Kia Killing the Sedona

This post would seem to make it so.

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Now of course, this is a global vehicle produced in South Korea. Slowly but surely, Kia America is trying to transition American vehicles to be built at their U.S. plant. It is possible that an American version of the Sedona is planned to be launched as a 2012 model.

It makes sense that some downsizing is taking place worldwide. But with a minivan market that is at least stable in the US, GM and Ford out of the market, and Chrysler going closer to being out of business completely, there is most definitely room for a Kia minivan in the U.S.

Reply to
Rev. Tom Wenndt
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Hard to put in context.... Dumping the Sedona in the UK? Or worldwide? Hmmm.... Notice the choice of petrol or diesel - too bad we don't have that choice in the USA. Oh well...

Tom, we once again considered the financial feasibility of replacing the '02 Optima with 125,000 because of the mega-deals out there. However, we once again decided to keep it as there is absolutely nothing wrong with the car. And we love the vehicle.

Rich

Reply to
<z

If you look carefully, you will find that it is the parent corporation that builds the van in South Korea that is killing that version of the Sedona. Between the picture (which IS the current Sedona), and the mention of the availability of a 3.8L V6, which is what all American Sedonas are equipped with, that is definitely the vehicle being killed. And apparently Kia of South Korea will not be supplying a replacement.

But that is why my hunch is that there will be a next generation Sedona but built here in America. Because even if the rest of the world doesn't need a vehicle like that, the market in the U.S. has been good, and needs a van like that. And at an annual pace of 25-40,000 Sedonas that have been sold every year in the U.S. since its introduction, there certainly is a sales volume to continue it.

But what will probably happen is the new Sedona borrowing a lot of the compoonents from other vehicles, like the Borrego.

What has me stumped has been the silence from Kia. They have indicated that every vehicle will have a re-design by mid 2012, and haven't said anything about any straight product-line killings (though the Rondo may be in danger, as no one is buying any of them) - just updates and complete makeovers, plus some new models. But we shall see.

Reply to
Rev. Tom Wenndt

Thank you for the analysis. As for their silence stumping you, I assume KIA is no different than many other companies in today's economic/political climate - not really knowing what to say because the rules of the game are changing by the minute.

Reply to
<z

Just took a test-drive of a 2010 Sedona today. By now, the van is familiar, but the updates they keep adding are impressive. They were slow catching up on the technological side, but now the Sedona is as up on it as anyone.

With only a few slight tweaks, a slightly sportier driving experience, one of the new direct injection V6's and the new Hyundai/Kia 6-speed automatic, this could become THE serious player of the minivan series, especially if they can stay ahead on the price end of things.

Reply to
Rev. Tom Wenndt

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