SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
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*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.


Sedentary in the Sedona: We report on Kia’s 2.2 CRDi seven-seater for 2012

Pretty, and versatile too

Published in Weekend Witness Motoring on Saturday August 4, 2012

First, let us erase some of what many of you believe you know about Kia’s Sedona. We in South Africa used to get the long-wheelbase eight-seater. It came with a choice of two engines, a 3.8 petrol motor or a 2.9 diesel. Times have changed. We now have the swb version that’s still quite long enough, at just over 4,8 metres, and it seats seven in the classic 2:3:2 configuration. The big, thirsty petrol engine was dumped a while ago and in February 2012, a more efficient 2.2-litre common rail diesel replaced the old 2.9.

It is more powerful, develops greater torque, and is faster, more economical and cleaner. You like? There’s more. The Sedona finally gets the Hyundai/Kia electronically controlled six-speed automatic gearbox that’s been around since 2010. Kia describes it as possessing neuro-fuzzy artificial intelligence. It simply means the ‘box keeps tabs on your driving style and anticipates what you want to do next. That sounds scarier than it actually is, so put “1984” out of your mind and relax. It’s a torque converter unit, but one that works very well, so just enjoy the drive.

How does one describe Sedona? It’s not really an SUV, having only front-wheel propulsion and it’s more than a big, comfy mummy bus (BCMB) because you can do so much with the seating plan. Some would call it an MPV, but Americans call it a minivan. A rear hatch that opens and closes by remote control and powered sliding doors on both sides, make access simple and convenient.

Unlike most competitors, Sedona boasts seven leather-covered, individual chairs. Those in the centre row can be folded and tipped to increase cargo space in a variety of ways, while those right at the back can be either folded and tipped, or whipped out altogether. Pretty  versatile, yes? To reinforce the BCMB image, the quadruple cupholder-cum-storage tray between the front seats folds away, giving the parent in charge a walkway through to the other rows. He or she has a secret weapon too, in the form of what Kia politely calls a conversation mirror. This wide angle device flips down from the overhead console to allow parents to know exactly when to yell, accurately, “Johnny, stop teasing your brother!” Not many BCMBs offer both features.

Although geared to the role of family transporter, the Sedona with its lounge-like leather chairs, all with recline facility, would be quite well suited to executive, shuttle or tourism duty. Seats in the third row are not quite as user-friendly as those in bigger vans, but your big-boned tester found them adequate for short journeys. Apart from the seats, consider four overhead vents and separate temperature, direction and fan speed controls, just for those in the rear. Come to think of it, that conversation mirror could work for tour guides and shuttle drivers too.

Safety and convenience items include ABS with EBD and BAS, ESP and traction control, six airbags and, if you ever have to fit snow chains, something called Variable Rack Stroke ensures that the front wheels’ turning radius adjusts automatically to compensate. Bluetooth, cruise control, climate control, rain-sensing wipers, automated lights, fog lamps, a sunroof and rear parking assistance with camera are part of the package. 

We found the Sedona quiet and comfortable to drive, with good all-round visibility. The gearbox is smooth, doesn’t hunt and kicks down readily. Ride over a rough dirt road was very acceptable, with the vehicle maintaining stability. It handled speed bumps pretty competently, too. As a people mover that few ever hear of, it’s actually very good.

The numbers
Price: R419 995
Engine: 2199 cc, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 143 kW at 3800 rpm
Torque: 436 Nm between 1800 and 2500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11,0 seconds
Maximum speed: 196 km/h
Fuel index: 8,8 l/100 km
Tank: 70 litres
Luggage: 172/1263/2840 litres
Warranty: 5 years/100 000 km, with 3 years’ roadside assistance
Maintenance plan: 5 years/100 000 km
 

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

My articles appear every Wednesday in the motoring pages of The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles most months of the year (press cars are withdrawn over the festive season - wonder why?) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police. Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so I do actually exist.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.
So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

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