2021 Kia Sedona's interior molds premium and tech pretty well
The Sedona, known as the Carnival in other parts of the world, sports a pretty good-looking cabin.
Looking fancy there, Sedona.
Late last month, Kia took the veil off the latest Sedona minivan. Well, actually, it was the Carnival, which is what the minivan's called in Kia's home country of South Korea. Regardless, we thought it looked pretty good on the outside.
Now, we can say the inside looks great, too, after Kia released a sole photo of the cockpit on Monday. Again, this shows the Korean-spec car, so things could change for other countries, but the overall feel should be basically the same. Kia was keen to point out the futuristic vibes and premium materials throughout, which is supposed to wrap into the minivan's "Spatial Talents" motif.
Unfortunately, we only get a shot of the front cockpit, but it looks well appointed it what's probably a range-topping trim. Dual 12.3-inch screens handle the gauge cluster and the infotainment side of things, while buttons down the center stack give some physical options for HVAC controls. Shift-by-wire tech finds a home in the Sedona/Carnival as well, which puts a dial gear selector in place. The move should also create a ton of storage below the armrest area.
This looks really good overall.
Kia still described what we'll find behind the driver and front passenger, and depending on the country, the Sedona will feature three or four rows of seats to make room for seven, nine or 11 people. In the seven-seat configuration, the second row will still house captain's chairs with a recline function to make things extra comfortable. The current Sedona is already surprisingly luxurious inside and the latest model seems poised to kick things up a notch with more space to boot, thanks to a longer wheelbase.
Kia calls this a "grand utility vehicle." It's a minivan, but there's nothing wrong with that.
We still don't have final confirmation that the Sedona will be sold in the US again, but it seems likely. Kia told Roadshow, "the vehicle remains an important part of Kia's award-winning lineup" without confirming the minivan. But, this latest announcement said the Carnival will go on sale in South Korea in the third quarter with global sales to follow.
If it does make its way to the US, the new Sedona will face fresh competition from the new 2021 Toyota Sienna and the revamped 2021 Chrysler Pacifica.
