Rides Revisited: The 2016 Kia Sorento vs The 2016 Kia Sedona - Review by James Zahn

With the 2016 Chicago Auto Show rolling into McCormick Place this week, I figured it would be a good time to roll out some "Rides Revisited" features on a few vehicles that I'd driven before, but have since taken out to rock the road with my family. In this installment, it's the 2016 Kia Sorento crossover vs. the 2016 Kia Sedona minivan. I had the opportunity to drive pre-release versions of both of these vehicles back in 2014, hopping behind the wheel of the Sedona out near Dana Point, California, while I had a chance to drive a pair of Sorentos through multiple climates between Lake Tahoe, California and Reno, Nevada. While I certainly had formed an opinion of both vehicles (I liked the Sedona, but loved the Sorento), sometimes having the vehicle here at Rock Father HQ for some time with the family helps re-shape things. In the case of these, that's just what we did late last year...

That guy that says he's "never gonna buy a minivan?" That's me. Up until a few years ago, I'd never even driven one, and to some small extent, may have even considered not featuring them here on the site. After all, minivan doesn't exactly scream "rock and roll," but that thinking is outdated as the category has changed. The Sedona is comfortable, spacious, and feels like riding in someone's living room. The family absolutely loves it, and I like the styling better than the category-leading Toyota Sienna.

The kids loved it. My wife loved it. We used it to hit-up some snow-less pre-Holiday gatherings, and I used it to hit up The Home Depot to pick up supplies for my always-in-progress #RockFatherRemodel projects. It handles really well, too - but one of the big points of endearment came based on it's sheer cargo space. When Finley's two-of-a-kind "Rock Daughter Edition" Hot Wheels Race Car Bed arrived here from The Step2 Company, I needed to go purchase a twin sized mattress. After finding one on-sale at Big Lots, the Sedona carried the load perfectly.

With five trim levels available, the Sedona starts near $26K and tops off around $45K. Function and style are both present here... a lot of both, but the function won me, and that's something you can't always gauge when driving at a press event.

The crossover category is one that I'm a fan of - and since we actually own a crossover, it makes sense. While I went into detail on the different engines available in the Sorento during the press launch, getting one in our driveway was something I'd wanted for awhile (and I even mentioned that, too). In a crowded category, the Sorento just continues to impress me, and a lot of it has to do with styling and texture. As my wife put it, "it just feels grown-up." Kia has become one Hell of a brand since its early days, and their line-wide design changes under design leader Peter Schreyer have been impactful.

The Sorento is a fantastic family vehicle that's comfortable and spacious, fun to drive, and has some storage capacity to play with. In our case, we used it to attend a wedding, and for a weekend getaway - funny enough, "The Perfect Getaway" being part of its marketing tag at launch.

With eight trim levels available, there's a massive spread to the type of Sorento you could drive, something I'd mentioned during my first run. Starting at $25K and topping off around $44K, the options are to be carefully considered. It's really a matter of what you want between power, people and style.

The Winner: TIE

If you'd have asked me my opinion on these vehicles during my first run with each, I would've said the Sorento was my top pick, without question. That was largely my "never-gonna-buy-a-minivan" conscience speaking, which would've pointed me away from the Sedona regardless of how good or bad it was. Thing is, the sensible father in me has finally taken over in recent years, and now the decision between buying one or the other would probably have to be made via coin toss. They're both great vehicles, and if I had to buy one today, the internal struggle of choice would be real.

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New Kia Sportage Attracts 1,500 UK Buyers In First Weekend On Sale

Kia announced that its new SUV is already proving to be a hit in the United Kingdom.

With 1,500 customers putting down deposits in the first three days on sale, the fourth generation of the Sportage looks set to repeat its predecessor’s commercial success.

Not quite a surprise, as it has a sharper design, better quality, a range of engines that suit European customers' needs and modern features like Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

“The all-new Sportage is a significant step forward for Kia, both in terms of interior quality and dynamic refinement and sophistication – and clearly both existing and new customers recognise that fact”, Paul Philpott, President and Chief Executive of Kia UK commented. “Our dealers currently have only one worry – can we satisfy the demand? Well, both Kia in the UK and our factory in Slovakia are working flat-out to ensure we can.”

