2004 Kia Sedona Lx on 2040-cars

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2014 Kia Sedona rises from the dead, same as it ever was

Don't throw away your car seats just yet, Korean minivan enthusiasts - the Kia Sedona is back on the market. If you recall, Kia killed its minivan offering at the end of 2012 (there was never a 2013 model). But here's what's making us scratch our heads: Despite the fact that Kia did confirm that the Sedona would eventually be back, we were under the impression that it would return with a proper replacement for the aging van. (Earlier reports suggested something along the lines of that cool KV7 concept.) Instead, the reincarnated Korean minivan you see here is, well, the same as it ever was. Consider our buzz killed.
That's not to say there haven't been a couple of delightfully refreshed bits thrown into the new package. For starters, the Sedona wears a slightly updated schnoz with a redesigned grille, LED positioning lamps and standard foglamps inside the reworked lower fascia. (If we're honest, the Kia looks a bit Ford Windstar-ish from the front three-quarter angle.) There's a new 17-inch wheel design for the 2014 model year, and aside from a couple enhancements to the interior in terms of storage, that short list rounds out the full extent of the new updates.
All Sedonas are powered by the same 3.5-liter V6 that debuted in the 2011 model, producing 269 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy ratings fall in at a rather mediocre 17/24 miles per gallon (city/highway).

Hyundai, Kia want to improve fuel economy by 25 percent

Hyundai and sister company Kia are giving themselves a little bit of time to make up a lot of ground in the fight for better fuel economy. We wonder if a recent multi-million fine might have something to do with this public target. The connected South Korean companies are vowing to increase their fleetwide fuel economy by 25 percent by 2020, Reuters reports. This will be done by further advancing their powertrains, looking at other ways to reduce weight, upgrading diesel engines and improving transmissions. That will all take money, but Kia and Hyundai will have $300 million less to invest thanks to a recent fine of more than $300 million from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for incorrect fuel economy numbers on around 1.2 million vehicles from the 2011-2013 model years. The civil penalties – $100 million of the total – are the largest in EPA history. In late 2012, Hyundai and Kia admitted to overstating the fuel economy of a number of models and said they'd change the official MPG figures and compensate owners. Hyundai spokesman Chris Hosford confirmed to AutoblogGreen that the company set the dramatic fuel-economy improvement targets. In the US, where Hyundai and Kia are operated as separate entities, Hyundai "remains committed to meeting the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements that have been set out by the US government," Hosford said The EPA recently released a report on fuel-economy and put Hyundai fourth in overall fleetwide fuel economy in the US among vehicle makers for the 2014 model year. The top three were Mazda, Honda and Subaru.

Kia previews off-road Sorento for SEMA

Kia hasn't told us much about what it has in store for us at SEMA this year. But it is giving us a glimpse of what's to come in this latest teaser video. The short clip provides a sneak peek at the PacWet Adventure Sorento, an evidently rough-and-tumble take on the Korean automaker's midsize sport utility vehicle. Just what's going into it remains to be seen, but we can already see part of the package. There's a new tubular and sheetmetal front bumper, a snorkel intake, roof rack, winch, auxiliary lighting, knobby tires, and a Kermit-green paint job. We'd expect some sort of jacked-up suspension, too, considering this custom is for the aftermarket-obsessed crowd at SEMA. Given the brief statements Kia has issued to date, it would appear that the Sortento is just one of a variety of vehicles the company is preparing for the Vegas tuner expo. Each is poised to represent a different American region, and we're looking forward to seeing how the others take shape, as well. Related Video: 10/23/15 2015 SEMA PACWEST ADVENTURE SORENTO TEASER As Kia heads to SEMA 2015 to celebrate the American Road, here's a taste of the PacWest Adventure Sorento, a tough, off-road utility vehicle equipped with custom suspension, snorkel intake system and a paint scheme inspired by the lush forests of the region. ### 10/20/15 Kia Teases SEMA 2015 Kia is headed to this year's SEMA show to celebrate America's love for the open road and the diverse car cultures spanning the many regions of this country. Enjoy this high-speed coast-to-coast tour to whet your appetite for what we will unveil November 3rd in Las Vegas. More to come. #KiaWanderlust