2017 Kia Sedona

The 2017 Kia Sedona is the most loaded minivan for the lowest price. It’s often hard to imagine an auto manufacturer can offer so much, with a total of five trims in a range of budgets, all with amenities and tech features, but Kia does it. Be it the 8-passenger or the 7-passenger model, the new Sedona rivals well established minivans in its class. Plus, it’s earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the past two years.

Starting At

$26,800

Engine

The engine that powers all five Sedona trims is a 3.3-liter V6 engine with DOHC and CVVT. DOHC is a valve design implemented to optimize engine performance, whereas Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) is used to optimize performance and fuel efficiency. The Sedona’s 3.3L V6 engine generates 276-horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque.

Fuel economy is roughly standard throughout the trims, with small differences. All of the trims except the SXL get up to 18/24 mpg city/highway. The SXL has an EPA of 17/22 mpg, probably due to its increase in standard wheel size (19 inches).

Transmission and Driving

The transmission standard on the 2017 Kia Sedona is an electronically controlled 6-speed automatic overdrive transmission with Sportmatic. A transmission that is electronically controlled and automatic requires no driver input - even if going downhill, the transmission will downshift to control speed and reduce wear and tear on the brakes. However, transmissions with Sportmatic tech allow the driver to manually shift if they so choose.

Although a minivan, the Sedona can be used for towing. All trims have a capacity of 3,500, and given its front-wheel drive (FWD) powertrain, all the power will be in the front. This is best, since torque is the main trait behind towing power, and the most traction and power will be in the front where there is less tension.

Elegant Exterior

Standard on all trims are LED turn signals on the side mirrors, heated rear glass, solar control glass to prevent the cabin from getting too hot, privacy glass (not on the base trim), automatic headlights, and more. The L and LX trims ride on 17-inch alloy wheels, the Sedona EX and SX have 18-inch wheels with differing finishes, and the Sedona SXL rides on 19-inch wheels with a chrome finish.

The main differences between trims are either standard features or add-on options, and the Sedona SXL is the only trim with a sunroof. These features and options consist of power-folding outside mirrors, heated outside mirrors, dual power sliding doors, a smart power liftgate (not available on the Sedona LX) and roof rails.

Comfortable Interior

The Sedona L (base trim) is a 7-seater minivan, and all of the other Sedona trims have a 3-passenger 2nd-row seat making it an 8-passenger minivan (available option on Sedona L). The Sedona L and LX trims have fabric seating with YES Essentials fabric treatment, and the other trims have leather (optional upgrade for Sedona LX). Heated front-row seats and second-row seats are available on select trims, as are ventilated front seats. All trims in the lineup have 50/50 split-folding third-row seats, and offer a total of 142 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front-row seats.

The 2017 Kia Sedona also comes with an Active Eco system to proactively control parts of the engine and transmission to optimize fuel economy and a Drive Mode Select (DMS) so drivers can choose a driving style that fits their mood: Normal, Eco, and Comfort. For convenience, Remote Keyless Entry is a standard on the Sedona L and LX trims, and push-button start with smart key and immobilizer is standard on the rest (optional on Sedona LX). Triple Zone automatic climate control can be found on upper trims, along with an auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink. Second and third-row window sunshades have been integrated in all trims except the base (Sedona LX option only).

Entertainment

Bluetooth wireless hands-free connectivity is standard on all Sedona trims, as are steering-wheel mounted audio and hands-free phone buttons, but the audio system and touch-screen display varies by trim. The Sedona L and LX trims come with the usual AM/FM/mp3/SiriusXM 4-speaker system on a 5-inch display. The Sedona EX comes with UVO eServices and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on a 7-inch color touch screen including the prior features, and the Sedona SX and SXL trims have all of the prior features in addition to an 8-inch color touch-screen with SiriusXM Traffic and HD Radio and eight Infinity speakers with a subwoofer.

Safety Features

All basic safety features come standard on the entire 2017 Kia Sedona lineup. These consist of dual front advanced and seat mounted airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, roll mitigation, electronic stability control, traction control, ABS brakes, LATCH-ready child seat anchors, a rear camera display, and more. Advanced preventative safety features are mostly optional, but some of them are standard on the Sedona SX and SXL trims. Advanced preventative safety features consist of a rear parking assist system, surround view monitor, blind-spot detection system, rear cross traffic alert, smart cruise control, forward collision warning system, lane departure warning system, and autonomous emergency braking.

Warranty

All Kia vehicles come with the 10-year/100,000 mile warranty program which includes: a 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty; a 5-year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty; and a 5-year/100,000 mile limited anti-perforation warranty.