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Kia Sorento Vs. Ford Edge: Compare Cars

Two very popular crossover SUVs on the road today have roots as more rugged off-road machines. Today they're among the most popular vehicles in the family-utility niche -- but which one's better for you?

The Kia Sorento and the Ford Edge are both five-seat, mid-size crossover SUVs. The Sorento has an optional third row with two more seats; if you're in a Ford showroom, the company offers the larger Explorer to fill that role.

Each is relatively new, with the Edge redesigned last year and the Sorento entirely new for this year--although its styling was updated so conservatively that you might have to look twice to tell for sure. The pair competes with the Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota Highland, among others.

Both cars rank fairly high in our scoring, but the Edge beats the Sorento with higher scores for styling and performance. The Sorento wins on comfort and interior space.

From the outside, the redesigned Sorento is so evolutionary that it’s easy to let your mind fill in the lines, if you knew the previous model. The Sorento’s proportions look familiar, with a more prominent version of the Kia grille, some cleaned-up and more mature, upscale details in front and in back, and more softly rounded lines for most of what's in between.

The update is far more obvious inside. The 2016 Sorento's cabin has been dramatically tidied-up and made more sophisticated, with soft-touch trims all around—wherever front occupants might happen to touch—and climate and navigation/audio controls that are cordoned off into neat, intuitive control pods.

Ford calls the latest Edge more athletic, and for both styling and performance, it’s no exaggeration. The SUV silhouette has been upgraded, pushing the design closer to a premium look without cutting into its appeal. The Edge has some great surfacing and details that wouldn't be out of place in a BMW; the blacked-out details of the Edge Sport underscore the new athleticism, with sport-wagon undertones.

Inside, the Edge now has some of the best trims and materials in its class, and a dash shape that builds on familiar Ford models like the Focus and Escape.

The Kia Sorento carries over two engines from the previous model. The 185-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder base powertrain, and a 290-hp 3.3-liter V-6 at the top of the line. But for 2016, Kia added a new turbocharged 2.0-liter four making 240 hp. All three are paired to a six-speed automatic transmission and can be ordered with front- or all-wheel drive. We preferred the 2.0T model for its perky feel in most types of driving, even if its off-the-line acceleration wasn't the fastest of the three.

From the driver's seat, the latest Sorento responds and performs much better than its predecessor. The steering tracks better on center, the suspension provides a firm, composed ride, and the stiffer body structure gives a heftier, more confident feel and a vault-like German ride. Fuel economy is about par for the class, with the highest at 24 mpg combined for the 2.4-liter with front-wheel drive, down to 19 mpg for a fully-loaded AWD with the V-6.

The Ford Edge offers plenty of powertrain combinations to fit both tech-savvy and traditionalist buyers. The base engine is a 245-hp 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, paired to a six-speed automatic transmission that's the only choice regardless of engine. This base engine has great responsiveness, can be fitted with all-wheel drive, can tow 3,500 pounds, and should be perfectly adequate for most needs. A 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6 is optional for buyers who must have six cylinders. But it's the Edge Sport, with a direct-injected and twin-turbocharged 315-hp 2.7-liter V-6, that's the most intriguing. Its understated performance is strong and confident.

On the road, the Edge isn’t edgy, but precise and responsive. The steering has a precise, reassuring feel, tracking well in a straight line and taking corners without fuss. The Sport model gets its own damper and spring rates, and standard 21-inch wheels, with 20s as an option. Active noise cancellation actually leaves the Edge Sport the quietest model. Fuel economy ratings are good, but not class-leading, ranging from a high of 24 mpg combined for the base front-wheel-drive model to 20 mpg combined for the Edge Sport with AWD.

