2016 Kia Sedona: A hip 'multi-purpose' minivan

I remember driving the first Kia Sedona to come to the U.S. in the trendy town of Sedona - its Arizona namesake. That was more than a decade ago and the family-ferrying model impressed me with its practicality and utility, plus it represented coolness in a minivan, a class of vehicle typically considered somewhat boring and bland. Kia has continued to find ways to make Sedona hip; it was completely transformed when it entered its third generation in 2015, right down to its nomenclature: while some might call it a minivan, Kia eschews that title and has dubbed it a Multi-Purpose Vehicle to attract more customers to the brand and vehicle - and because, let's face it - sport utility and crossover utility vehicle just sounds more sophisticated and "made for an active lifestyle buyer" than minivan. Regardless of what you call it, the three-row 2016 Kia Sedona offers generous and flexible capacity for up to eight passengers and their cargo.

For 2016, Sedona receives additional content, including a standard rearview camera system, improved seat fabrics, heated front seats (on the EX), with room for eight riders on SX and SXL trims, with the optional Technology package. It's available in five trim levels starting with the entry-level L ($26,400); LX ($28,500); EX ($32,700); SX ($36,400), and top-of-the-line SXL at $39,900. (Plus a $895 destination charge.) Winner of the best new-car design at the 2014 New York Auto Show, Kia fully redesigned the front of the Sedona last year giving it a deeply-raked windshield and a grill that looks more at home on a CUV, hoping that this will set it apart from its competitors like the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and Dodge Grand Caravan, some of the mainstays from this once robust vehicle segment.

From the front, the Sedona's wide stance gives a modern appearance highlighted by a muscular-looking fascia. Kia's signature grille and a cab-forward design project an air of confidence and strength. The side profile shows off its reduced front and rear overhangs and deeply swept windshield. The rear design layout, with LED taillights, integrated bumper guard, and standard roof spoiler presents a broad and stable bearing.

Safety systems

Sedona is equipped with a variety of safety systems that monitor your driving environment and protect you and your passengers while en route. Standard active safety features include electronic stability control, traction control, brake assist, hill start assist control, electronic brake force distribution, antilock brakes, rollover mitigation, and cornering brake control.

Innovative available features include a 360-degree surround view monitor, smart cruise control, forward collision warning system, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot detection with lane-change assist, which utilizes a radar system to detect vehicles in the driver's blind spot and recognize those approaching from behind. The 2016 Sedona has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) 5-Star overall vehicle safety rating.

Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with sporty manual shifting, Sedona's 3.3-liter V-6 engine boasts 276 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and is tuned for enhanced mid-range torque, offering 248 lb.-ft. at 5,200 rpm and a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Available Drive Mode Select adjusts electronic steering for different weight of steering feel and modifies powertrain and shift points to suit your style of driving with a choice of normal, ECO, or comfort settings.

Fuel economy varies depending on the vehicle's trim level; more luxurious models have more content and weigh more, so they get slightly fewer miles per gallon. As such, L, LX, and EX models are rated at 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined; the SX achieves 18/25/21; while the SXL gets 17/ 22/19.

Interior features

The interior is especially quiet, thanks to extensive wheel-house padding, double-seal sliding doors, and expanded use of sound-deadening foam in the engine compartment. It's also luxurious, with top-notch materials, including YES Essentials anti-soiling fabrics on L, LX, and EX trims, and first-class lounge seating with retractable leg rests and airplane-style winged headrests swathed in premium Nappa leather on the SXL. Passengers will appreciate increased front shoulder room and greater leg room in all three rows. Sedona seats seven with second-row captain's chairs, eight with second-row bench seat, and offers standard second-row Slide-N-Stow seating that slides and folds upright to allow for on-the-go cargo hauling, as well as a 60/40-split third row that folds flat into the floor.

Sedona has Kia's UVO infotainment and telematics system, and is the brand's first vehicle to offer such parent-friendly features as geo-fencing, speed alert, curfew alert, and driving score, to help manage a family's younger drivers.

Cargo space is generous overall, with plenty of cubbies for easy stowage of smaller items like cell phones, purses, and snacks. Sedona can hold 142 cu.-ft. of cargo behind the first row, 78.4 cu.-ft. behind the second row; and 33.9 cu.-ft. behind the third row. A smart power liftgate with proximity key sensor (standard on EX, SX, and SXL) makes accessing that cargo easy when your hands are full by opening the rear liftgate automatically when the key fob is sensed for three seconds; its lift height can be programmed to the user's preference to avoid low-hanging obstacles such as garage doors or shelving.

We drove the updated SLX model recently over the course of a week. Among our favorite attributes was the ease of grandchild ferrying with wide-opening sliding rear doors, good access for placing a car seat, and plenty of room for stowing day-care gear.

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