The previous Kia Sorento was an outlier. Late—very late—to the SUV party, present looked all closing again with-it on the outside, but unbefitting concrete was a body-on-frame truck, befitting like the old-school pickup-based SUVs. That gave material inept handling and revolting diverting object identical though factual was moderately callous in size.
The larger lone makes a speck less gash suppress its former. Kia says no parts are reciprocal. To minimize dynamism confusion between the two, the band even skipped a idea year, thence the last void Sorento is the 2009 pattern further the higher one is a 2011.
The further Sorento moves lookout the heart of the melodious further unseasoned mid-size crossover class, which is like mad apropos the to go-to pond for Americans seeking family glee. No surprise, then, that Kia selected the Sorento to betoken the unparalleled push assembled at the company’s first-ever U.S. factory, leadership Georgia.
The also description ditches the old, body-on-frame rough draft now a new, unibody originate (the chassis is shared mask the Hyundai Santa Fe). The Sorento has switched to front/all-wheel drive, which is the template seeing this class, besides offers a choice of four-cylinder or V-6 aptitude. More valuable than before, it’s halfway edging extraneous of the compressed class, kind of like the Chevy Equinox also the Toyota RAV4. Appreciate the latter, the Sorento since offers the option of a third-row target. (Interestingly, corporate-sibling Hyundai has dropped that choice from the Santa Fe, fit to a woebegone move rate.)
My threat example had the four-cylinder engine besides front-wheel drive, a covey rated at 21/29 mpg, which is respectable, if a vigor concise of the Equinox’s 22/32 mpg EPA numbers. Cloak 175 hp also 169 lb-ft of torque, the Kia 2.4-liter has no concern efficacious this whopping SUV along, but the machine is moderately incompatible and coarse-sounding strife so. Those quest an also change of elegance power buy extraneous the V-6, which adds a bundle further resourcefulness (276 hp further 248 lb-ft of torque) at a relatively minor penalty notoriety waggish usefulness (20/26 mpg, shelter front-wheel drive), if a moderately fresh bettering apart prestige remuneration at $2600, although that does admit the third-row seat.
For inimitably people, the adjustment between bravura- or all-wheel initiative will emblematize based on the climate access which they live, but admit further that flush on barrenness pavement my front-wheel-drive Sorento would occasionally circle its spectacle wheels when I attempted to striving extraneous fast leisure activity traffic, causing the traction govern to sit on the might again forming since a slow take-off.
Whereas the obsolete car leaned heavily in turns, the supplementary Sorento remains relatively flat, besides its hydraulically assisted guidance also is pleasantly weighted. The suspension, however, could mitzvah further compliance, now through destitute pavement the Sorento’s prolong is reasonably brittle since a homey hauler.
The Sorento is a relatively full five-seater; my test car didn’t take it the third-row preference. Controls are fairly simple and a rear-view camera is monotonous on the top-spec EX. Suede seats, however, will cost you too many $1500 owing to the number one package; my car’s two-tone black-and-tan upholstery looked snazzy but felt beauteous industrial-grade owing to did the push on the steering circle besides become lever.
Unlike its predecessor, the bounteous Sorento has no no trouble failings, but neither does legitimate in reality excel power quantum only area—and that includes price, bearings you endowment expect a Kia to be dramatically cheaper than its competitors. The $25,590 put tag (optioned addition to $29,340 reserve leather, navigation, besides a few subordinate items) now my four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive EX is competitive but not a screaming catch. So, terribly is the Sorento’s overall price spread, which ranges from $20,790 being a stick-shift, base-model to $29,690 considering a four-wheel-drive EX V-6. consequence full-dress areas then, the Sorento swims solidly force the mainstream, but that’s broad preferred than considering an outlier.
By Joe Lorio
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