The Sorento's driver’s seat now has extendable thigh bolsters—definitely of use to taller drivers. Second-row space is essentially the same for two- and three-row versions, although two-row models include an underseat storage system.. Adults will find the third row too short and hard to be comfortable over a long day—although it's just fine for a quick dinner outing with those under 5’10”.

With slightly less cargo storage, the Edge is a vehicle designed more for people than gear. The front seats are high, but afford enough headroom and offer a good view out over the hood. Even with those front seats all the way back, there’s enough rear legroom and kneeroom for long-legged adults. Still, the seats are too short and flat--both in front and in back.

Both the 2016 Sorento and the 2016 Edge earn five stars overall from the NHTSA, with five stars on every test except for rollover, which gets four stars. The IIHS rates the Sorento "good" on every test, and awards it a Top Safety Pick designation. But its forward-collision warning system, even when optioned, is only capable enough to earn the basic nod, so it misses out on the "+" addendum that indicates top active-safety systems as well. The Ford, however, doesn't do quite as well with the IIHS, achieving only an "acceptable" score on the small-frontal overlap crash test (and "good" in all other ratings).

In back-to-back drives, we found the Edge more rewarding to drive, and more pleasing to our eyes. But the Sorento has more interior space, and offers that third row, which the Edge doesn't. They earn identical ratings in our system for very different reasons--but it should be clear to you which one wins your vote.

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2016 Kia Optima And Sedona Named To Kelley Blue Book's 16 Best Family Cars For 2016 List

Kia Motors America's (KMA) all-new 2016 Optima midsize sedan and 2016 Sedona minivan were both named to Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com 16 Best Family Cars for 2016 list. The recent winner of KBB.com's 2016 Best Buy Award, the Optima was touted by editors for being stylish, feature-packed and family friendly. Meanwhile, the Sedona minivan was praised for style and function, a modern interior, impressive available safety features and overall value.

"The all-new 2016 Optima has matured in all the right ways, from the European sport-sedan design to the premium interior materials to its vastly improved ride and handling and advanced safety features," said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning KMA. "Similarly, Sedona was designed for today's active lifestyles and families on the go with more power, a longer wheelbase for improved leg room and unique seating configurations combined with intuitive technology and safety. We're honored that Kelley Blue Book has named Optima and Sedona to the 16 Best Family Cars for 2016 list."

With a specific focus on safety, comfort, convenience, spaciousness for passengers and utility, and fit of various child safety car seats, the KBB.com editors created a list of the top 16 vehicles that best meet the needs of today's modern families.

"During our extensive testing in real-world use, we found both the Kia Sedona minivan and Kia Optima sedan offered many of the virtues that family car purchasers love – a full list of features, a high level of build quality and low acquisition costs," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst of Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. "When looking at the car market through the family friendly lens, Kia vehicles deserve serious consideration."



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2016 Kia Sedona's Warranty, Insides Make It Must-See Minivan

With the best warranty coverage of any minivan and an award-winning and inviting interior, the 2016 Kia Sedona is a must-see for anyone looking to buy a spacious and comfortable family ride.

In fact, the Sedona in top SXL trim comes with luxury car features, including a heated steering wheel that keeps hands warm on frigid winter days, handsome, two-tone, Nappa leather seats that are both heated and cooled, "first class lounge" reclining seats with foot rests in the second row and a surround-sound audio system.

Safety is tops, too, with the 2016 Sedona earning five out of five stars in U.S. government frontal and side crash tests.

These tests don't take into account the crash-avoidance equipment that can be had in the five-door Sedona, such as forward collision warning, smart cruise control that automatically keeps the van a certain distance from cars ahead and a surround-view camera system that shows on a display screen exactly how close the van is to surrounding vehicles.

Kia's surround cameras can be turned on even when the vehicle isn't backing up. So drivers can use them in a variety of maneuvers for excellent visibility. Even many luxury cars don't offer this.

Warranty coverage is way above the industry norm of three years/36,000 miles. Every Sedona comes with five years/100,000 miles of limited warranty coverage on the powertrain and five years/60,000 miles of a limited basic car warranty. There's also five years/60,000 miles of roadside assistance.

