Kiawill launch its4th-generation Grand Sedonain South Africa in 2021, butwhereas the Korean firm recently showcased only the exterior design of its roomier people-mover, we can now show you what the newcomer's stylish, more upmarket cockpit looks like…?

Kia updated and revised its current Grand Sedona line-up in South Africa at the end of 2018and we reviewed the 2.2 CRDi SXL derivative in April 2019. Although the Grand Sedona is a less fashionable conventional MPV – or Grand Utility Vehicle, as the company calls it – compared with the bakkie-based 7-seater Adventure SUVs that dominate the family vehicle market, it’s markedly more refined and luxurious than those products, but also more accomplished and family-friendly than most commercial vehicle-based buses… Given its extended (by 30 mm) wheelbase, we believe that the new Grand Sedonais probably based on Hyundai Kia's new N3 platform.

As is the case with the new Sorento, the next-gen Grand Sedona featuresa new “tiger face” characterised by what Kia’s designers call “symphonic architecture” ­– in whichthe chrome-look diamond-patterned grille and lighting elements create a single,expansive design cue. In the case of the newcomer, it’s topped by a pair of trim strips that flow into the shoulder lines that extend along the flanks to the tail-lamp clusters. What's more, a pair ofdistinct bonnet creases sprouts from the castellated top edge of the “tiger nose”.

Kia has applied lashings of machined- andchrome-look trim to the new Grand Sedona. Its bumper is very SUV-like.

So, which lights do what? The newcomer’s headlamps are integrated into the corners of the tiger-nose grille, with the low-beam lamps sitting separately at the outer edges of the “tiger face”. Between them, the“bent lightning bolt” LED daytime running lights wrap around the indicator lamps, then merge with the grille’s lower chrome border. Meanwhile, the Grand Sedona’s SUV-inspired lower bumperand air intake are adorned withgenerous helpings of chrome-look trimand finished with ablack apron.

Compared with its predecessor, the newcomer has bolder wheel arches, with the bases of the A-pillars moved backwards to create a more elongated bonnet. Notehow the A- and B-pillarsare blacked-out while each of thenewC-pillars featuresan eye-catching chrome fin, which wraps beneath the tapered rear windows and extends tothe tailgate.

At the rear, the Grand Sedona features a full-width light bar, which includes slim combinationtail lamps that echothe DRL signature at the front of the vehicle, Kia says. Above the light bar is a chrome line, which starts from the base of the new signature C-pillar and wraps around the base of the rear screen. Highlight lines extend across the tailgate to raise the visual centre of the rear of the car and, to echo the SUV-inspiredfront bumper, the newcomer’s rear apron features ametallicskid plate.

The C-pillars featurereverse L-shaped chrome fins, the lower ends of whicheffectively wrap the Kia's tailgate.

In terms of dimensions, the new Grand Sedona is 40 mm longer and 10 mm wider (for an overall length of 5 155 mm and width of 1 995 mm)and, while its front overhang is shorter, its rear overhang is 30 mm longer (that section is 1 130-mm long) to create"more space for 3rd-row passengers and best-in-class luggage space", Kia says.

Tomatch the bolder,SUV-inspired exterior execution, the newcomer's interior adopts Kia’s “Spatial Talents” design concept, which emphasises a greater sense of roominess, stylishnessand more upmarket build quality.The cockpit is characterised by a wide, wraparound dashboard featuring a pair of digital displays (comprising a 12.3-inch electronic instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with haptic feedback) housed under one piece of glass. Furthermore; the transmission lever has been replaced by a knurled metallic-finished dial, which is complemented by the switchgear of the digital climate control console on the smart piano black centre console.

The Grand Sedona's upmarket leather-trimmed cockpitfeatures an expansive dashboard and dual-digital-display layout.

Like its predecessor, the 4th-generation Grand Sedonawill also be offered in 3- or 4-row seating configurations; in 7-seater guise, the newcomer again features reclining “captain’s chairs” for 2nd-row occupants, replete with adjustable backrests, arm- and leg rests.What’s more, Kia says it has introduced a range of new features for stowing, supporting and even charging electronic devices and smaller items throughout the cabin. Second-row occupants, for example, have access to back-of-seat USB chargers, storage nets for mobile devices, as well as a storage drawer in the base of the rear console, with a tray for storing tablets or phones above a larger storage area.

These images show the newcomer in Korean spec; it will go on sale in its domestic market “later in the 3rd quarter of 2020, with global sales in manyof Kia’s markets to follow thereafter”. To reiterate, Kia Motors SA plans to introduce the new Grand Sedonain South Africain 2021; we'll bring you more local infoas soon as it becomes available.

Kia Grand Sedona Specs & Prices in South Africa

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