Kia Sedona Dubbed 'Ultimate Minivan' by Cars.com and MotorWeek

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2015 Kia Sedona was recently named by Cars.com as the winner in its Ultimate Minivan Challenge, a multi-day comparison test that brought together experts from Cars.com and PBS' MotorWeek to conduct a detailed analysis on a competitive set of fully-loaded minivans. The results combined professional assessments with real-world opinions from car shoppers currently in the market for a new vehicle in the minivan segment.

"The all-new Kia Sedona is a champion of quality and refinement," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor-in-chief. "A great ride combined with a quiet cabin and numerous innovative features made the Sedona an obvious selection as the ultimate minivan."

This years' competitors, in order of final rankings, included the 2015 Toyota Sienna, 2015 Honda Odyssey, 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan and 2015 Chrysler Town & Country. With its SUV-like styling and decidedly premium interior, the Kia Sedona topped a segment full of long-standing stalwarts. The Ultimate Minivan Challenge evaluated competitors based on criteria such as technology, features and drivetrains. Testing included a 135-mile course on varying road types to determine real-world fuel economy as well as back-to-back comparisons of ride, handling, comfort and acceleration.

"The fully reimagined Sedona has been a tremendous success for the Kia brand, connecting on multiple levels with families and active lifestyle consumers alike," said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning, Kia Motors America (KMA). "Its combination of bold design, advanced safety features and upscale cabin have resulted in a high level of appeal and desirability. Sedona is clearly redefining and revolutionizing the minivan category as a whole."

The Kia's Sedona's Cars.com "Ultimate Minivan Challenge" win comes on the heels of other recent accolades for this multi-purpose model, such as receiving the J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Award in the minivan segment and being named to Ward's 10 Best Interiors list.  For full results and scoring details on the Ultimate Minivan Challenge, visit www.cars.com/news.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2014, surpassing the 500,000 unit mark for the third consecutive year. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900¹ flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle², Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States.  Kia's U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.

Information about KMA and its full vehicle line-up is available at www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

About Cars.com

Launched in 1998, Cars.com, a TEGNA Inc. company, is an award-recognized online destination for car shoppers and owners that offers information from experts and consumers to help research, price and find new and used cars, as well as information around service and repair for car owners. With more than 30 million monthly visits to its web properties, Cars.com offers millions of new and used vehicle listings, expert and consumer reviews, side-by-side comparison, build and price tools, unbiased editorial content and much more. In 2015, Cars.com introduced a new service and repair feature to help consumers find the right service provider and understand how much to pay with the fair-price estimator tool. Cars.com puts millions of car buyers, and now owners, in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make stress-free buying, selling and servicing decisions.

About MotorWeek

MotorWeek is television's longest running and most respected automotive series. MotorWeek debuted in 1981 and launched a new television genre by becoming the first weekly series to offer consumer-oriented car and truck reviews, do-it-yourself car care tips, and the latest auto industry news. Produced by Maryland Public Television, the award-winning series is now in its 35th season. The winner of dozens of prestigious automotive journalism awards, MotorWeek is a reliable source of automotive news on television and on the Web. MotorWeek currently airs on PBS stations nationwide, and can also be seen on cable's Velocity and V-me Spanish-language network. 

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

¹ 2015 K900 V8 available in select trims and in select markets with limited availability.
² Soul EV in select markets with limited availability.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150919/268235 

SOURCE Kia Motors America