat into a semblance of a bed for napping.

Unfortunately, choosing the SXL means that you give up Kia’s new Slide-N-Stow seats, which collapse against the front seatbacks to maximize cargo room. Kia says the new Sedona accommodates 33.9 cu.-ft. of cargo space behind its third-row seat. Flip those into their storage well in the floor, and you’ve got 78.4 cu.-ft. Collapse and push the Slide-N-Stow seats forward, and maximum cargo capacity measures 142 cu.-ft. All three measurements are smaller than what Honda and Toyota supply.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Features and Controls

The new Sedona is different from other minivans in that it has a standard center console between the front seats, one that contains the transmission shifter, cupholders, and various storage solutions. As a result, when you’re in one of the front seats, the Sedona feels more like a crossover SUV than a minivan.

Equipped with lots of storage, including a cooled dual glove box design, the Sedona’s thoughtful interior is rendered in high-quality materials and equipped with controls that are easy to find, understand, and use.

Manual side window shades make the Sedona perfect for hauling babies in reverse-facing child seats, and my SXL test van’s cargo area included a rechargeable flash light and a 3-prong electrical outlet. Hooks for hanging plastic grocery bags are mounted to the front seat backs.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Driving Impressions

All Sedonas have a 276-horsepower, 3.3-liter V-6 engine that drives the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Drivers can select Comfort and Eco driving modes, in addition to the default setting.

Due to equipment and feature differences, EPA fuel economy ratings range from 17 mpg in the city to 25 mpg on the highway. While driving on various streets, boulevards, and freeways in south Orange County, California, the Sedona SXL returned 16.8 mpg, reflecting what is the least appealing thing about this minivan.

Quick, smooth, quiet, and capable, the Sedona exhibits refinement combined with a taut ride and handling character that makes it feel unexpectedly sporty when rounding corners and curves. The steering, brakes, and transmission are impressively calibrated, operating in unobtrusive fashion during a short drive. On some sections of pavement, the ride proved a bit stiff, but I prefer that to float and isolation.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Final Thoughts

Overall, the new 2015 Kia Sedona strikes me as stylish, functional, and good to drive. If it turns out that it’s also a crash-test rock star, and real-world mileage proves to be in the same neighborhood as official EPA ratings, this new Kia should definitely siphon minivan market share from Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota.

Kia invited Autobytel to attend a daylong ride-and-drive event

2015 Kia Sedona photos by Christian Wardlaw

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw


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