On a recent trip to the New York International Auto Show, I had the pleasure of learning about the all new 2015 Sedona, Kia’s new multi-purpose vehicle capable of transporting 8 passengers along with their belongings in person. Even though the 2015 Kia Sedona isn’t quite hot off the production lines yet (Fall 2014), after speaking with Kia’s VP of Product Planning, Orth Hedrick along with the head of Connected Car, Henry Bzeih, I already have formulated a love list and I’m excited to give it the full go around when it releases late this year! 

5 Reasons to Love the All New 2015 Kia Sedona

1. Reclining Captains Chairs with Leg Rest

Everyone is going to want to sit in them. Honestly, they make me never want to drive again. And really, who in their right mind would when you have First Class seating in the back?!? In addition to the adjustable headrest, heated seats and dual armrest, these 2nd row reclining chairs also have a kick-out leg rest. Not only do these seats slide forward and back, but they also move side to side – making them the ultimate anti-“mom, he’s touching me” device. On the off chance you’re carting around BFF’s, you can also slide them closer together to share the iPad. Or if you’re out to catch the surf you can slide forward, fold up or remove these seats all together for even more room. 

2. Storage and More Storage

Crossovers are great for small numbers of people who need the option for greater storage or an increased number of passengers. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for them to do both well but the new Sedona Multi-Purpose vehicle might be the first to do so and carries EVERYTHING your day demands of it. It can easily seat 8 AND still hold the golf bags, suitcases, strollers and even the occasional pack of ninjas (imagine 2-3 more of me in the trunk!) without breaking a sweat. But it’s not just about the obvious cargo space, the Sedona also features a large shift console down middle with side pockets, overhead compartment, door cubbies AND a dual glove box that offers a cooled lower storage area. 

3. Uber Gadget Friendly

In addition to all of the various outlets including 3 USB (one of which is 2.1AMP), 1 auxiliary input jack and two 115v outlets; the Sedona is one of the first of it’s kind to utilize the next generation UVO1 system based on Linux. The system comes with four new free eServices: Geo-fencing, Speed Alert, Curfew Alert and Driving Score. 

And with the addition of the new Kia App store, you can download select Google Play and iTunes apps including popular favorites like Pandora, iHeart Radio and Yelp. It also comes with Siri “Eyes Free” and Google Local Search – created to find points of interest and locations. You can also have access to fuel prices, movie times, traffic, weather and more with Sirius XM Travel. Imagine the uses for road trips, camping, or exploring a new city!

4. Safety Centric

No one ever expects the unthinkable to happen but it can and it does. Not only does the Sedona aim to protect you in the event of an accident, their additional safety features aim to help prevent accidents from occurring in the first place. For example, some of my favorites include forward collision warning (radar cruise control that adjusts your speed according to the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to maintain safe spacing), blind-spot detection (alerts you to vehicles in your blind spot when the blinker is engaged), and rear cross-traffic alert. 

It also comes loaded with these “standard” safety features:

• Front, rear and third row head airbags
• Dual front side-mounted airbags
• Child seat anchors
• Emergency braking assist
• Hill Start Assist 
• Ventilated front disc / solid rear disc brakes
• Rear door child safety locks
• Engine immobilizer
• Front fog/driving lights
• Auto delay off headlamps
• Dusk sensing headlamps
• Driver and Passenger head restraint whiplash protection system
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Body-color heated power mirrors including integrated turn signals

And if you are ever in an accident where the airbag deploys, the Sedona’s UVO system will automatically call 911 for you and attempt to send your location to the emergency response agent.

5. The Sedona Fits your LIFESTYLE 

As we move toward the inevitable purchase of a new vehicle, we have found that many different types would “work” for our family but few are a true fit. Sacrifices are always being made whether its cost, fuel economy, size or any other number of factors. But the Sedona isn’t called a multi-purpose vehicle without reason. It’s made to fit any Lifestyle without forcing the sacrifices. Us? We’re beach loving, sports enthusiast, travel adventure parents planning to expand our family and take on additional roles like “soccer mom” while still hosting adult only getaways with friends. Whether we’re carrying around half the soccer team, transporting the gear for our new garage band or the guys are escaping for a weekend golf outing, the 2015 Kia Sedona just fits. But enough about me…

What’s Your Sedona? 

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Thank you to Kia for providing travel and hosting my visit to NYIAS. All opinions remain my own.