Sedonas come in a broad range of prices, with the base L model starting at $27,295 and the top SXL carrying a manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $40,795.

These prices are lower than competitors', which include the Honda Odyssey that carries an MSRP plus destination charge between $30,300 and $45,775, and the Toyota Sienna, which ranges from $29,750 to $46,170. These prices do not include every option or accessory, just model pricing.

All 2016 Sedonas are powered by a 276-horsepower, 3.3-liter, direct-injection V-6 engine that's also used in Kia's Cadenza luxury sedan and Sorento sport utility vehicle. In the Sedona, the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

During a test drive, there was enough power to squeal the front-wheel drive Sedona's wheels and the engine easily got the large van up to speed. Its torque peaked at 248 foot-pounds at 5,200 rpm, and shift points were felt during hard acceleration.

Neither engine nor transmission is particularly fuel efficient, and the test-driven SXL, which was fully loaded and weighed more than 4,700 pounds, averaged a poor 17.5 mpg while mostly driving around town. That was 8 percent below the federal government's estimate of 19 mpg in mixed city/highway travel for this model, which the government tested at 17 mpg for city driving and 22 mpg for highways.

Still, with gasoline so cheap these days, filling the Sedona's 21.1-gallon tank costs less than $38.

For 2016, Kia made a rear backup camera standard on all models. Seven and eight-seat Sedonas are available, but all-wheel drive is not.

The test-driven SXL rolled over road bumps with ease and shielded passengers from harsh impacts. With its long wheelbase, the Sedona is especially good at smoothing the bobbing sensations that come from traveling over consecutive expansion cracks on highways.

The power steering in the SXL was responsive, with good on-center feel.

While the large mass of the Sedona could be felt in curves and turns, the van didn't feel ungainly or unduly top-heavy during regular driving.

The interior was surprisingly quiet, even though the SXL rides on upgraded, 19-inch tires.

All Sedona door openings are large, with conveniently placed handles to ease entry and exit. Ambient lighting even illuminated the outside door handles to make it easier to get inside.

The SXL's interior makes a lasting impression. It is, simply, pretty; second-row "lounge" seats are so appealing a driver might be tempted to ride and relax rather than drive.

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Kia Motors America Announces Record January Sales

After setting an all-time annual sales record in 2015, Kia Motors America (KMA) recorded best-ever January sales of 38,305 vehicles. Kia's ninth consecutive monthly sales record was driven by sharp increases over the same period last year for the Soul urban passenger vehicle, Sportage CUV and Sedona minivan.

"Despite fewer selling days and record snowfall up and down the East Coast, our dealers worked diligently with customers who continue to discover the world-class products and ownership experience that encompasses the 'New Kia,'" said Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and EVP, KMA.

	MONTH OF JANUARY		YEAR-TO-DATE
Model	2016	2015	2016	2015
Rio	1,430	1,572	1,430	1,572
Forte	5,329	6,422	5,329	6,422
Optima	8,413	9,394	8,413	9,394
Cadenza	374	383	374	383
K900	68	119	68	119
Sportage	4,803	3,054	4,803	3,054
Sorento	6,695	7,543	6,695	7,543
Sedona	2,002	1,670	2,002	1,670
Soul	9,191	8,142	9,191	8,142
Total	38,305	38,299	38,305	38,299

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Kia Optima GT: Keen, comfortable and confident

A more powerful and focused addition to the Korean manufacturer’s popular D-segment saloon car range, the Kia Optima GT has the performance and dynamic abilities to match its now sharper more muscular design. Succeeding the previous generation US market Optima Turbo the GT is the first — and very welcome — performance-biased Optima introduced to the Middle East.

Quick, composed, comfortable and confident, the GT is the range-topping model in a new fourth generation optima range, first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show late last year. Evolutionary in nature, the new Optima is aesthetically more assertive, but also features structural and dynamic improvements, better refinement and more contemporary infotainment and driver assistance systems.

