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The old Sedona amazed customers with its near-perfect imitation of the unloved Ford “Freestar” catastrophe-van. The new one is, it is to be hoped, considerably better. Industry gossip calls for a 3.3L V6.
59 Comments on “Kia Sedona Fans, Your Hour Has Come At Last...”
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Should be interesting but carving out some market share could prove challenging.
Did many people think the Optima or Sorento would carve out the market share that they have?
Not saying that it would outsell any of the Big 3 (it won’t, and besides Kia doesn’t have the production capacity), but I’ll bet that sales will increase by quite a bit and that at the very least, surpass Nissan’s offering.
We rented a “full size” car in Montana. I expected an Impala, but got an Optima. At first, I wasn’t thrilled….
Kia steals from everyone. The interior was a mishmosh of german and japanese styling cues. The interior was not great quality, but a good design.
Luckily, they stole the seating and ergos from a German car. The overall performance, with a NA four, was acceptable, and the brakes and handling were OK for limits, but a bit off for feel.
There was a bit much NVH from the front suspension, but Montana roads and low end tires may have been the cause.
When I saw that this car was a full sizer for 22k (!), I was impressed. It wasn’t going to challenge a 3 series but for the money was insane…it even held four six foot people in comfort.
Give them two more generations……
Is it stealing when the guy who designed it IS German? I guess you could say Kia stole Schreyer away from Audi… and they’ve since made him president of the company.
Given how the prior gen Sedona had one of the lowest driver death rates of measured vehicles, I could see lots of new safety-conscious shoppers taking a look at the Sedona over the Sienna or Odyssey.
I’m not familiar with the data but this may have been because of the low market share the van had.
Are you sure you understand what “rate” means?
Haha. But, you know, the language is ever evolving, even at this arbitrary moment in time.
How can driver death rates be calculated without data of driver’s deaths in cars?
That could be due to Sedona drivers avoiding driving the things unless there was no way to avoid doing so.
Easily measurable: If that’s the case, they must have much lower mileage than other used vehicles of the same type and age.
(OK, not all *that* easy: Define “same type”. Also, adjust for owner demographics; i.e, make sure to compare vehicles of the same type and age *owned by the same kind of owners*. Now define “same kind of owners”…)
I’m sure it will be competent, but probably not really offer a compelling reason to buy one over the much more established Dodge and Toyota & Honda.
It might make a small dent to those guys, but Nissan should really be afraid here. I can see this completely eating the Quest’s lunch.
Next up: Can they bring over a small pickup? [note: I have no clue if they make one and am too lazy to look :)]
+1. Minivans are a difficult market segment to break into. Not only are buyers very conservative in their choices but Chrysler has all but owns the value segment while Honda and Toyota has the rest.
Hyundai/Kia get better with every generation, but there is still a long way to go. They are the masters, however, of loading up the spec sheet so you have no choice BUT to check it out.
I was drawn to the 2015 Kia Soul at the auto show. I remember thinking, “hell, with all these options I can’t leave without giving it a serious look!”
But… it was just like the old Soul only with more options. I thought the same thing about the Elantra after two friends bought the new one and were sore about it within 3 months of purchase.
And yet, every auto review states that the Soul is a good bit improved in ride, NVH and interior.
Heck, in one comparison test, the box Soul beat out the Corolla for ride comfort.
And how does Kia have a “long way to go” when the Cadenza, Forte and Soul have won comparison tests (or finish in the top 2-3)?
You clearly haven’t been inside of a 2013 Soul compared to a 2014 Soul. The 2014 is MUCH higher quality inside and out. Soft touch materials on the dash and on the door trim. Improved NVH (KIA admitted that the new one uses more bushings compared to the old model), improved handling. The only carry over part was the transmission and the 1.xL engine.
Is this for real? I thought Kia gave on up on the minivan segment.
I always liked the blatantly fake six-lug wheel covers on these Sedona vans, was always worth a laugh.
I think the wheels really did have six-lugnuts.
Wow, that’s nuts. Kia clearly thought their minivan was heavy duty…
I know right. I always thought it was funny that these and the 3rd gen GM minivans had six-lugnuts.
