Long-Term Test: 2015 Kia Sedona — Part 3
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
Keen readers will notice that our 2015 Kia Sedona tester is wearing a healthy coat of slush, dirt, road salt and (for all we know) small bits of road kill. Well, after driving the new Kia minivan during what has been arguably one of the coldest, snowiest winters we’ve seen here in Eastern Canada since the Ottawa Senators hockey team played all their games outdoors, excuuuse us!
We’re actually considering sending Kia Canada an invoice. Since we took delivery of its resurrected minivan in early January, our driving conditions have been not dissimilar to what automakers put their prototypes through for winter climate testing. So 45 days into our 60-Day Test Drive, how has the Kia stood up to the task of negotiating -30 degrees Celsius temperatures and metres of snow?
In our introduction to the new Kia, we discovered that the Korean automaker has swung for the fences with its new Sedona, targeting Japan’s Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna minivans in regards to build quality, styling, features and safety content. Kia designers have also gone out of their way to make the minivan look more like a crossover. In our second installment, we found out just how practical and flexible the new Sedona is as a hauler of people and their stuff. But now that we’re three-quarters of the way through our 60-Day Test Drive, it’s time to poll yours truly in regards to how the Sedona behaves from the driver’s seat.
We recognize straight-line performance is not a priority with minivan buyers. But drivers do want to feel secure in traffic situations that require adequate power, like entering a highway or passing another vehicle with a full complement of people and gear onboard. In that regard, the Kia is very competitive. Like its Japanese rivals, the Kia comes only with a gas six-cylinder engine. With variable intake-manifold helping out, the 3.3-litre unit makes a competitive 248 pound-feet of torque and a class-leading 276 horsepower. Matched to a six-speed automatic transmission, the Sedona matches the Odyssey and Sienna in taking around eight seconds to go from rest to 100 kilometres per hour. We noted, though, that when either of the Sedona’s Eco or Comfort drive modes were selected, downshifts were slower. However, despite the deep freeze climate conditions and plenty of low-traction situations dealing with snow-covered roads, the Kia has so far averaged a reasonable 11.4 litres per 100 km in fuel consumption.
As we’ve discovered during extended road trips from our Ottawa home base to Montreal, Kingston (twice), and Toronto, the new Sedona is like a limousine on the highway. Its long wheelbase and relatively low ride height (compared to a typical midsize crossover) helps in this matter. Overall, the Kia is remarkably quiet, comfortable, and with just enough compliance in its suspension to deal with winter’s potholed pavement, yet firm enough not to wallow like a fishing trawler.
We didn’t expect the Sedona to act like a sports car on a back road. The Kia, like its rivals, is simply too tall and heavy to make directional transitions quickly. However, the big Kia hauler does not fall apart when driven with vigour.
First off, although light in feel during low-speed parking lot manoeuvres, the Sedona’s steering gets heavier at higher speeds. There’s also plenty of off-centre resistance that allows it to track like a train on the highway. The Kia minivan is also easy to drive in-town, aided by a relatively tight turning radius. Overall, the Sedona feels smaller than its generous dimensions, a compliment for a vehicle of its size.
There were times, though, in low-speed acceleration moves (like pulling out of a parking spot or making a right turn at a stoplight) where the combination of the Sedona’s torque-rich V6, front-wheel-drive and slippery road conditions created a bit of wheel spin. But for the most part, the winter tires Kia mounted on the Sedona were more than up to the task of keeping us on the road with confidence.
In truth, keeping its occupants safe is a quality most minivan buyers and Kia share.
Our Sedona SXL+ was tricked-out with the latest in active safety technology, including lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front-collision warning, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera that helped in tight parking spaces.
So after two-thirds of the way through our 60-Day Test Drive of the new 2015 Kia Sedona, we’ve been pleasantly surprised with its driving dynamics.
We think Kia has done the smart thing in making the Sedona more of a luxury vehicle than a sporty one. It rides comfortably, handles well for its size, and gets going swiftly enough for most minivan buyers. And during those too-rare times when the driver has been left alone, the Kia minivan won’t disappoint when driven with some vigour.