5 Reasons Why the 2015 Kia Sedona is the Best Minivan Ever

This minivan rocks a total makeover, while maintaining some classic, tried and tested, features. Totally redesigned, the 2015 Kia Sedona shakes up the competition by reimagining its image and even its name. Rather than a minivan, Kia refers to the Sedona as a MPV, or multi-purpose vehicle.

No matter what you call it, one thing is certain: the 2015 Kia Sedona is turning heads.

The first Kia release of its type since 2006, there is no better time to drop by your local * Kia car dealer * and see why the 2015 Sedona is the best looking and safest of all mini-van persuasions on the market.

The Backstory

Historically, the minivan market has been dominated by Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota. But this third-generation, crossover-inspired, Kia creation is turning history on its head. Sporting serious style, this Sedona might still very well be the choice of soccer moms, but these are the soccer moms with serious style. That style is provided by the Sedona’s crossover-inspired design.

Let’s face it, crossovers look cool. Minivans don’t.

But minivans are the most practical and efficient cars for families, especially active families who have to meet competing demands of work, school, and play on a daily basis. Still, what’s wrong with looking cool while conquering the world…and carpool duties?

Nothing.

Which is why Kia decided to blend the best of both – marry a crossover and a mini-van.

The result?

A fresh and fun vehicle that stands out from the minivan crowd by combining the coveted functionality of a minivan with cool crossover form and features.

The Basic Breakdown:

Equipped with a Lambda 3.3-liter V6 engine, more powerful than the old 3.5, this engine boasts 276 horsepower and 248 lb.-ft. of torque, and 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission. It’s got serious power and strength. Adding the optional hitch allows the Sedona to tow nearly 3,500 pounds.

Safety First!

There’s no denying that when it comes to family cars, safety is the most important consideration. Kia kept this in mind, and loaded the Sedona with additional safety features and technological innovations to award-winning results.

Among the Top Safety Picks in 2015, the Sedona was awarded the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest safety ranking of “Good,” specifically in both small- and moderate-overlap frontal-crash tests, as well as for side-impact, roof-strength, and whiplash protection.

The braking distance, an important safety feature, is also more impressive than typically experienced in most mini-vans. Edmunds testing reports that the Sedona came to a complete stop from 60 mph in 119 feet.

Smooth Ride

With feather-light steering and a 36.8-foot turning circle, the Sedona is smooth, easy to maneuver, and fun to drive.

One of the speedier minivans, Edmunds tested it at zero to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, the Sedona also has impressive acceleration capabilities. Able to move from 30 mph to 50 mph in 4.0 seconds, and 50 to 70 mph in 5.0 seconds, you might not intend to take this baby to the track, but it certainly makes zipping from one sports practice or championship game to another that much easier.

Stylin’ and Profilin’

Representing a total design overhaul, thanks to the vision of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, the Sedona embodies Kia’s goal of adding “an element of desire.” The exterior reflects bolder, edgier, more sculpted and streamlined styling. The chassis has been redesigned and strengthened, the wheelbase stretched, and the vehicle lengthened overall.

The interior is more spacious, thanks to slide and recline and lateral sliding technology, which makes configuration and reconfiguration on the go a cinch. Passenger-friendly, the Sedona features an abundance of luxurious soft-touch features and added comforts, like lounge-style second-row seats with extendable leg rests.

Noise reduction was also a concern and Kia’s efforts make this inviting ride even quieter than its competitors.

Check Out the Trim Levels!

The Sedona comes in five trim levels: L, LX, EX, SX and SX-L, with slight variations in fuel economy. The L, LX, and EX all share 18/24 mpg; while the SX boasts a slight improvement of 18/25 mpg, owing to its electric power steering, and the SX-L, the heaviest of this crew by approximately 100 lbs., has 17/22 mpg.

Available in a stunning array of colors, the Sedona offers nine choices, including:

• Clear white
• Aurora black
• Black berry
• Bright silver
• Platinum
• Deep formal blue
• New beige
• Titanium brown
• Snow white pearl

The redesigned Sedona features impressive bells and whistles, but as you move up the trim level line, you discover added features intended for additionally enhanced performance, safety, and comfort.

The L

• 17-inch steel wheels
• Dual manual sliding doors
• Seven-passenger seating
• Rear parking sensors
• Manual front seats with a driver height adjustment
• Slide-n-Stow forward-collapsing second-row seats
• Split-folding third-row seat
• Stain-resistant fabric upholstery
• Dual gloveboxes
• Air-conditioning with rear controls
• Power accessories
• A tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• Cruise control
• Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity
• Four-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, and USB connectivity.

The LX

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Optional eight-passenger seating
• LED headlight accents
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• Roof rails
• Tinted rear windows
• 4.3-inch central display screen
• Rearview camera
• Eight-way power driver seat (with two-way power lumbar)
• Two extra speakers for the audio system
• Kia’s Uvo eServices telematics.

The EX

• 18-inch alloys
• Standard eight-passenger seating
• Upgraded LED headlight accents (with discrete LEDs instead of a solid bar)
• Foglights
• Heated exterior mirrors
• Adjustable-height power liftgate
• Power sliding doors
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Monochromatic 3.5-inch driver information display
• Leather upholstery
• Refrigerated lower glovebox
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Remote garage door opener
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Rear sunshades
• Dual rapid-charge USB ports
• Eight-speaker Infinity audio system with HD radio.

The SX

• LED taillights
• Optional eight-passenger seating
• Four-way driver power lumbar
• Driver memory settings
• Eight-way power passenger seat
• Heated front and second-row seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Upgraded leather upholstery
• Selectable drive modes (affecting transmission shift points and steering weight),
• Color driver information display (with an enhanced proximity display for the rear parking sensors)
• 8-inch touchscreen
• Navigation system
• Voice controls
• Blind spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert.

The SX-L: The Top of the Line

• 19-inch wheels
• Seven-passenger seating
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Heated and wood-trimmed steering wheel
• Wood interior trim
• Second-row lounge seats with airplane-style winged headrests and extendable leg rests.
• Technology package, including: xenon headlights with automatic high beam control, a surround-view parking camera system, a lane departure warning system, adaptive cruise control and a forward collision warning system.

Affordable and Approachable

The Kia Sedona outranked the 2015 Chrysler Town and Country, according to Car and Driver , but at a fraction of the price. Consider the Sedona’s MSRP of $26,100 compared to Chrysler’s $29,995.

Motor Trend gave the Sedona is first-place rating, saying it even makes the minivan “cool again.”

At the end of the day, whether carting around kids or colleagues, isn’t that how we all want to feel?

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