Aggressive evolution

An evolutionary design that is subtly but distinctly more aggressive and muscular, the new Kia Optima features a more sculpted bumper section, side sills and body surfacing. With noticeably blistered fog lamp/side gill housings, more swept back yet heavily browed grille and headlamps, side ports, sharply angled slim rear lights and built-in bootlid spoiler, the Optima a wider more purposeful presence.

Rakishly angled with coupe-like roofline, tautly pulled back sheet metal and flowing waistline line stretching from the headlights to the rear lamps, the new Optima both visually more dramatic and slightly larger. Roomier in all directions, and with 10mm longer wheelbase, the new Optima features 25mm more rear legroom and slight shoulder and headroom increases front and rear.

Driven with the largest available 235/45R18 footwear filling in its bulgy wheel-arches, the sportier Optima GT is distinguished by a yet more aggressive bumper design with slatted metallic side gill slats and long lower intake slat. The GT also features black gloss side sills and aggressive rear diffuser section with integrated dual exhaust ports.

Quick and confident

Powered by a 2-litre turbocharged direct fuel injection four-cylinder engine driving front wheels through a smooth shifting six-speed automatic gearbox, the Optima GT produces 241BHP at 6000rpm and 258lb/ft torque throughout an early arriving and flexibly broad 1400-4000rpm. Though down from the previous non-Middle East Optima Turbo’s 274BHP and 269lb/ft, the new GT does however deliver better low and mid-range responses and improved fuel efficiency.

A welcome addition to Kia’s regional line-up, the Optima GT offers performance more in tune with its decidedly aggressive design. With quick spooling twin scroll turbo, the GT virtually eliminates turbo lag and is responsive off-the-line. Welling up muscularly to an effortlessly punchy and accessible wide and versatile mid-range, the Optima GT felt decidedly more athletic than headline figures suggest.

Eager spinning to redline and maximum power, and underwritten by generous torque, the GT felt urgent yet refined, with useful real world performance and little torque steer, despite the absence of electronic torque vectoring to tidily channel power to the driven front wheels. Covering the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.4 seconds and capable of 240km/h, it also returns 8.5l/100km combined cycle fuel efficiency.

Composed and committed

Using 150 per cent more advanced high strength steel, the new Optima benefits from 50 per cent enhanced structural rigidity, which pays dividends in terms of crash safety, ride refinement and handling precision. Meanwhile, wider suspension subframe mountings improve stability and the use of four — rather than two — front bushing mounts, more robust wheel bearings and dual rear lower control arms.

Collectively improving lateral stiffness, steering response and precision, cornering traction and agility, the sportier Optima GT, however, also receives firmer high-performance dampers for better responses and body control. An altogether tauter more connected driving experience, the Optima GT felt stable at speed and settled on rebound, yet eager, poised and committed into and through corners.

Despite limited opportunities to fully explore its dynamic envelope during test drive in Oman, the Optima GT felt tidy and direct on turn-in, with good front and rear grip under load and through corners. Tauter damping provided a sportier and more reassuring drive, with noticeably improved body roll control and a more buttoned down feel over imperfections.

Classier comfort

Tauter and more connected than other Optima models, the GT’s sportier handling abilities better reflects its assertive design, and finds a good balance between keen handling and ride comfort. Supple yet stable riding, the new Optima also benefits from improved acoustic and vibration refinement owing to improved aerodynamics, window seals, dashboard insulation under-floor cover and larger cross member bushings.

Better refined, classier and roomier inside, the new Optima features a cleaner less cluttered design with horizontal emphasis. More upmarket in appearance and feel, it gains more soft textures and improved materials, and features unified metallic accent tone and texture throughout the cabin. Supportive and comfortable, the GT-specific sports seats featured rich red leather and contrasting dark grey stitching.

Well equipped with standard and optional infotainment, convenience and safety and driver assistance systems, the Optima GT features optional 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, up to 8-inch infotainment display, Bluetooth connectivity and wireless phone charging. Also available are 360° around view parking camera, sensors and assistance, and rear cross traffic, blind spot and lane keeping alerts.


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