After a little tease for the curious a week ago, Kia decided to drop a few more details about its mysterious multi-purpose vehicle debuting at the New York International Auto Show next week today.
The first detail? The Sedona name lives on.
The all-new 2015 Sedona also gets a new powerplant: a 3.3-liter gasoline direct injected (GDI) V6 engine.
While it can move people quickly it can also keep them entertained with the maker’s next-generation UVO Infotainment & Telematics system, as well as several new eServices features.
In an earlier announcement, the maker said, “This global debut will challenge the segment and will offer the functionality to transport as many as eight passengers and their belongings while also serving as a purposeful offering for adventure seekers.”
Kia won’t call the new Sedona a minivan, but clearly it appears to be exactly that. It’s a segment that has been shrinking for the better part of a decade and is dominated by two players: Chrysler and Honda. However, the buyers who remain in the segment are loyal and value functionality and space over a sophisticated image.
(Lexus reveals new NX compact crossover. For more, Click Here.)
Kia has been in and out of the minivan market since the Sedona was first introduced in 2006. They pulled out of the market in 2012 only get back in a year later with model that received only a minor upgrade, which is fitting because it sold in “minor” volumes: just about 7,000 units last year.
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The Honda Odyssey, for example, generated 130,000 sales.
(To see more about the Kia Sedona, Click Here.)
The face of the new “MPV” is decidedly more sporty than the classic one-box minivan. The initial tease from a week ago left much to the imagination about how Kia might reach buyers who are reluctant minivan purchasers amidst tough competition. The final answers will come next week.
