The Sorento is one of Kia’s best-selling nameplates.  It arrived in 2002 and has since grown into a 3-row segment heavy hitter, battling the likes of the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder.  But with this all-new 4th generation model, Kia is giving the Sorento a fresh perspective.  The V6 is gone, a pair of hybrids is in and this hero model takes the Sorento in a more premium yet rugged direction.   

This X-Line SX-Prestige gets the “off-road look” with exclusive bumpers, unique 20” wheels and a bridge-type roof rack.  There’s also a 1” increase in ride height, standard all-wheel drive with a center locking differential and hill decent control.  So this is the Sorento you want if you have a more adventurous family.

2021 KIA SORENTO FIRST LOOK BY CAR CRITIC STEVE HAMMES. A 3-row family vehicle, the Sorento is offered with optional 2nd row captain’s chairs for either 6- or 7-passenger seating. Kia says the redesigned model provides more interior flexibility with improved legroom and cargo room. The platform it’s built upon is lighter and stronger, affording improved driving dynamics, including acceleration and ride and handling. An available full digital gauge cluster, Connected Routing for real-time navigation that can predict upcoming traffic, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration, and enhanced voice controls highlight the tech improvements. A new feature called Last Mile Navigation even provides walking directions to the driver’s final destination if the vehicle is parked within a 1.2 mile radius and the Find My Car feature uses the Sorento’s cameras to capture pictures of the car and its surroundings which are then accessible via the UVO app. All very cool stuff. And the depth of new driver assistance features is off the charts…if you get into an accident with this Sorento you’ll have no one to blame but the man in the mirror.
About the powertrain options; it starts with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder paired to a traditional 8-speed automatic making 191 horsepower, then a turbocharged version of that motor hooked up to a 8-speed dual clutch transmission producing 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Moving up, there’s a front-wheel drive only, gas-electric hybrid rated at 37mpg in mixed driving and finally an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid with an estimated 30 mile all-electric range. Kia’s optional all-wheel drive system uses torque-vectoring and a center-locking differential to give added power to the rear wheels when needed.
The X-Line SX-Prestige gets the off-road look with exclusive bumpers, unique 20” wheels and bridge-type roof rack to complement its 1” increase in ride height, standard all-wheel drive and hill decent control. Pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date near the end of 2020.

Refined, rugged and roomy, Kia Motors America’s (KMA) best-selling Sorento SUV remains as capable as ever for the 2019 model year, touting a number of visual and feature enhancements, inside and out.  Aside from new front and rear fascias, which help it achieve a more sophisticated appearance, the cabin is now decidedly more upscale and integrates newly-added technology, including available Driver Attention Warning,4 Lane Keep Assist1 and QuantumLogic™2Surround Sound. In addition, the Sorento now pairs its available 3.3-liter V6 with a newly available 8-speed automatic transmission for an even smoother and more seamless driving experience.

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