Blue Light Special; Loads of features and a low, low price give Kia Sedona an edge in the minivan market.(Brief Article)

Kia Sedona enters the minivan fray stuffed with standard features, cupholders galore and the lowest minivan sticker price in America. It may not be ready to take on sales juggernauts like the Chrysler Caravan and high-demand models like Honda's Odyssey, but it should easily meet Kia's modest sales goal of 20,000 to 24,000 a year.

Sedona arrives in showrooms in August, starting at $18,995 ($5,000 to $6,000 less than the Odyssey, Kia points out). A loaded Sedona barely tops $23,000. Despite the price, even the base LX model has almost everything American minivan buyers want. There are two rows of rear seats that slide, recline, flip, fold and roll out completely on their own little wheels; sliding doors on each side; power locks, windows and doors; and a 195-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to the only five-speed automatic in the segment.

It is sized between the Chrysler Caravan Sport and Grand Caravan, seats seven passengers and has room for 127.5 cubic feet of cargo with the second and third row seats removed. That interior has standard dual climate control and two gloveboxes (three if you count the storage under ...