Kia Sedona Named "Best Minivan for the Money"

Things are going great for South Korean manufacturer Kia Motors, especially in the United States where its models achieve new milestones every once in a while. This time, it's all about the Sedona minivan, a model that recently received the Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and has now been named the "Best Minivan for the Money" by U.S. News & World Report.

"As one of the longest-running nameplates in the Kia lineup we are thrilled that Sedona continues to be recognized for offering a complete package of standard technology, convenience and safety features at a tremendous value,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, Kia Motors America (KMA).

“In the current economic climate total cost of ownership is very important to consumers. The unique formula employed by U.S. News & World Report combines their own rankings with overall costs, and further solidifies Sedona’s position as a segment leader in value.”

Sedona is on the other hand less popular in Europe and the parent manufacturer announced back in 2009 that it kills the model due to very low demand across the continent. In Europe, the top-of-the-range version in the Sedona lineup was the 3.8-liter V6 unit that generated 250 horsepower and 343 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm and was mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission (market dependent). As for the fuel consumption, the MPV was able to achieve ratings of 16 mpg (14.7 L/100Km) city and 23 mpg (10.2 L/100Km) highway.