06:23AM - 17.09.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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Minivan sales have stagnated in recent years, and Kia tells me that no fewer than 15 models have been completely eliminated from the market since crossovers rose to prominence. So why in the world is the company not only sticking by the Sedona, but also actively investing in it, giving it a complete overhaul for the 2015 model year? The Korean automaker isn't convinced that the minivan's "family box" reputation is truly warranted, and it sees an opportunity to snare younger, more active buyers by designing, engineering and marketing the Sedona as something versatile, edgy and comfortable. While that logic may seem both a bit familiar and somewhat far-fetched, Kia says forty-five percent of minivan buyers don't actually have kids and are instead simply looking for space, so the approach should be based at least in part on sound reasoning. I spent an afternoon in Northern California behind the wheel of Kia's new non-minivan with a healthy does of skepticism about its new strategy, but an open mind, as well. Does the Sedona's execution live up to Kia's lofty criteria and expectations of what a nontraditional minivan should be? Will buyers ditch their CUVs for something with a little more junk in the trunk? Read on to find out. I took hold of a top-of-the-line Sedona SX Limited on a hot day in California's Half Moon Bay and set out for a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway and over the mountains via CA-84 towards Palo Alto. It's a road I often drive due to its relatively low traffic volume and abundance of curves, but I'm generally behind the wheel of something a bit more nimble. Conquering these turns in a hulking, three-row 4,720-pound people mover was something new, so I grabbed the keys and set out on my way, unsure of how it was going to go. Kia's new Sedona comes out swinging at minivan establishment with its striking exterior design. Being that it's the first thing potential customers will note, it's important for this vehicle to not embody the traditional muted looks of the family hauler. The company says the Sedona's design is an attempt at mixing minivan characteristics with those of a CUV by giving it a sportier and more energetic look that is, in essence, reflective of its ideal buyer. Despite its traditional family values, the minivan market is no stranger to avant-garde design, having entertained the swoopy 2004-2009 Nissan Quest, a design that met with more quizzical stares than sales. Thankfully, the Sedona's look isn't as polarizing as all that. It greets the onlooker with Kia's now-trademark tabbed grille, a visually enticing combination of black and chrome. Squinty headlights with LEDs, chrome accents and fog lights complete a package that is still not going to be for everyone, but is likely to win more friends than Nissan's bold effort did. In profile, the Sedona is barely reminiscent of the outgoing generation's milquetoast proportions. The wheelbase is 1.6-inches longer and is paired with reduced front and rear overhangs mated with a much sleeker windshield. Chrome accents abound here, including one used to accentuate the roofline by running from the A-pillar to the rear, lending the Sedona a more aerodynamic appearance. A strong character line running from the front fender to the rear gives the design further presence. In the back, the Sedona now comes with LED taillights, an integrated bumper guard and a standard roof spoiler. The design is unquestionably sharp, and Kia has done a nice job of giving this vehicle a great deal of presence by emphasizing the front end. At the end of the day, though, there's no mistaking it for anything other than a minivan. The good news here is that this vehicle is also unmistakably a Kia, which boasts a stable of great-looking vehicles. The Sedona completes the automaker's design transformation and now falls directly into place beside its attractive siblings like the Forte and Optima through the use of trademark exterior characteristics like the aforementioned grille and character lines. The interior of the Sedona is intended to be a comfortable, luxurious space, similar to what Chrysler has done with the Town & Country, albeit in a more modern idiom appropriate of a new vehicle carrying a 2015 model year. In the range-topping SX Limited trim I drove, the cabin is all this and then some. Kia has clearly ported over the interior philosophy from its new, upscale Cadenza and K900 sedans, incorporating tons of space for the driver and passengers, as well as the inclusion of a wealth of great materials like polished metal, wood grain and available Nappa leather. Aesthetically, my tester gave me the feel of a modern study, with its rich smell and warm two-tone color palette. Kia also boasts that the Sedona is the only vehicle in its class to include YES Essentials fabric technology as standard, which provides anti-microbial protection from spills, anti-static protection from electric shocks (apparently this is more of a problem than we realized), as well as stain-repelling and stain-releasing fabric characteristics. |
