Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Kia Sorento Turbo is loaded with goodies

Most five-passenger sport utilities can carry all of your stuff and also get you to grandma’s house in a snow storm, thanks to all-wheel drive. Personal preference will dictate which one you choose based on looks and price range, but for some reason, my family and I seem to always find ourselves enjoying the company of a Kia Sorento every time we have one to evaluate.

Add all the top-of-the-line tech and style goodies that come with the SXL trim, and you really have a handsome and well-equipped SUV.

Under the hood of this version is the 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder with 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque that easily launches this sizeable SUV down the road. You can opt for a 2.5L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder or a 3.3L V6 that can tow up to 5,000 lbs. Power is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and put to the pavement via all-wheel drive with a lockable center differential.

Exterior styling is sleek, proportional and elegant. Kia has come a long way and it shows. The front upright grill is pronounced and flanked by clustered LED fog lamps that sparkle at night. Rear doors are large and make entering and exiting the rear seats simple. Around back are full LED tail lamps with a jewel-like appearance that will turn heads for sure.

Jump inside and you are greeted by an extremely user-friendly and simple dashboard and cockpit. The aspect of Kia I enjoy is that everything is clearly marked and simple to find. Kia isn’t trying to confuse you with special touch areas to increase the volume or seven menu selections on the touch screen just to pair your phone. If the touch screen doesn’t have your selection, look around it and you’ll likely find the button you want. Below the screen is the HVAC system ,which, again, is simple and easy to figure out.

Steering-wheel controls are also clearly marked and also separated by feel so you know which area you are about to select. For instance, if you want to increase the stereo volume, the area closest to your left thumb scrolls for volume. If you want to bump to the next preset, just slide over one more button and toggle up. Mute and Mode are above that and are actual buttons; makes sense, right? Cruise control and information selections are all on the right side of the wheel. I personally find these types of toggle and scrolling controls to be very intuitive.

Another area where the Sorento shines is on-road handling and ride comfort. It’s amazing just how well the 2.0L turbo can keep this SUV moving at a good rate, as well as how flat it takes bends. You expect an SUV to take bumps and potholes well and this one does, too, but the overall ride quality is noticeably well done. There are not a lot of rattles or squeaks from the interior and when you grasp the door handle you can feel the quality again. You won’t find Kia using a dozen materials on the interior to provide depth and unique design, but it doesn’t have to. If you built a quality vehicle that is comfortable, does the job well and looks good, you can stop there. Let the luxury brands handle the top-notch materials and craftsmanship.

Kia claims an average of 22 mpg for the 2.0L turbo and I was able to manage 23 mpg during my time with the Sorento. MSRP for the Sorento is $41,700, but adding the top-end SXL tech package bumped the bottom line to $45,095 and I think it’s worth the extra cost. The SXL provides HID headlights, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, electronic parking brake, surround view monitor and smart cruise control.


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