At about 2 am my friend - and for one night only my navigator - called, “Turn left now!”
He wasn’t exaggerating when he emphasised ‘now!’ The corner had crept up on him like a stealth bomber in plimsolls and we really did need to turn immediately.
I threw a finger at the indictor stalk, but because this is an older Kia, the indicators are on the opposite side to normal. So the windscreen wipers came on and recognising my mistake. Instantly threw another finger at the right hand stalk. I did this so quickly that I knocked the headlights off.
So just to clarify: It’s 2am, pitch black and I am turning without indication or headlights. I do however have a perfectly clean windscreen. Driver error or bad design? I’ll let you choose.
No harm was done and everything was sorted in a few seconds. In fact it is a testament to the car that everyone found it amusing, rather than using it as evidence that the car wasn’t good enough.
It is in fact, by popular assent, very good in lots of ways. The most notable area being value for money. Contrary to what you may believe, not all Kias are cheap to buy. The Cee’ds in particular are holding their prices very firmly. However with the Sedona, like the KFC family bucket, you wonder how they manage to give you so much stuff for so little money.
Gadget wise, there are electric windows all round, cd player, 10 - 14 cup holders (although I have no idea where most of them are or why everyone needs two drinks), one touch double folding seats, three 12v power outlets, VRS (which I think is to do with snow chains!) electric mirrors and my favourite: air conditioning with front and back controls.
This was my favourite because it kept the rear passengers so amused. Essentially, no one could work it out and every time I changed something in the front it seemed to change the back too. There was a lot of squawking, some ‘ooh its blowing at my feet’ and a bit of ‘ummm… there’s a cold draft now’
Other aspects of living with the Kia Sedona that I liked were the modern, light upholstery. It felt practical and thrifty without being cheap or depressing – something that budget manufacturers can be guilty of.
The front seats are particularly comfortable and both the driver and the navigator agreed that independent armrests make a big difference.
As well as the cup holders, it has more draws and storage compartments than the average bedroom. The ‘one-touch double fold seats’ allow you to create some boot space very easily. The mechanism for folding the back seats up is similar to that found in Volkswagens. Pull a simple draw string and it folds out of the way. The seats and associated mechanisms feel as well made as in any other MPV, including Volkswagen.
The doors all shut with a weighty ‘thunk’ too. Especially the side doors, which some passengers thought had child locks on – they didn’t, they were just too heavy from them to open from inside. A sure sign of quality.
Unlike the gearbox and syncromesh. Changing gear at slow speed you could hear it make feint squelching noises as you shifted gear. Like the half second engine run-on when you take the key from the ignition, it slightly spoils an otherwise impressive experience.
Around town, considering the Sedona is the same size as some people’s bed sits, it proves to be surprisingly nimble. The Kia engine, while not the most refined, delivers power and torque in exactly the right measures for bobbing around in traffic.
Out on motorways and dual carriageways, the Kia gets easily up to a cruising speed and remains quiet in terms of engine, road and wind noise. Push up much above average motorway cruising speeds and the engine gets a little coarse. Fuel economy, however, never suffers. I went all over the place, often with lots of people and luggage onboard but only used about half a tank of diesel (it manages up to 44 MPG).
Handling on B-roads is, in one respect, about what you might expect; you need to slow down because it is not a sports car. But rather than being heavy and understeering, if you do go through a corner a little briskly, the car goes quite light and feels very ‘pointy’ at the front. That’s mainly down to the auto-adjusting power steering that makes it easy to park in town.
Summary
An enormous family car offering space and comfort. Value for money when buying and economical to run. No wonder it has been a popular seller for so many years; which also means there are lots to choose from on the used market.
Road test car details
Kia Sedona 2.9 CRDI LS
OTR: £19,945
MPG: 36.2
BHP: 183
0-62: 15 secs
Co2/KM: 206