Photo: SB-Medien
Have you long stopped caring about parties? Does the thought of putting on trousers on the weekend put you off? Then you, my friend, need a minivan in your life. The top pics right now seem to be the all-new Honda Odyssey and the Chrysler Pacifica. But that's precisely why Kia is working on updating its Sedona, which in some markets is known as the Carnival.
We mention that because these spy photos were taken not in California, but in Southern Europe. But that doesn't matter since all of the models are imported from the same place: Gwangmyeong in South Korea.
The current generation is the third and went into production back in 2015. It's styled to look a little bit like a crossover, the Sorento to be precise. And like its high-rider brother, the front end needs some nip and tuck.
Underneath the camouflage, we're expecting to find new front and rear fascias with redesigned lights. We also believe that the side of the greenhouse and the creases on the doors are also going to be revised.
The burly 3.3-liter V6 engine doesn't look likely to change. Its 276 horsepower is roughly in line with the competition. However, an 8-speed automatic gearbox is going to take the place of the old six-speed. For South Korean markets, the Carnival is available with a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine that puts out 197 HP and 440 Nm (320 lb-ft). Could we also see a 2-liter turbo that eeks out a few more miles per gallon? The market doesn't seem to demand it, but Kia is always keen to test out new ideas.
Last year, the company sold 44,264 units of the Sedona minivan in America, which is up 20% over 2015. However, the Sorento outsold it by a margin of more than 2: 114,000 units during 2016.
Currently, the Sedona has a little less cargo space than some of its rivals. Perhaps more important is the fact that the second-row seats don't do clever stuff like fold into the floor or slide completely even when a child seat is attached. These are some of the things they'll have to improve.
The current generation is the third and went into production back in 2015. It's styled to look a little bit like a crossover, the Sorento to be precise. And like its high-rider brother, the front end needs some nip and tuck.
Underneath the camouflage, we're expecting to find new front and rear fascias with redesigned lights. We also believe that the side of the greenhouse and the creases on the doors are also going to be revised.
The burly 3.3-liter V6 engine doesn't look likely to change. Its 276 horsepower is roughly in line with the competition. However, an 8-speed automatic gearbox is going to take the place of the old six-speed. For South Korean markets, the Carnival is available with a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine that puts out 197 HP and 440 Nm (320 lb-ft). Could we also see a 2-liter turbo that eeks out a few more miles per gallon? The market doesn't seem to demand it, but Kia is always keen to test out new ideas.
Last year, the company sold 44,264 units of the Sedona minivan in America, which is up 20% over 2015. However, the Sorento outsold it by a margin of more than 2: 114,000 units during 2016.
Currently, the Sedona has a little less cargo space than some of its rivals. Perhaps more important is the fact that the second-row seats don't do clever stuff like fold into the floor or slide completely even when a child seat is attached. These are some of the things they'll have to improve.
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