You mean the Uplander, Montana SV6, and Terraza? I didn’t even notice those were six-lug.
For one reason or another, in the mid-2000s GM went to 6 stud hubs from 5 on quite a few different models. I never bothered to find out exactly why, but it was a bit puzzling to me as well.
No one noticed the 6-lug wheels on the GM minivans. No one noticed (or bought) the minivans at all.
@NoGoYo: My 09 Sedona weighs 4400 lbs and can tow 3500 lbs, with 6 real lug nuts per wheel. It’s heavy duty.
I don’t know that I would call 3500lbs of towing capacity heavy duty. My old Cadillac Fleetwood could tow 7000lbs with 5 lugs and it was just as heavy if not heavier than your van. It was also a 4 door sedan, not a utility vehicle.
The only time I’ve ever seen “lying bolt patterns” was on my sister’s not-so-dearly-departed Focus, which had 5 little circles on the wheel covers to match up with the 5 spokes. Even my father was fooled, until he walked over to the other side, where one wheel cover was missing…
Yeah, a parts search finds me a lot of 6-bolt hubs for them, plain as day…
I will admit I’m not a big van fan. I consider vans like these as exciting as a hand trolley or wheel barrow.
At work we tend to hire vans for the different shift crews, including what you guys call the Sedona when we are in the US for work. Here we call them the Kia Carnival.
One thing, it’s a pity you guys don’t get this van with the fantastic German designed 2.2 diesel.
The price of vans in Australia I consider quite high and you generally only get 2WD for the money you can get a better drive as a CUV.
A CUV is a far more attractive proposition than owning a van.
For pure people / stuff hauling, nothing beats a minivan.
Can’t say I’m a “big fan” but a Sedona took me and my family 2,800 miles all over the West and Southwest. Did the job just fine. Carried 6 of us and our stuff without a problem. Even at altitude it never demonstrated a lack of power.
I’m not the target market for this but I have to admit that it doesn’t look half bad. I think I would consider it if I had a heard of kids.
This looks to be a major improvement over the current (brought back from the dead) Sedona which was just OK and basically sold on heavy discounting.
I’m not a van fan but if I had a choice I would go for the Honda Odyssey Touring. Kia/Hyundai…no thanks.
Do the stick figure decals for the back window come standard?
So I’m weird, but … this is one of the cars that I’ve been waiting to see. If it had been released a year earlier as was expected we might be driving one.
When we bought our CX-9 the only vans on the market with 3-across second row seating were the Toyota and the Honda. The Toyota was out after an awful experience with a rental and the Honda was just too pricey. The Mazda is a stop-gap but living without sliding doors has been as big a pain as I anticipated.
Bring on the Kia!
Want LHD HiAce.
Max fridgeness.
HiAce rocks.
Don’t get me wrong, I love HiAces. One of my favorite long term vehicles was a 4WD HiAce Ambo.
They’re just not in the same class of vehicles as minivans.
The cab-over design on the HiAce, necessitated by tight driving conditions on Japanese/Asian roads means two major design compromises that take the HiAce off the table for minivan buyers. The first is obvious the moment you climb into one. Floor height is well off the deck. The selling point of minivans is how car like they are as well as how easy they are to access for families. The HiAce is not that. HiAces are tall and drive like vans.
Second – no front crumple zone. Your knees are the first on the scene of the accident in a front collision. In a head-on collision at speed, you can kiss everything below your knees goodbye.
Everything you say about HiAce floor height is sweetest Mozart to these ears perched atop cranky hips, knees and ankles. Tall is All.
But I admit to quailing at the prospect of being an organic crumple zone. These things sell so bloody well throughout Asia; what explains their tolerance of of this danger? Are such collisions simply less likely because of congestion and poor roads (outside Japan)?
Well, keep in mind that a HiAce is something you have to climb up and into and down and out of. It’s not the height neutral ingress and egress of most minivans, Venzas or even Kia Souls. From what I understand, that neutral height seating is one of the big reasons that Venzas and Souls are so popular amongst the stuff of knee crowd. I guess it really depends on your height, but overall, the front seats are very awkward to get in and out of because the driver and front passenger are seated directly over the front wheels, which means that the bottom of the door cutout is quit narrow.
