The Kia Sedona, last refreshed in 2018, carries over mostly unchanged for 2021. The minivan segment may be a niche market, but it’s full of tough competition like the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Sienna.

None of those options, including the Sedona, are likely to win over buyers based on looks, but so be it. The Sedona wears Kia’s current corporate nose, with a big, black, honeycomb-like grille pattern, and the side and rear are pretty plain, but it’s better to blend in than to stand out for being unattractive. Here, the Sedona strikes just the right balance.

Every Sedona gets a 3.3-liter V6 rated for 276 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque, plus an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Fuel economy ratings are 18 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined.

Trim levels include L, LX, EX, and SX. Seating for eight comes standard, and second row captain’s chairs, which reduce capacity to seven, are available. Other standard features include Slide-N-Stow second-row seats, manual sliding doors, and cloth upholstery. The LX model adds power sliding doors and an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat. The EX model adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and push-button start. The EX premium options package adds a sunroof and a hands-free power liftgate. In the top-tier SX, you get a hands-free power liftgate, a sunroof, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.

The infotainment system includes a 7-inch touchscreen display, a four-speaker audio system, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Available upgrades include an 8-inch touchscreen display, wireless device charging, navigation, voice recognition, a rear-seat entertainment system, and an eight-speaker premium Harman Kardon stereo system.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awards the 2021 Sedona a five-star overall rating, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the 2020 Sedona five Good scores and one Acceptable score in crash testing. A reversing camera comes standard. Optional features include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, driver-attention warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors.

The 2021 Kia Sedona carries over as one of the most value-oriented minivans out there, and a great option for families on a budget.