The Kia Sedona: A Minivan That's Playing Catch-Up

When it comes to minivans, most people can name a few top contenders: Chrysler Town and Country, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Sienna. If someone mentions Kia Sedona, they might get some surprise or even skepticism - after all, the Sedona has long been considered the underdog in this segment. So, how does Kia plan to attract attention to its redesigned Sedona?

Styling: A Prominent Nose to Blend In

One of the oldest tricks in the book is styling a prominent nose to blend in with all those SUVs out there. And that's exactly what Kia has done with the new Sedona. The result is a van that looks sleek and smooth, even if it did borrow some design cues from its rival, Honda Odyssey. The unique jagged window sill treatment, which Kia often incorporates into its modern designs, adds to the overall upscale look of the vehicle.

Inside, the mid-level e^x model features two-tone leather and some nice luxuries like heated front and second row seats. Most versions come equipped with eight seats, although a top-level version seats seven with a pair of second-row lounge seats and footrests. The focus on looks and luxury is evident in every aspect of the interior design, but it's worth noting that this attention to aesthetics comes at the expense of practicality.

Limited Practicality: A Trade-Off for Luxury

Unlike most minivans, where the second row seats can be easily removed, the Kia Sedona's seats are fixed in place. This means that the amount of cargo space available is limited, which might be a concern for families with multiple children or those who need to haul lots of gear. Additionally, the left foot room in the cabin is extremely tight, and the steering wheel doesn't pull out far enough. The standard touchscreen also has a small radius, making it difficult to navigate.

The Good: Powertrain Performance

However, Kia's 3.3-liter V6 engine hits above its weight class with 276 horsepower - plenty of power for most families' needs. While it may not make the Sedona sporty in terms of handling, the powertrain is more than sufficient for merging onto highways or tackling long road trips.

The Bad: Price and Features

When you balance out the equipment in the Kia Sedona TX, which comes with leather, power tailgate, and a Premium Package featuring blind spot monitoring, the price seems relatively competitive at $34,795. However, this is where things get complicated. The Sedona's features list is not as extensive as that of its rivals, missing out on important items like sunroofs and advanced safety equipment found in Honda Odysseys.

Consumer Reports: A Closer Look

To put the Kia Sedona's value proposition into perspective, check out Consumer Reports online. Once you factor in the costs of those missing features, the price of a Sedona might not be as attractive as initially thought. The Sienna XLE or Odyssey EXL, for example, cost one or two thousand dollars more than the Sedona TX. It's clear that Kia has made some compromises to keep its minivan competitive.

In conclusion, while the Kia Sedona has made an effort to revamp its design and offer a luxurious interior experience, it still plays catch-up in terms of practicality and features compared to its rivals. With its powerful V6 engine, however, families might find it suitable for their needs - but only if they don't mind sacrificing some space and flexibility.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enquick name a minivan you probably came up with the Chrysler Town and Country for Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna if you said Kia Sedona I'd be really impressed and Kia probably would be too you see the Sedona it has long played second fiddle compared to the far more established name plates out there so how can Kia attract attention to their redesigned Sedona or they use the oldest trick in the book styling a prominent nose helps this van blend in with all those SUVs out there the rest of the van is smooth and sleek well for a van even if they did steal the Odysseys unique jagged window sill treatment just like other modern Kia's things look upscale and spiffy inside this is a mid-level e^x but it has two-tone leather and some nice luxuries like heated front and second row seats most versions will see eight with a small centre second row seat top level version seats seven with a pair of second row lounge seats with footrest thing is it looks like he attained more attention to looks and luxury rather than practicality unlike in most minivans the second row seats cannot be removed that limits how much cargo you can ultimately hold there's even more concessions up front in the cabin left foot room is really tight the steering wheel doesn't pull out far enough and it's a long reach to the standard radius too small touchscreen we don't have any complaints about the powertrain Kia's 3.3 liter v6 is a bit smaller than rival minivan motor but it hits above its weight class with 276 horsepowers plenty of power doesn't make the Sedona sporty though steering field is pretty dead the suspension lack sophistication swampthing over bad roads his reputation is as a value brand but their prices are creeping up this mid-level Sedona TX has leather power tailgate and a Premium Package with blind spot monitoring stickers at thirty four thousand seven hundred ninety five dollars at a quick glance that sounds good compared to a Sienna XLE or Odyssey EXL they cost one or two thousand dollars more thing is that once you balance out for equipment that this Sedona is missing like a sunroof or the advanced safety equipment found in a Honda Odyssey the price is pretty much a la the more check out Consumer Reports online youquick name a minivan you probably came up with the Chrysler Town and Country for Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna if you said Kia Sedona I'd be really impressed and Kia probably would be too you see the Sedona it has long played second fiddle compared to the far more established name plates out there so how can Kia attract attention to their redesigned Sedona or they use the oldest trick in the book styling a prominent nose helps this van blend in with all those SUVs out there the rest of the van is smooth and sleek well for a van even if they did steal the Odysseys unique jagged window sill treatment just like other modern Kia's things look upscale and spiffy inside this is a mid-level e^x but it has two-tone leather and some nice luxuries like heated front and second row seats most versions will see eight with a small centre second row seat top level version seats seven with a pair of second row lounge seats with footrest thing is it looks like he attained more attention to looks and luxury rather than practicality unlike in most minivans the second row seats cannot be removed that limits how much cargo you can ultimately hold there's even more concessions up front in the cabin left foot room is really tight the steering wheel doesn't pull out far enough and it's a long reach to the standard radius too small touchscreen we don't have any complaints about the powertrain Kia's 3.3 liter v6 is a bit smaller than rival minivan motor but it hits above its weight class with 276 horsepowers plenty of power doesn't make the Sedona sporty though steering field is pretty dead the suspension lack sophistication swampthing over bad roads his reputation is as a value brand but their prices are creeping up this mid-level Sedona TX has leather power tailgate and a Premium Package with blind spot monitoring stickers at thirty four thousand seven hundred ninety five dollars at a quick glance that sounds good compared to a Sienna XLE or Odyssey EXL they cost one or two thousand dollars more thing is that once you balance out for equipment that this Sedona is missing like a sunroof or the advanced safety equipment found in a Honda Odyssey the price is pretty much a la the more check out Consumer Reports online you\n"