To answer your question regarding the cab-over design, its because cab-overs are easier to maneuver in tight, heavy traffic on narrow roads. Instead of having to guess at where the front corners are some distance ahead of you, you know exactly where they are. The Americas are the only places where you see predominantly conventional layouts. Europe, Asia and Africa are all about the cab over design for cargo and utility trucks and vehicles.
Regarding Japan specifically, driving speeds are much slower than most everywhere else and I guess the world to which they’ve been selling HiAces to is willing to tolerate it because that’s what they’re used to.
“Regarding Japan specifically, driving speeds are much slower than most everywhere else”
Sounds like the place for me. When my workaholic wife retires from teaching in a couple of years I hope to take her with me on an extended vacation in Sapporo. At 4’11” she should click with the Nipponjin.
Hokkaido seems to offer a climate like Wisconsin’s along with the chance to be among Japanese again.
I’m a huge fan of our 2009 Sedona. The Truth About Cars:
1. The 06-14 Sedona is NOT a clone or rebadge of the Ford van. Kia’s 2005 and earlier vans were. Ford isn’t even in the minivan business anymore.
2. Yes, it really has 6 lug nuts. I know, because I’ve removed and installed every one of them. The car weighs 4400 lbs empty.
3. It’s rated for 3500 lbs towing (I installed my own aftermarket towing package). Its 250 HP V6 engine and transmission run like perfection.
4. I’ve towed a U-Haul and 7 people from PA to CA and back in 115 F heat, and PA to Boston and back in 95 F heat, with no problems.
5. My Sedona was a former rental car, and I got it cheap with low miles.
You can keep the overpriced Odyssey and its arrogant dealers. My 05 was so bad, I was thrilled to trade it for a much older Caravan in 2007.
In a surprising twist of history, Hyundai couldn’t give away the Entourage (which appeared first), but its clone the Sedona has been far more successful as a Kia. I could never figure out why.
I can’t speak for the 2015 Sedona, but Hyundai/Kia’s 3.3 V6 is supposed to be fantastic. In the Cadenza it’s rated around 293 HP.
I admire Kia’s courage to stick with this market, but the media (including Jack’s snide and inaccurate remarks here; yes, I’m calling you out) constantly ignore it. I guess the only ‘real’ minivans are made by C/D, H, T, and N.
“I’ve towed a U-Haul and 7 people from PA to CA and back in 115 F heat, and PA to Boston and back in 95 F heat, with no problems.”
How overweight were you?
Besides the overweight concerns, do you know what transmission temps were? How did the brakes handle their job, any issues with warping?
Unfortunately, I don’t know the transmission temps, but the fluid got changed immediately after the trip. I should have installed a cooler, but also took pains to be kind to the tranny.
The vehicle has large 4-wheel disc brakes (dual piston up front), which I don’t ride. No problems with brakes, but you do feel the extra weight with a trailer pushing you. At 75k miles, I’ve changed all the pads once, and replaced the front rotors once.
I recall estimating that total road weight was 7300 lbs, which included about 1800 lbs of towed weight. I couldn’t find information on how GVWR relates to towing capacity, except that Kia says you should tow less if you’re at GVWR. The GVWR is 5898 lbs, so we were likely near capacity for everything.
I don’t abuse vehicles, change ATF every 25k miles, and try not to speed. One regret is not installing a transmission cooler, although the tranny seems fine at 75k miles.
The 1st gen also shared no relation to the Windstar whatsoever. C&D merely said it kinda looked like one on their first drive and everyone pretty much took that and ran.
The sedona has a weird soft spot in my heart and I’m excited for the 3rd gen.
+1 on the Kia=Ford fallacy. It did share some styling cues with a late-model Windstar, in the sense that an AMC Matador had styling cues of a late-60’s muscle car. Add to that the fact that the Kia badge looks suspiciously like the Blue Oval from a distance and it’s easy to see how this whole misunderstanding grew.
