Kia’s seven-seat utility wagon is polished into a gem
The name is Kia, but it could just as well be Midas. That’s because many vehicles the automaker touches these days, including the 2019 Sorento, turn to gold.
The latest iteration of Kia’s largest utility vehicle gets a host of improvements and updates that add luster to an already impressive vehicle.
In the world of utility vehicles, the Sorento drives a fine line between compact and midsize. It’s larger than the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape, but smaller than the Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander. If comparisons can be drawn, the 2018 GMC Terrain and Volkswagen Tiguan come closest to the Sorento in overall length and in their distance between the front and rear wheels.
For 2019, the Sorento’s physical changes are subtle, including a revised (as in sleeker) grille, fancier headlight pods and a more prominent air intake that combine to make the Sorento more visually appealing. There are minor adjustments at the opposite end as well as new wheel designs.
The cabin has been enhanced with a new instrument cluster, steering wheel, air vents and floor console, including the shift lever. Minor improvements to be sure, but they do give the Sorento a certain premium look and feel. An interesting change is that the rearmost split-folding seat that was not offered as part of the base L trim is now standard. Both the second-row split bench and the third row fold completely flat to maximize load capacity.
The Sorento’s quality quotient is apparent on the road, where invasive noises are almost non-existent, just as they are in similar models at the luxury end of the spectrum.
The engine lineup reduces the available choices to two from three, but only temporarily it seems. The starting point is a 2.4- liter four- cylinder that produces 185 horsepower and 178 pound- feet of torque. The workhorse of the group is the optional 3.3- liter V6 that makes 290 horsepower and 252 pound- feet. It’s rated at 22 mpg in combined city/ highway driving, compared to 25 mpg for the four- cylinder.
Gone is the 240-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Kia will offset that with a fourcylinder turbo-diesel, although the specifics have yet to be revealed.
Given the Sorento’s 4,000-pound weight, selecting the V6 makes the most sense, especially for towing (up to 5,000 pounds). It functions unobtrusively, yet delivers plenty of off-the-line punch and passing power. The V6’s new eight-speed automatic transmission — replacing
the previous six-speed — is indeed smooth, but note that the base fourcylinder sticks with the six-speed.
Front-wheel drive is standard for all trim levels, while all-wheel drive is available for all but the base L. The system can automatically direct torque to a specific wheel or wheels when slip is detected and will split power equally between the front and rear wheels when 4WD Lock Mode is selected.
For a starting price of $ 27,000, the Sorento L FWD is light on extras, while the LX and EX — where the majority of buyers will likely head — come with more premium gear.
The SX-Limited V6 ($45,700) is loaded with every possible luxury/ convenience item from Kia’s inventory, as well as a full range of active-safety technologies, including pedestrian detection and Driver Attention Warning. The latter can detect inattentive/distracted behaviors and emit visual and audible warnings. Without question, this technology should be mandatory on all vehicles.
For families on the move, the Sorento can get the job done with plenty of style and substance. Some might even say that makes it worth its weight in gold.