Is New Kia Sedona a Game Changer?

Here are the sketchy details as provided in a teaser press release sent out today. "Kia will unveil an all-new midsize multi-purpose vehicle at the 2014 New York International Auto Show in two weeks. This global debut will challenge the segment and will offer the functionality to transport as many as eight passengers and their belongings while also serving as a purposeful offering for adventure seekers."

Of course we're talking about the Kia Sedona, which was previously announced. We're not quite sure why Kia is being coy and calling it an MPV and not a minivan. Maybe it's afraid of turning off the female buyers too early in the process.

Promising to deliver something that can carry eight passengers and their belongings is a bold step on the part of Kia. It hasn't sold anything that big previously in the United States if memory serves correctly. The current Kia Sedona is configured as a 7-passenger vehicle.

As you can tell by the accompanying photo, this is a stylish vehicle that is night and day from the current Kia Sedona, which basically lives its life on rental car lots. It's a darling of fleet buyers everywhere.

When the new Sedona does land at the New York Auto Show, it's going to face some tough competition from the existing Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, the heavyweights of the minivan class. Kia is going to need to deliver a minivan (or multi-purpose vehicle) that is just as stylish, packed with as much technology and be more fun to drive than its competitors.

In fact, the Kia Sedona to flourish is probably going to need to be a Kia Cadenza with two sliding doors at a Kia Optima price.