Late to the discussion but I will echo what SCE to AUX says. I bought a new 2012 Sedona in Sept of 2011. After 2.5 years with it, we are quite happy with it. We absolutely bought it on price, with rebates available nothing else came close.
At the time, the Mopar vans were running a new engine design. Good on paper, but not much of a track record at the time. I figured I was taking a risk either way (Chrysler’s record on new engines has not been that great in recent years) but the Kia was at least willing to back the car with a superior warranty. A friend has a 2011 Ody, and my Kia feels structurally tighter.
In many ways, the vehicle is inferior to the 99 Town & Country that it replaced. However, the mechanical parts have all been wonderful. The drivetrain is an unmitigated delight with gobs of power and a 6 speed automatic that seems to always be in just the right gear. If Kia can take those mechanical guts and put them into a van that has some real passenger appeal, they will no longer have to compete purely on price.
Ford makes a minivan now. I drove it the other day.
I suppose the LWB Transit Connect is more or less a minivan… but Ford won’t admit it’s one, and calls it a “wagon”.
The added bells and whistles that Kia always includes, plus the 10 year drive train warranty will cause the Sedona to sell.
No love on here for the Hyundai Entourage?
I thought the grille looked better than the Kia’s and “Entourage” was the greatest minivan name ever.
My cousin and his family (wife and two kids) got an Entourage back when they first came out and they still own it. Driven it cross country I don’t know how many times due to his job taking them everywhere, but it’s still ticking.
It’s like Christopher Walken strode into the design studio and exclaimed:
“”I got a fever, and the only prescription is more Sorento styling cues!”
Jack’s Freestar comparison rings true for me. I rented a Sedona for a week, and it totally reminded me of our old Windstar, and the Freestar we test drove to replace it. (Didn’t buy the Freestar, hated the interior)
At any rate we quite liked the Sedona, although it reminded us of the Freestar we liked it more and might have bought one except my FIL sells Fords and that would have caused a politial issue.
And yeah, yeah minivan haters gonna hate, but it’s a job that has to get done and minivans do the job.
I’m in the target market for this vehicle. I think.
Just recently had my first child. I’m likely a few years away from my next car purchase, but when it comes it will need to be a vehicle with more space and utility.
I’m not entirely sure I agree with the comments that there’s no more room in the minivan space. Maybe. But looking around VERY casually, I don’t see a lot of choices for me.
I want something that seats 6+ people, and is value-priced.
My first choice is the Mazda5, but it’s rather small and the drivetrain is long in the tooth. Word on future updates is not good. Dodge has attractive starting pricing, but those reliability stats scare me.
Honda and Toyota seem to act as if their minivans are made of solid gold. I can’t get past the sticker shock.
If this Sedona is priced well, I could potentially buy it. That 10-year warranty helps ameliorate a lot of reliability concerns.
But if it creeps up much in price over the current model, forget it.
I’m in the same position. We’re looking at minivans now. We have two kids, a big dog, and I’m 6’4″. Having to put someone in a child seat directly behind me for long trips means the Mazda 5 is too small and ruled out, and likewise the Ford Transit Connect (which I otherwise like, but my wife thinks is only for pet cremation services). High end Japanese brands are really expensive, so we won’t consider a new one. Who wants to spend $40k+ on a vehicle that will be filled with detritus from children/dogs immediately? Chrysler vans are 100% black dot throwaway cars, IMO, with boring styling. Last year I rented a Toyota Sienna on vacation, my friends rented a Caravan (with the 3.6) and the engine already sounded raspy. The Toyota was a sewing machine in comparison. Maybe the next generation could spice it up a bit and I’d overlook the black dots as long as there was a good warranty. But I don’t think I have that long to wait.
The solution for me I believe is a 2-3 year old Quest. It’s at least a bit peculiar in it’s design, which I like. The interior on the higher end models is like an Infiniti, so when you’re driving it, you don’t feel like you bought something you hate (unless you hate the CVT, which I might upon driving). But a good looking Sedona could get us thinking about new again. We’ll see.