Few vehicles are both loved and despised as much as the minivan. As models of how to move passengers and cargo safely, comfortably, and economically, they've found a loyal base of buyers. But they're also hated - including by some of those same loyal buyers - for being just short of anonymous. Despite how several automakers have allowed their minivan models to slide out of the limelight, minivans are still a very significant chunk of the new-vehicle market, with still more than a million sold per year in theU.S.
The Kia Sedona was originally introduced for the U.S. market for 2002, with a design that was successful for its impressive value even if it wasn't quite up to the standards of refinement, packaging, and performance of top-sellers like the Honda Odyssey, Chrysler minivans, and the Toyota Sienna. Kia isn't settling for good enough, though, as it's already introducing a completely new design for the Sedona for '06.
With a quick look at the outgoing Sedona's specs, it's easy to see why it wasn't quite competitive performance-wise - it was a heavyweight, at over 4800 pounds, and so its otherwise generous 195 horsepower was only adequate. To start, the new Sedona was designed with weight savings as one of the priorities, and engineers managed to shed more than 400 pounds despite larger dimensions and increased standard equipment.
Bigger, faster, and leaner
Performance is kicked into another league, thanks to both the weight-loss plan and to a new aluminum-block 3.8-liter DOHC V-6, with dual continuously variable valve timing (CVVT) and four valves per cylinder, which replaces the outgoing 3.5-liter iron-block V-6 and makes considerably more power and torque. At 244 hp and 253 lb-ft, it makes more torque than any competing minivans, and ties the class-leading Honda Odyssey for horsepower. The new 3.8 is an engine that will soon appear elsewhere in the Kia lineup, we're told.
The 3.8 now gives the Sedona plenty of scoot, even if you're carrying a full load. There's an abundance of torque for takeoffs from a full stop, and there's also plenty of heavy-breathing passing power, quickly accessible through fast downshifts from the five-speed automatic transmission. The Sedona especially amazed in high-speed passes.
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In highway driving, the Sedona proved comfortable, stable, and quiet. There's very little wind noise, and none of the boominess coming from the back on coarse road surfaces that plagues some minivans. The powertrain is also remarkably settled; the key to this is the engine's abundance of torque - it can lug along in top gear and has enough steam to climb rather steep grades without downshifting or losing speed. And so the transmission is pleasantly devoid of the "hunting" back and forth between gears that some minivans exhibit to maintain speed on rolling hills. "Sportmatic" manual control of the automatic transmission is available by just moving the shift knob over to the side gate, but you'll find the auto-shift performance in the Drive position to be just fine.
Fuel economy used to be an embarrassment with the last-generation Sedona, but the new model has EPA ratings of 18 city, 25 highway. In some demanding California driving - a mix of high-speed Interstate, urban, and mountain roads, with a very heavy throttle foot, we saw nearly 19 mpg on the trip computer, so most drivers will do much better.
The ride on both variants is quite firm for a minivan, about right for most drivers though buyers might find frost heaves and expressway expansion strips a little jarring. Handling is extremely capable though it's not quite in the realm of sports sedans. The suspension's firm tuning reveals its strength on twisty mountain roads, though, where we can faithfully say that the Sedona has far more handling capability than most buyers will want or need. With a light load, the Sedona was an unexpected joy to hustle up and over a mountain pass, handling progressively like a well-tuned peppy front-wheel-drive sedan, with no tippy feeling and a minimum of bounce. The independent rear keeps grip and feels stable as well. Our only complaint is that the steering lacks a strong on-center feel, and so highway driving, especially in crosswinds, requires lots of small adjustments.
Form and function: a "best of" compilation
So it has the goods for the driver, but how does it fare for form and function? Stepping back to assess the package, there are a few new creases and curves, along with fashion-of-the-moment projector headlamps, but the Sedona's exterior styling doesn't break a lot of new ground - it's a minivan, with a shape that's attractive though certainly derivative, and it's not going to stand out from the rest of the minivans in the local mall parking lot. It's the same familiar shape that just makes sense - a box with an aerodynamic nose, albeit with a few creases and curves to distinguish it to those who look closely. However the interior does help differentiate the Sedona from the competition and gives the occupants a sense that they're in a vehicle with style, even if the outward appearance is one of anonymity.
Much of the Sedona's design and switchgear comes across like a "best of" compilation; while many elements of the interior are derivative, it doesn't plagiarize any one vehicle but rather borrows some of the best elements from various automakers' switchgear. For instance, the heated-seat controls almost exactly mimic those long-used by Audi, with a rotary-slide switch, while seat adjustment is done through seat-silhouette-shaped switches mounted high on the door panels, as on most Mercedes-Benz models. Another feature to find its way into the Sedona is the curved, fish-eye "conversation mirror," which allows a parent to quickly assess mischief-prone back-seat occupants. When shifting into reverse, the side mirror automatically angles down toward the rear wheel and the curb to aid in parking - another feature not usually seen outside luxury-brand vehicles. Even the engine bay is well thought-out, with a hydraulic lift, the dipstick in front, and critical fluids labeled.
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