Kia Sedona Road Test

Kia Sedona

By far the most popular engine will be the smooth and torquey new 2.9-litre turbodiesel that we tested. This four-cylinder 16-valve unit with a capacity of 2902cc now features second-generation common-rail injection and a variable geometry turbocharger to ensure lively performance and clean emissions that meet Euro IV standards. It is available with five-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. The automatic now incorporates Kia's Sports Mode sequential manual change feature. The engine was a little noisy at idle, although this is a characteristic of most diesel powered vehicles. The engine offered lots of torque which resulted in a spirited drive.

The 183 bhp, turbo-charged, 2.5 CRDi engine is very flexible and willing to eat up as many miles as you care to put in front of it. This unit, in combination with the 5-speed automatic gearbox takes 15.7 seconds to get from 0-62 mph and the top speed is 120 mph. The manual version takes 15 seconds for the 0-62 mph dash and has a top speed of 122 mph. Curiously, the 186 bhp, 2.7 V6 petrol engine is not that much different with figures of 119 mph and 14 seconds for the top speed and sprint respectively.

The differences show themselves at the pumps. The fuel consumption figures for the diesel unit in GS trim are 23 mpg (urban), 40.4 mpg (extra-urban) and 31.4 mpg (combined), while those for the petrol engine are 19.3 mpg, 33.6 mpg and 26.4 mpg. Of course, the other variance is the amount of torque produced; 343Nm between 1750-3500 rpm for the diesel and 249Nm between 1750-3500 rpm for the petrol.

In summary we found the Kia Sedona to be an excellent multi purpose vehicle that can carry seven people in spacious luxury. It is particularly suited to motorway driving as its powerful diesel engine is no slouch and is eager to accelerate for easy overtaking. If you are looking for an MPV we would urge you to test drive the Sedona don’t be a brand snob. The build quality is good and it has everything required for a safe journey but at a bargain price.

Kia Sedona