Test Drive: Kia Sedona Van Has 1st-Class Seating

Shocking.

"Can we get this car?" That from a car-blase 12-year-old. "What's the name of this car?" Says his 12-year-old chum, wanting to spell the name right on the Instagram caption to accompany the phone-photo he'd just taken of the Kia Sedona minivan.

Minivan? Yep.

The boys were blown away by the lavishly upholstered second-row bucket seats that recline like loungers, equipped with footrests for the weary.

But their larger point is valid: The 2015 Kia Sedona van, a massively redone vehicle, is a very slick piece of work.

The U.S. van market is dominated mainly by Honda's Odyssey and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. But Kia needn't rack up fat U.S. sales to make it worthwhile to compete. Sedona is sold in other markets, often as executive transport, so U.S. sales are less important to overall profits.

Not all U.S. Sedonas are as fancy as the $43,000 test vehicle, but if you like to tote folks premium-fashion, Kia can put a very lavish package in your driveway.

The Sedona is "the final model to undergo Kia's design-led transformation under ... chief design officer Peter Schreyer," says Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning, Kia Motors America.

That means Schreyer now has visited his styling on all the Kia models, and the next true redesigns of Kias will be second-generation Schreyer. With Kia since 2006, Schreyer is noted also for his earlier work on the Audi TT coupe, considered radical and trend-setting by design experts. He now oversees global design for Kia and Hyundai.

The 2015 Sedona grille has a family resemblance to other Kias. The redone van rides on a new chassis that is a little longer, and the wheels are closer to the ends, minimizing "overhang." A short overhang is what makes BMWs visually appealing to many people.

Sedona still suffers from an ugly side gash that houses the sliding door track — a flaw shared by the Honda Odyssey and Nissan Quest, but not the Toyota Sienna, nor the FCA vans.

And our tester had some troubling rattles in the vicinity of the sliding doors. We expect those are unrepresentative, but you should hammer yours down potholed gravel roads during your dealership test drive, to see if all's quiet.

If you buy a high-end model with the reclining seats and footrests, note that Kia warns that using them while underway "can reduce the effectiveness of the safety restraint system and may lead to additional injury in an accident."

Third-row seats, while having generous leg room, are low enough that adult legs can jackknife uncomfortably, a common problem in three-row vehicles. Not all kids find the way-back agreeable, either. Try before you buy; specifications don't tell the story.

Cargo space behind the third row of seats, and when the third-row seats are folded -- a common configuration -- each is a bit less than typical for the class, manufacturers' specifications sheets say.

Nor has Kia come up with a magic formula to eke out superb mileage from what is essentially a 2-ton-plus brick pushed through the air by the 3.3-liter V-6 shared with the Sorento SUV..

We got about 14 mpg in suburban be-bop, about what a full-size pickup or big SUV would deliver.

What's especially appealing:

•The dashboard is wide, straight and laid out sensibly. It's easy to spot and use controls.

•The connectivity/infotainment suite seems easy to link and manipulate.

•Seats in the high-end SX Limited test vehicle are comfy -- up front as well as those second-row loungers.

•The engine is a bit more powerful than normal among minivans — 276 horsepower vs. 248 hp in the Odyssey, for example — so Sedona is lively by minivan standards. The FCA vans probably are best when pushed, powered by the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 rated 283 hp.

•Sedona feels less cumbersome on the road than some minivans. Less like a big box, more like any ol' car. Most drivers are unlikely to think it's as sporty as the Odyssey, though.

Despite the possible drawbacks, Sedona was a delight overall, able to handle a variety of people and cargo tasks in pleasing, simple fashion. And, in the high-end models, to do so with a nod to style.

2015 Kia Sedona highlights:

•Price: Base undercuts rivals

•Style: Different enough to catch the eye

•Interior: High-end model is a knockout

About the 2015 Kia Sedona:

•What? Full remake of front-drive minivan with seven- or eight-passenger seating.

•When? On sale since fourth quarter 2014.

•Where? Made in South Korea.

•How much? Starts at $26,995 including $895 shipping for base L model. Top-end SX Limited with all factory options: $43,295. Test vehicle was $43,295.

•What makes it go? 3.3-liter V-6 rated 276 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 248 pounds-feet of torque at 5,200; six-speed automatic transmission.

•How big? About even with other minivans, similar to full-size car or SUV; 1.5 inches shorter, 1.1 in. narrower than Honda Odyssey, which is the best-selling minivan.

Sedona is 201.4 inches long, 78.1 in. wide, 68.5 in tall and rides on a 120.5-in wheelbase.

Weighs 4,414 to 4720 lbs.

Cargo space: 33.9 cubic feet behind third row, 78.4 cu. ft. when second row is folded.

Turning circle diameter, 36.8 ft.

•How thirsty? Rated 18 mpg in the city, 24 highway, 20 combined.

SX Limited test model registered 14.2 mpg (7.04 gallons per 100 miles) in suburban driving.

Burns regular gasoline. Tank holds 21.1 gal.

•Overall: Well-executed, and top model is remarkably luxurious.

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