Kia continues its mission of coaxing
away buyers from the higher priced competition with its affordable 2015 Sorento
SUV crossover, which starts at
under $25,000. The higher end SX models are powered by a 3.3 litre V6, but
still come in around $30,000.
The top
end SSX 4WD which is just
shy of $40,000 includes a panoramic sun roof, LED running lamps, 19 inch
alloys, and heated (or cooled) leather seats for all passengers. It can also
expand to hold an extra row of seating, bringing the total to 7.
A
competent touchscreen infotainment system with LCD display tops
off the interior features, and there’s also Bluetooth functionality, and blind
spot monitoring.
The V6
engine is mated with a 6 speed automatic transmission, resulting in 290
horsepower and 252lbs ft of torque. It can reach 0-60 in 7.6 seconds, and has
an advertised fuel economy of 19mpg in the city, and 27 on the highway.
On the
road it’s super smooth, hugs the corners well and is surprisingly punchy. It
comes with three driving
modes – Comfort, Normal and Sport – the latter of which improves responsiveness
and handling, but is nothing to write home about. At higher speeds it loses a
bit of steering steadiness and compared to some of the more luxury competitors
it’s shifting is not as snappy, but these certainly aren’t deal breakers.
Looks-wise
the 2015 Kia Sorento is smart and reserved.
Designers haven’t gone out of their way to turn heads, which might be part of
the automaker’s goal of reaching a broad appeal. Kia is never going to be
considered quite on the level of BMW, Acura and Mercedes, but it doesn’t stoop
to being gimmicky. It’s affordable and well made, it doesn’t have to be
anything else.
Kia have proven
themselves to be a solid addition to the marketplace and in a couple of years
they may just be up their with their luxury rivals. What you get for the price
is well worth the money and if you’d ordinarily gloss over the brand, it’s
definitely worth a second glance.
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