Kia confirmed to The Car Connection that the Sedona will be dropped for 2013 and the automaker has independently told Leftlane that a new minivan is on the horizon. Conversations we had with Kia representatives last fall indicated that the Sedona nameplate will stick around, although spokesman James Hope only used broad, vague language to confirm that a minivan is on the automaker's agenda during his conversation with The Car Connection.
The current Sedona dates back about a half dozen years, which puts it in an era prior to the arrival of ex-Audi design chief Peter Schreyer and the general shakeup of the automaker that followed his arrival.
What should would-be 2014 Sedona buyers be expecting? Given that Kia sells the van in a variety of global markets including China, Korea and Europe, we don't anticipate that it will take the kind of North American-market focus seen in rivals from Honda, Toyota and Chrysler. Instead, the Sedona will likely continue to be offered globally with two wheelbases (a short wheelbase model was once offered in North America but has since been dropped). We wouldn't be surprised to see the automaker's 270-plus horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine wind up in the Sedona in order to reduce fuel consumption, either.
We actually thought that Kia would unveil its redesigned Sedona at the New York International Auto Show last month, but now it looks more like a Los Angeles show arrival in November. The global version could very well arrive at September's Paris Motor Show.
