Kia Sedona: making inroads against the biggies

Published 3:11 pm Friday, January 25, 2008

For 2006, Kia significantly spruced-up its Sedona minivan, which first went on sale in mid-2001. In addition to improvements in styling and more generosity with standard and available equipment, the all-new Sedona snagged a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and was deemed a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In a market segment dominated by bigger brands, Sedona continues to make inroads by offering a minivan with top-notch functionality and lots of amenities, with a lower price tag than the rest of them.

For 2007, Sedona added a Short Wheelbase (SWB) version to its lineup, which already included a Long Wheelbase model in LX and EX trim levels. There is only one version of the SWB, which is the model I drove.

Standard equipment on the SWB includes three-zone air conditioning (driver, front passenger, rear side), eight-speaker audio system with CD player, power windows and door locks, manual-control rear quarter windows, keyless entry, alarm system, dual sliding side doors with hold-open lock, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, cloth seats, four-way adjustable driver’s seat with manual lumbar support, power rack-and-pinion steering, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control, and traction control.

The only available options for the SWB Sedona are a roof rack with crossbars, a trailer hitch, floor mats and a cargo net.

Additional options for the LWB models, depending on trim level, include power sliding doors, power tailgate, sunroof, and a premium 13-speaker audio system with six-disc CD changer, MP3 and rear-seat entertainment system.

Sedona provides seating for seven, with captain’s chairs in the first two rows and a 50/50 split folding three-passenger bench seat in the rear. The flip-and-fold second-row seats have built-in rollers and are removable. Both second- and third-row seats recline.

The standard powerplant for all models is a capable 3.8-liter DOHC V6 teamed with a smooth, electronically-controlled five-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. It generates 250 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 253 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. The tester’s EPA rating is 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway.

There isn’t much that can be done to a minivan’s exterior to make it eye-catching. Nissan tried to break away from the stereotype with the Quest, but I don’t think it was such a good idea. I like Sedona’s fairly simplistic design much better, and in fact think it’s really an attractive vehicle, minivan or otherwise.

Sedona certainly rates high in seating comfort and configuration of storage spaces. The shift lever is in the center stack, leaving room between the two front seats for a handy flip-up console with tray.

Visibility is good, yet Sedona doesn’t have the undesirable “fishbowl” feeling of many other minivans.

And, though manually-operated sliding doors are considered roughing it, I actually prefer them. Those power sliding doors move way too slowly for someone with my patience level.