Interior Features

Kia's aproach to designing the all-new Sedona, copying and bettering the competition, is reflected by the interior. It's a cohesive improvement of all that's out there.

The all-new 2006 Kia Sedona is roomier than last year's model. The slightly increased wheelbase, length and width have brought 15 percent more passenger space. Third-row 60/40 bench seating is standard, with two bucket seats in the second row. Initially, all 2006 Sedonas will be seven-seaters, but a short-wheelbase five-seater is expected in fall 2006.

The area behind the third row seat is recessed for secure storage; grocery bags won't slide around so much. The third-row seat folds flat into the floor, and the second-row seats fold (although not flat) with the touch of a finger; each seatback folds down, and then the seat flips up so it squeezes against the front seatback. Or they can be easily removed to create a carpeted cargo van with 142 cubic feet of space.

Each of the three rows of seats gets its own climate control. The windows along the second row actually lower and raise at the press of a button, giving your passengers real live fresh air and a tactile view.

The optional power sliding doors and liftgate, triggered on the instrument panel or remote key fob, are a wonderful convenience.

The Sedona pilot feels like the master of her or his domain, looking down on the vast and functional center stack with all its controls, including a big leather-wrapped shift knob. This is a much better location than between the seats. The center stack in our fully loaded EX was finished in a soft, dark simulated wood that looks way better than the hard, shiny real wood found in many luxury cars. All the main controls are there and easy to click, square black buttons with easily read white lettering, along with business-like black air vents. There are more controls on the steering wheel (audio and cruise control) and driver's door, including the power seat adjustment in the shape of a seat, copied from Mercedes-Benz, and a fuel door button.

The power seat extends farther back than the standard manual seat, offering more legroom. We co-drove an LX with a six-foot-four fellow, whose legs were cramped in the manual seat. That cloth interior in the LX was okay, but the gray leather in our own test model EX was beautiful and supple, and the front seats provided excellent bolstering.

With the center stack containing all the controls, including the first two of a total of 14 cupholders (one for each hand of each passenger), the space between the front seats is used for a sideways flip-up tray/console, containing the third, fourth, fifth and sixth cupholders.

Storage includes two glove compartments, one in the face of the dash, and a larger one at knee level, containing a bin, a big slot for CDs, and a hole for a cellphone. Got more CDs than that? There's another flip-down compartment at the very bottom of the center stack, a sunglasses holder overhead, wide door pockets, compartments and cupholders for the second- and third-row passengers.

Visibility out the back is especially good, an important contribution to safety, because the rear window is as big as it can be, and the headrests over the five rear seats sink down to the tops of the seats. And if there are kids back there, there's a convex mirror on the headliner so you can keep an eye on them, and yell at them before they do the things that will cause you to yell at them.

Our EX was equipped with the $1700 Entertainment System, including a DVD player and 13-speaker Infinity audio system. We expected some sensational surround-sound, but were disappointed in the richness, depth and volume of the system, playing both the radio and CDs

Driving Impressions

First and foremost, the new 2006 Kia Sedona has a terrific, tight European-feeling independent suspension, using MacPherson struts in front and an original multi-link system in rear. "Consistent" may be the best word to describe the ride. It had the same solid, steady, quality feel, no matter the road surface.

The Sedona uses a new, 3.8-liter, double-overhead-cam V6 engine with an aluminum block and head, and variable valve timing; it makes 244 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, the most in the class. It uses a smooth five-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode, called Sportmatic.

We drove our luxury-optioned EX for four days, from San Diego east into the desert, and back over remote winding roads. We left town with the Friday getaway crowd, going with the flow at 85 miles per hour, and the engine smoothly kept pace with the speedy Californians, just loping along at 2600 rpm while getting nearly 20 miles per gallon. The Sedona was stable in crosswinds at that speed, past the churning windmills near Palm Springs. We let it run up to 95 once, and it was steady, smooth and quiet.