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Kia Sedona to make its debut this summer. Looks sleeker than before and will likely be more spacious too. Kia Motors has teased the new 2021 Sedona—known as Carnival in other markets—and according to the Korean automaker, it will be a “Grand Utility Vehicle”. Just like BMW makes Sport Activity Vehicles, we guess. Basically, it will still be a massive minivan and will still be called so by its customers. Kia is injecting some SUV attributes to its load-lugger for the fourth-generation model, however. Speaking of minivans, the segment will see a lot of activity in the coming months. With Toyota revealing the all-new, all-hybrid Sienna, Chrysler coming in with the AWD Pacifica, the Honda Odyssey getting an update and now this, the competition in the segment will be quite high. Also, it goes to show that manufacturers have not yet given up on the minivan, sorry, grand utility vehicle market. Back to the Sedona. Though you won’t mistake it for anything else, the big boxy shape looks quite fresh and futuristic thanks to the massive greenhouse and blacked-out pillars. The windows appear to sit lower in the bodywork and the floating roof design looks quite appealing. Up front it retains the trademark tiger grille, though it does give off a Škoda-esque vibe. Headlamps and DRLS are sleeker and all-LED. Plus, the four-point LED fog lamps on the front bumper seem to have been omitted as well. The front flared wheel arches break up the boxy design, but in a good way. It will also probably be longer in width and have a longer wheelbase to offer more space inside. Don’t expect to see the massive wheels from the sketch on the minivan you actually buy. We figure it will likely feature 19-inch wheels, which is still plenty big for modern minivans. The rear tail lamps and the cabin of the new Sedona remain a mystery and so does the powertrain. However, we expect the 3.8-liter V6 from the Telluride to power the minivan, up from the current model’s 3.3-liter six-pot. In addition, the Sedona will need to offer some serious kit and technology to stand out among the Sienna and the Pacifica. As for the launch, it was expected to be revealed at the New York Auto show, which first got pushed back to August due to the coronavirus pandemic, and then canceled entirely. According Kia, the new Sedona will make go on sale in its native Korea the third quarter of this year. Figure for a North American debut not long after, and an appearance at dealers before year’s end. Stay tuned for more details over the summer. The post 2021 Kia Sedona Will not be a Minivan but a ‘Grand Utility Vehicle’ appeared first on AutoGuide.com. Lees volledige artikel