LAKE
TAHOE, Calif. – Although it should be sunny by the time you read this, we ran
into real world conditions while here to test drive the new 2016 Kia Sorento. Wind gusts were up to 50
mph and sometimes more; precipitation varied between rain and sleet and a bunch
of snow was expected that night.
We felt
some relief when we were told that Kia
had brought all-wheel-drive versions of the 2016 Sorento utility vehicle,
front-wheel-drive versions are available. Although we were at altitudes that
ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 feet, the roads were not narrow two-lane affairs.
Still, driving at those altitudes with not much room for error kept us more
alert than usual.
Kia has
completely revamped the Sorento.
The utility had a longer wheelbase by three-inches; it was slightly wider and a
bit lower. Overall, it looked sleeker, the hood looked longer and it looked a
lot lower than the one half-inch that Kia said it was.
The
front end was more aggressive and narrower, while the tiger grille seemed
taller. Its quad diode fog lamps were very distinctive and they are becoming
the face of the brand, never mind the grille.
New for
the third generation of the Sorento
was a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that made 240 horsepower. Thus, there
are now three engine choices: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine
that made 240 horsepower, a 2.4 liter normally aspirated four-cylinder that
made 185 horsepower and the 3.3-liter V6 that made 290 horsepower.
Kia brought the V6
and the four-cylinder turbo. We sampled the turbo first. It ran smoothly, the
engine was quiet and the six-speed transmission was sure. The torque was the
secret at these altitudes.
The
turbo made 260 pound-feet of torque at 1,450 rpm while the V6 that we sampled
after lunch made 252 pound-feet of torque at 5,300 rpm. It made a difference.
The Sorento’s six cylinder engine, though it made 30 horsepower more than the
four-cylinder turbo, worked harder to get up and over the mountains here and
the transmission downshifted often searching for gear induced torque.
The
turbo on the other hand was a more effortless drive. By adding the four-cylinder
equipped with a blower to the lineup, Kia has given the
Sorento a model choice for just about any terrain in the U.S.
With
the base four-cylinder engine, the Sorento can tow 2,000 pounds,
the turbo can pull 3,500 pounds and the V6 can pull 5,000 pounds. The towing
figures are for all-wheel-drive version of the utility vehicle.
The
ride attributes of both Sorentos here were identical as well they should have
been. The suspension had been revised, steering was relatively quick, for a
utility vehicle the Sorento was fairly nimble, and a new “H” shaped subframe
gave it a solid ride.
Overall,
the Sorento was quiet, really
quiet. That was surprising since the vehicle sat a bit higher than the average
car. We felt the wind gusts more than we heard them. The Sorento was so quiet
we kept eyes on the tree limbs and branches to gauge how hard the wind was
blowing.
Improved
too was the interior of the 2016 Sorento as Kia tries to uplift it into
the ranks of premium utility vehicles. Occupants could have a tactile
experience with the soft touch surfaces, especially the instrument panel,
center console and door panels. The door grips were so soft they felt padded.
The Sorento had a 50-50
folding third row seat that was standard on the V6 and optional of the 2.4-liter
four-cylinder. It is not available on the turbo. The second row was a 40-20-40
folding seat and the front row seats were heated and cooled, the second row
seats were heated and the front row can have a 14-way power driver seat and an
eight-way power passenger seat.
There
was a stretch of California 70 East that was lined with wood frame houses, each
sitting on a half-acre or more of land that looked like they were populated by
a no-nonsense crew of people. This is where we got a chance to test the Sorento’s
Clari-Fi audio technology.
It
rebuilds sounds that are lost as music is compressed for digital storage. In
other words, it will read the sound that is there and reconstruct the sound
that got lost. The first application in a motor vehicle, Kia said the sound was cleaner,
crisper, wider and more dynamic. We found it to be different and to sound
better.
The
Sorento’s UVO system continues to be improved. Apps can be downloaded from
iTunes and Google Play. Content can include Soundhound, Pandora and iHeart
radio. For sure, there was satellite radio, voice controls and features such as
local weather, fuel prices and sport scores in our test vehicle. The Sorento,
like other contemporary vehicles, can operate as a semi lap top computer on
four wheels.
Safety
features on our turbo four-cylinder as well as the V6 included an electronic
parking brake, smart cruise control, surround view monitor, lane departure
warning, forward collision warning, a rearview camera, a backup warning system
and Bluetooth.
New
does not necessarily mean improved. But in the case of the 2016 Kia Sorento
both meanings apply. Prices start at $24,900 and range up to $43,100.
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