Wednesday, October 14, 2015

2016 Kia Sorento Long-Term Update #4: Cargo

I’ve been driving the 2016 Kia Sorento for four months now (see Updates 1,2 and 3), on the road toward a 12-month Long-Term Test Drive. I’ve done a little bit of everything with the Sorento, from gazelle-like long drives on the open highway to tortoise-like crawls through dense urban traffic, and everything in between, and the Sorento has been a great partner for the journey.
There are several reasons why I choose to drive an SUV in my daily life. Most of them focus on the “U” – “Utility.” I love knowing that at any moment, I could run across a great chair or a pile of wood, or a used minibike or a copper lawn sculpture, or anything else, and I have the cargo space to haul it back to my overcrowded home.
The Sorento has a very decent amount of cargo space, especially in the two-row/five-passenger version that I’m driving. There’s 38.8 cubic feet behind the second row. Fold the second row flat, and 73.5 cubic feet of space opens up.
Only one problem with the back of the Sorento: it’s a little too nice back there. I feel guilty putting my old battery charger back there, or that stack of twigs I found at the beach. I only let my dogs in the back if they agreed to lay down on a packing blanket, which I spread over the load floor.
Luckily, Kia had a quick, smart solution. They sent me out a Cargo Tray ($92.70), specifically designed for the 2016 Sorento’s load floor. It even has a crease along the back third that makes it easy to access the great underfloor storage compartment without having to hold up the whole mat. The underfloor storage compartment, by the way, is brilliant. It’s big enough to swallow a laptop computer or small gym bag or even a tool kit, keeping them hidden from prying eyes. Kia also sent me a cargo net ($37.80) that is essential equipment for additional security. The cargo cover ($162) that I requested is not available yet, even though it shows up on Kia’s website.

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