Luxury and convenience in 2015 Kia Sedona
We’re already halfway through our 60-Day Test Drive of the all-new 2015 Kia Sedona SXL+.
And, as we explained in our introductory instalment, we’re trying to determine if a minivan is still relevant in a market where buyers now predominantly buy crossovers.
Based on the Kia’s practical capabilities, the answer is a “yes.”
Of course, one of the reasons why minivans exploded in popularity in the 1980s was their ability to haul a bunch of people and their stuff. In the case of the allnew 2015 Sedona, it hauls in a very luxurious manner. In the first month of our 60-day test drive, the Kia minivan’s interior accommodations have come across more like a ground-bound business jet.
Up front the Sedona presents all of its controls in a logical, laid-out fashion. Unlike some minivans and crossovers we’ve sampled, the reach to the centre dash controls and large touchscreen is not a strain for the driver.
We’re fond of the redundant reminders that pop up in between the driver’s instrumentation whenever you use the wiper or light controls. If you ever wonder if your wipers are on “intermittent” or not, the Sedona will let you know.
We also like the fact that when the gas tank gets down to the last one-eighth, the digital segment on the fuel gauge subtly pulses to remind you it’s time to fill-up.
As well, the way the Sedona automatically illuminates the door handles and unfolds the power retractable side mirrors when it recognizes you’ve walked up with the key fob is very welcoming.
The Sedona’s driver’s seat, which we’ve now experienced on a half-a-dozen out-of-town road trips, is surprisingly comfortable and supportive for long periods behind the wheel. It also sits a bit higher than the front-passenger seat.
Our only complaint is that when the third-row seats have their head rests extended, the view out the back is restricted somewhat.
Unique in this class, there’s a front centre console that houses the gear selector, heated steering wheel and heated/cooled front seat controls, as well as a cavernous storage bin. It also separates the cockpit from the pair of second-row seats.
Whereas base- model $29,160 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) 2015 Sedonas have seating for up to eight passengers, our topline $47,660 SXL+ version replaces the standard threeseat second-row with a pair of reclining captain chairs with footrests (a design Kia says was inspired by the thrones found in first-class cabins in airliners) making it a seven-seater.
For those without driving or parenting responsibilities, arguably, the second-row recliners in the Sedona are the best seats in the minivan. On long road trips, where some napping is in order, snoring is almost guaranteed once the business class passengers extend the seat’s footrests, recline back and nod off. And although these seats are not removable, they can be folded upright and slide right up against the front row to maximize hauling space.
Stepping back into the Kia’s third row is not a real hardship.
The second-row seats can slide horizontally. So we leave a gap in-between to allow third-row occupants a way in and out. Like rival minivans, the three passengers in the back are better suited to be small, young or both.
With all three rows of seating in use, a comparable mid-size crossover simply doesn’t have the leftover cargo space of a minivan, like the Sedona. And as we’ve pleasantly discovered, passengers are definitely the priority in the new 2015 Sedona. But the belongings that can accompany said passengers have not been given short shrift.
Behind its split 60/40 third-row seats, the Kia’s rear cargo hold is deep.
But the majority of the time, we had the third-row seating folded into the rear cargo well, which offered up a flat surface and 4,020 litres of space, plenty of room in which to load our road-salt-stained winter activity stuff.
That’s about twice what a mid-size crossover can hold, and enough for the stereotypical 4-by-8 piece of plywood.
As big and roomy and comfortable as the new Sedona is, Kia has also added a slew of day-to-day conveniences.
For instance, the rear tailgate can open up automatically if you simply stand behind the Sedona for three seconds with the key fob. And the Sedona is the first Kia to get the automaker’s new high-power (2.1 AMP) USB charging port and a 115volt AC outlet to recharge iPods and such. Plus the front passenger’s two-storey glove box has a cooled lower storage area.
In our next instalment, we’ll delve into how the new 2015 Kia Sedona SXL+ is from behind the driver’s seat. From the first half of our 60-Day Test Drive we’ve discovered that the Kia is one very convenient conveyor of people and their cargo.