As Kia continues to advance its status with new and increasingly desirable models, the seven-seat Kia Sedona is lagging somewhat behind its more stylish, contemporary rangemates. However, if you like your seven-seat MPV unglamorous, slab-sided and a touch drab but with an appealing no-nonsense honesty, then the Kia Sedona might be for you.
The current incarnation of this Korean people mover has been with us since 2006, although it’s been dragged partially up to date with the use of Kia’s latest 2.2-litre diesel engine which now appears all the way across the Sedona range.
In line with Kia’s current policy, the Sedona is available in three trim levels: ‘1’, ‘2’ and ‘3’. All three are powered by the usefully potent 2199cc CRDi oil-burner, which produces 192bhp at 3800rpm and a not insignificant 310lb ft of torque from 1800 to 2500rpm. The penalty for all that go is fairly mediocre combined economy and CO2 emission figures of 42.2mpg and 179g/km respectively (or 37.7mpg/199g/km if you opt for the automatic ’box in the ‘2’ trim as opposed to the standard six-speeder).
Equipment levels are impressive, but that’s now reflected in the Sedona’s price. Air-con is standard in ‘1’-spec Sedonas while everything else gets climate control; even a reversing camera is standard on ‘2’ and ‘3’-spec models, built in to the rear view mirror. Everything gets electric windows all round, but leather is only standard on the ‘3’.
