It has been a long row to hoe for the brand. Starting humbly, as a car of last resort, they, along with sister company Hyundai, helped to pioneer such thoughtful differences as a 10-year/100,000 mile drivetrain warranty. We aren’t sure about the early days, but we’d bet today that the warranty ends up costing the company a fraction of what it used to. Heck, it’s probably not even needed any more, but we appreciate the fact it’s still offered. In initial quality reports, the brand ranks in sixth place. At one point in their early history, they managed no better than dead last.
Which begs the point, if other manufacturers are so confident in their latest and greatest, why don’t they offer such a guarantee, too?
What’s new?
Launching with just two vehicles in 1994, Kia’s lineup now boasts a dozen different car and utility models.
For 2016 (to be offered in January 2015, but more on that later), Kia introduced the third generation Sorento with a new stylized design, a choice of three engines and two drive systems. And if you have to haul up to seven people, they have you covered as well.
Powered by a buyer’s choice of a 185 horsepower, 2.4-liter Inline four-cylinder engine with 178 lb-ft of torque, followed by a 240 horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 260 lb-ft of torque, and finally, a 290 horsepower 3.3-liter V6 engine that produces 252 lb-ft of torque, there are obviously a variety of options to choose from. If you need a turbo, prepare to give up seating, as it only accommodates five passengers. If you need to tow up to 5,000-pounds, the 3.3-liter V6 is your go-to vehicle. If your wallet is doing the talking, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder is your choice.
All Sorento powertrains are mated to an electronically governed six-speed automatic transmission with three selectable drive modes — Sport, Normal or Eco. The Sorento lacks steering wheel paddle shifters, however, so you’re stuck using the gear lever for shift in sport mode.
Kia claims the new Sorento is “primed for adventure” with its Dynamax All Wheel Drive (AWD) System ($1,800) with continuous traction monitoring. Available with all engine choices, it is continuously variable up to a 50:50 ratio. The AWD Sorento also includes Torque Vector Cornering Control (TVCC). When it senses understeer, it will apply the inside rear brakes to bring the car back under control.
The Sorento rides on an independent MacPherson strut system with coil springs and a stabilizer bar in front and an independent multilink kit in the rear that features a stabilizer bar and dual flow dampers for a more accommodating ride quality. Steering is by a motor-driven power rack and pinion system.
About that 2016 model designation: Kia officials reason that being offered in the 2015 model year as a 2016 model will be more attractive to certain buyers. They think customers who are early adopters by nature will question why they should buy a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge, GMC Terrain, Jeep Cherokee, or Toyota Highlander when they can buy a 2016 Kia Sorento instead.
Thick Skinned
Not literally, but this third generation Sorento is more capable than the models before it. Bigger, too. Stronger shoulders, a long nose, and other details including LED fog lamps and rear taillights up the ante, and dress it up further.
For those pre-measuring their garage space, the wheelbase has increased by 3.1-inches to 109.4-inches. Width grows an incremental 0.2-inches to 74.4-inches, while height and overall length measure in at 66.3- and 187.4-inches, respectively.
Inside, the 2016 Sorento features more refined details and soft touch materials than ever before. New easy to clean fabric seating surfaces join the standard grade- or K900-based Nappa-grade leather in covering an available 14-way driver’s and 8-way passenger seat. Heated and ventilated in the front, they are also heated in the second row. Third row occupants get their own vents. Our testers were equipped with heated steering wheels and power sunroofs. Hi-tech accoutrements are all-over as well, and include a 630-watt, 12-speaker Infinity audio system with Clari-Fi technology that rebuilds the audio signal that is sometimes lost with digital compression. As a result, we found a system with barely any distortion that could potentially cause your ears to bleed out. Other tech extras included lane departure warning, smart cruise control, an around view monitor, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and forward collision warning.
Kia one-upped all the other manufacturers who offer sweep-foot technology to open the rear hatch with their new Smart power lift gate. Using no kicking, sweeping or waving, it only requires a walk within a coverage zone for it to lift on its own. Once opened, owners can configure the seats to provide 9.1-cubic feet behind the third row, 36.9- behind the middle row, and 72.5-cubic feat with both rear seats folded forward.
Road tripping
We tested all-wheel-drive versions of the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the five-passenger model and found a Sorento with a good view of the road ahead and comfort inside. Power from the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine was smooth throughout its range, with no hunting for a specific gear from the six-speed automatic transmission. Sadly, it seems as though, in the words of Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler, the Sorento’s get up and go done got up and went.
In several tests on Lake Tahoe back roads, we were only able to muster a zero-to-60 mph best of 9.7-seconds best from the 3,878-pounder with power launches and traction control disabled.
With little torque at the lower end of the powerband, we can only surmise that the turbo was mapped with an eye towards fuel economy, (Kia estimates 27 highway) rather than off-the-line prowess. On the other hand, power in the mid to upper ranges was plentiful, making such moves as passing back-to-back eighteen-wheelers an effortless exercise.
Perhaps a mapping profile can be reprogrammed in before Turbo-Sorentos start to show up at dealerships.
On the other hand, power from the 3.3-liter V6 was plentiful and smooth with a large degree of refinement that managed to suppress extraneous road noise from entering the cabin. Our perfect road-tripper, it displayed enough oomph to capably tow up to 5,000-pounds in an AWD configuration.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Kia redesigns and refines the Sorento CUV to offer more capabilities than ever before. Offered in three engine and two drivetrain choices, not to mention space for five- and seven-passengers, there is something for the needs of most drivers. We’ll wait to spend time with a hopefully revised turbocharged I-4 but it’s hard to carp about the brand’s dollar to value ratio.
2016 Kia Sorento
Base L 2.4-liter FWD $24,900
Base SXL 3.3-liter AWD $28,300
Sorento EX 2.0T AWD $32,900
Sorento Limited 3.3 AWD $43,100
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