If you can’t beat them, join them: this seems to be the philosophy behind the all-new 2015 Kia Sedona MPV’s styling. With customers increasingly switching from minivans to big crossovers, Kia thought it would be a good idea for the Sedona to resemble a crossover.
According to the Korean carmaker, the new Sedona offers CUV-like styling and proportions, but offers “all of the functional convenience of the segment while defying its design limitations.”
I’m down with that 100 percent, as the new Sedona (or Carnival as it is known in Europe and other markets) unveiled at the New York Auto Show is without a doubt a big step forward compared to its rather bland predecessor.
Available in two configurations, with seven or eight seats, the Sedona provides more front shoulder room, greater legroom in the front, second and third rows, as well as a slightly higher hip-point, despite retaining the same width and height as the outgoing model.
The interior offers flexible seating and a multitude of storage options, according to Kia. Second row Slide-n-Stow tracked seating slides and folds upright to allow for “on-the-go” cargo hauling, with the MPV also offering the choice of second row “First Class” lounge seating that can be positioned rearward.
Under the hood, Kia replaced the 3.5-liter V6 engine with a new Lambda Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) 3.3-liter V6 engine. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the 3.3-liter unit delivers more power than its predecessor, more specifically 276 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 248 lb-ft (336 Nm) at 5,200 rpm.
U.S. sales are scheduled to begin in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter of this year, with pricing to be announced closer to launch date.
By Dan Mihalascu
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